In vanilla Skyrim, recruit Lydia as a follower, open her follower trade inventory, and give her the armor or clothing you want her to wear. Her follower AI decides what to equip, so handing her an item does not guarantee she will wear it. For direct control over an NPC’s default outfit, Bethesda Creations lists the optional Tailor’s Measure – Change NPC Outfit Creation.
Change Lydia’s outfit in vanilla Skyrim
- Recruit Lydia as a follower. The usual follower trade interaction is available while she is following you.
- Open the follower trade inventory and transfer the armor or clothing you want her to use.
- Give her a moment to choose equipment. Lydia’s follower AI selects what to wear; simply giving her a garment does not force her to equip it.
There is a reason her usual armor may not appear in the trade list: an NPC’s default outfit is assigned separately from ordinary inventory. The Skyrim Creation Kit companion guide explains that default armor or clothing is set on the NPC’s Inventory tab and is not visible in the inventory (Skyrim Creation Kit Wiki: Creating a Companion). A Steam Workshop follower-mod description likewise notes that the game favors higher-quality available items, so results can depend on what Lydia has available (Followers Wear Any Apparel).
![ELDER SCROLLS V 5 SKYRIM SPECIAL EDITION [M]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51QB2Ep+iFL._SL160_.jpg)
Use a Creation for more direct outfit control
Bethesda Creations lists Tailor’s Measure – Change NPC Outfit, which adds dialogue to change an NPC’s default outfit and manage inventory. The listing says it is available for all platforms; check the Creations interface on your platform for current availability and compatibility.
- Craft Tailor’s Measure in the Misc category at a tanning rack.
- Equip the item.
- Load your save, save again, and then load that save again. The listing says the outfit-change dialogue should then appear.
- Use the new dialogue with Lydia to manage her outfit.
These steps and the feature description come from the Bethesda Creations listing for Tailor’s Measure – Change NPC Outfit.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11#1 Best Overall
If Lydia changes back after a reload
In a modded setup, outfit-changing systems may reapply an NPC’s default outfit or rebuild follower inventory, undoing a chosen outfit. Follower Equip Control documents options to block default outfit reapplication and restore saved outfit items. It requires SkyUI’s trade menu, and its settings may interact with other outfit-changing mods, so check the mod’s configuration and compatibility notes for your setup (Nexus Mods: Follower Equip Control).
A 2018 forum post describes Lydia returning to steel armor after a loading screen following a Creation Kit outfit edit. That is one player’s report, not proof that every outfit edit will revert (Nexus Mods Forums: Help changing Lydia clothes in creation kit).
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Lead epic Viking raids against Saxon troops and fortresses
- Relive the visceral fighting style of the Vikings as you dual-wield powerful weapons
- Challenge yourself with the most varied collection of enemies ever in Assassin's Creed
- Shape the growth of your character and your clan's settlement with every choice you make
- Explore a Dark Age open world, from the harsh shores of Norway to the beautiful kingdoms of England
Rank #3
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
Rank #2
![The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Anniversary Edition) - [PlayStation 4] | kostenloses Upgrade auf PlayStation 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WubchYsEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Die Skyrim Anniversary Edition umfasst die Skyrim Special Edition sowie 74 Creations (darunter 26 brandneue) mit über 500 einzigartigen Inhalten aus dem Creation Club, darunter Quests, Behausungen und mehr
- Die Anniversary Edition enthält das Spiel mit allen drei Erweiterungen und liebevoll überarbeiteten Grafiken und Effekten
- Die Erweiterungen umfassen Dawnguard, Heathfire und Dragonborn
Which method should you use?
| Method | What it does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla follower trade | Gives Lydia gear to consider; her AI chooses what to equip. | A quick outfit change without adding a mod. |
| Tailor’s Measure Creation | Adds dialogue for changing an NPC’s default outfit and managing inventory. | More direct outfit management through an installed Creation. |
| Follower Equip Control | Offers settings related to outfit reapplication and restoring saved outfit items; requires SkyUI’s trade menu. | A modded setup where equipment keeps being reset. |
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
