Game of Thrones season 8: The fashion of Daenerys and Sansa

(L to R) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Kit Harington as Jon Snow – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Color, shape, and material

This image is particularly telling in what it has to do with Daenerys specifically. This is not a new ensemble for her, but she actually changes clothes in the episode, while we see Sansa in the same thing the entire time.

As for the color story being told for the two women, it’s not new for either woman, but when juxtaposed, it creates stark differences. Sansa is wearing all-black, which she’s done before during her “Dark Sansa” era, and she typically opts for darker, more muted colors as the Lady of Winterfell. Meanwhile, Daenerys also often opts for neutrals, including the white-and-black fur coat she sports in the above image, or the primarily gray dress she wears in her conversation with Sansa — but there’s still a muted red, too.

Aside from being one of Daenerys’ house colors, red is the color of, well, passion and love — as well as battle. She’s in a struggle not only with the dead, but her own heart as well as Sansa herself.

But on that other side of the metaphorical battle here is someone who is literally wearing armor. (This writer will continue to comment about Daenerys’ lack of armor until the show does something about it.) For all that Daenerys is presenting someone approachable to Sansa with the soft fur, gentle colors, and pretty hair, Sansa has leather on — some form of defense, at the very least. They both have strong shoulders in their outfits, but it comes from these differences. Although Daenerys is able to coax a few small smiles from Sansa, our Lady of Winterfell shuts right back down and cuts to the chase when asking about what happens after the war is over. When the armor comes off, will Sansa have to put it on again to fight against the Targaryen queen?

The costumes say that’s a possibility.

Stay tuned for more Game of Thrones through the week from Culturess.

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