When we first meet Ruth-Anne (played by the late Peg Phillips), she is more of a “background” character with barely any lines. At first we don’t see anything really remarkable about her.
From 1.1 The Pilot
However, as the seasons went on, Ruth-Anne became one of the most unique characters on the show: wise, practical, smart, compassionate, and with sly sense of humour. The surprising aspects about Ruth-Anne are reflected in her wardrobe. On the one hand, she wears typical, comfort-first, old-ladyish sort of clothes: pants, flower prints, colourful sweaters. On the other hand, she also reveals a zany sort of style that’s totally unexpected.
Episode 3.19 “Wake-Up Call”
First and foremost, Ruth-Anne is a practical person, and her clothes definitely reflect this pragmatism: comfortable sweatshirts, sweaters, turtlenecks, and loose-fitting pants. Her hair too, is a simple bob, undyed, styled away from her face; it’s a kind of hairstyle for someone who can’t really be bothered with having a hairstyle. Nevertheless, her character always looks groomed.
From 4.5 “Blowing Bubbles”
Her outer gear is also sensible: long tan wool coats, raincoats, insulated winter coats and hats. Nothing to scream attention except for an occasional burst of colour. She does love her colours, and she displays a penchant for mixing prints just like Shelly, strangely enough.
From 4.10 “Crime and Punishment”
From 4.12 “Revelations”
From 4.18 “Northern Lights”
We’ve only seen her in one dress, in “Midnight Sun” (4.2), when Gillis saves a very pretty pale pink dress for her. It is an awkward moment for her and she doesn’t seem too comfortable in the dress.
From 4.2 “Midnight Sun”
Other than that, her formal wear consists mainly of button-up shirts, and an occasional wool coat. We often see her in colourful plaids, which reveal her down-to-earth nature.
From 4.12 “Revelations”
From 3.8 “A Hunting We Will Go”
From 4.3 “Nothing’s Perfect”
One way Ruth-Anne displays her personality is through prints and colourful sweaters. She seems to adore turtlenecks with amusing little prints on them.
From 3.12 “Our Tribe”
From 4.5 “Blowing Bubbles”
From 4.13 “Duets”
From 4.16 “Ill Wind”
From 4.18 “Northern Lights”
One of her wardrobe’s highlights is this amazing panda sweater.
From 3.12 “Revelations”
Of course, we save the best for last: Ruth-Anne’s sweatshirts! She wears loose, colourful, and very strange sweatshirts, which she dresses up with turtlenecks and collared shirts. They do make a statement.
From 1.8 “Aurora Borealis”
From 3.1 “The Bumpy Road to Love”
From 3.2 “Only You”
From 3.3 “Oy, Wilderness”
From 3.6 “The Body in Question”
From 3.6 “The Body in Question”
From 3.8 “A-Hunting We Will Go”
From 3.19 “Wake Up Call”
From 3.21 “It Happened in Juneau”
Ruth-Anne can never be called fashionable, but her style definitely makes sense for who she is: a smart, determined woman with a twinkle in her eye. Despite her conservative clothing choices, she nonetheless surprises us over and over with some of the strange items from her closet.
We adore her practical eccentric style.
From 4.8 “Thanksgiving”
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