The Costume Design Letdowns of House of the Dragon

[@Costume_CO]

Watch Part I: House of the Dragon: What Makes it Good: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIbCiWWXfbyheMU

[@KarlKarsnark]

Can't wait for the Livestream! Cheers m'dear.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Karl!

[@2paranoid2think]

The costumes stood out to me too. They could have used inspiration from west Asian/Russian royal clothing. It would have been more unique, yet powerful-looking that could suit the Targaryans. Even though GOT is inspired by English royals/wars, they missed a great chance to create incredible costumes.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Dizzy, I forgot to mention, I think some of the headdresses are inspired by the Russian Kokoshnik. Thanks so much for commenting.

[@katm8128]

rhaenyra’s headpiece during her wedding with daemon reminded me of a Russian headpiece, which I believe is a kokoshnik. I was immediately reminded of it due to its shape and the tassels on the sides. Also Rhaenys’ peacock blue gown shown in this video has embroidery that is reminiscent of a sarafan to me

[@FirefulXD]

i SO wish they kept with the byzantine inspiration. it was there for rhaenyra's coronation and like nothing else

[@felinejess1865]

Even my husband who NEVER notices costumes immediately noticed that Daemon's tourney helmet looked like cheap plastic.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much for commenting!

[@lgt_jne]

Fr I hated it when I say the posters

[@kreestuh4367]

The lack of cohesiveness was a subtle thing that annoyed me slightly throughout HOTD (which I did otherwise enjoy). I loved how early seasons of GOT explored the idea of "influence" with clothing-- we don't see that as much in this show beyond just color trends (ala Alicent's green dress). It would've been nice to see how the actual cut and fabric of clothing showed the changing winds of the court, along with a heavier reliance on a distinct 'historical' inspiration, I think. Great video as always!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much for commenting Kreestuh!

[@christabelkhasiani8302]

Thank you so much for discussing the poc wigs - SOME were so distracting, clownish and so far from human hair textures, they looked more like fabric. There was no care given to realistic density or natural distribution which is baffling since locs, twists and coiled and curly hair in elaborate styles are highly visible our communities and online, reference photos and styling videos are abundant. Lots of entrepreneurial black girls from college age and above create and sell amazing wigs on various budgets, they would put this production to shame.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Christabel, thank you so much for your comment and your perspective. I really appreciate it. Now that you are mentioning it, the wig hair looks a bit like wool crepe, an old school product used for beards and mustaches.

[@Ladybug-no9sc]

EXACTLY! I said the same. How hard would it had been for them to find a good ethnic stylist or wig maker, They are literally EVERYWHERE! as you said in our community and online they do a much better job with alot less.

[@TheKefelder]

The didn't frame their faces or "debulk" them. It was really distracting.

[@sss1029]

Cant wait until all amazing poc actors and writers leave white countries and start creating their own incredible entertainment based on poc bestsellers

[@beatrixflynn5126]

I totally agree with you, i wish they had made the matching crowns like margaery had in GOT for alicent and later helaena. I think alicent entering in the green dress wearing a crown that matches viserys' that we the audience hand only seen on aemma before, would have been really powerful

[@Costume_CO]

Agreed Beatrix!

[@DeepikaGinger]

And Alicent’s crown in the book was important as she placed it on her daughter’s head when she became Queen.

[@ayanna6327]

Thank you so much for talking about the Velaryon wigs. As a black person I was happy to see the Velaryon's but my goodness they should've hired someone black to handle their wigs. Majority of them looked crunchy and low-quality.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Ayanna, thank you so much for commenting.

[@redfyresasoiaf]

Not to mention how you could often see their roots peakign through (especially on little Laena!)!

[@R0osKa]

What struck me the most as someone who has limited understanding of fashion as a whole, is how Alicent's entire look changed just for that one episode where she's pregnant. Like, is it customary for ladies to change everything about themselves during those nine months? The gown was beautiful like you said but it came out of nowhere and it didn't look like something she would wear, neither does the hairdo look like something she would choose for herself. And it would've been fine if they stuck to it, show the passage of time as she gets accustomed to her new role as a queen, present herself in something more mature-looking etc., but she went right back to wearing what she did four years ago. Also, the lack of any undergarments bugged me. It's a fantasy show, why not go all the way?

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much for commenting Rosie!

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

The crowns were the biggest miss for me. The books crowns, namely Jaehaerys 7 gem crown and Aegon's Ruby studded crown both tell so much about the story, and have actual meaning. The shows were just, bleh, but most importantly, looked and apparently were made of plastic. How can such an important object in a fantasy setting not be given the most attention and made of the best materials!?

[@alexbramley195]

As a hair person I would love to see rhaenrya wear more Dutch braids or intricate hairstyles. The wedding hairstyle tho kind of funky did have an intricate nature to it. Like I hope as the war starts getting more heated Rhaenrya will start wearing her hair back in some sort of braids besides the one braided bun and Dutch braid back.

[@tatumgallahair7729]

Rhaenyra wearing braids would make sense since in the books she idolized Visenya who would wear her hair in a braid, but the super intricate braids that we see on Dany are from Dothraki culture, most Targaryen women would actually wear their hair loose since the white hair is kind of their status symbol.

[@CuntyMisanthrope]

Def one of the lowest points of this otherwise solid series. The fact that there was so much costume repetition kinda broke immersion for me at certain points, and the ill fitting only made it worse. By the Gods, this is the royal family! It almost gave independent theater.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi The Black Stag, thank you so much for commenting.

[@edeemitheippin3876]

I personally don’t find repeated costumes unimmersive quite opposite, you have to assume the people of Westeros are on a handmade clothes. Even royalty back in the day in our world wore the same clothes they may have had more outfits than the average person but hand made clothes take time to make… but that being said I do agree some of the costumes should not have been there a decade later on certain characters.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Edeemi.

[@cheyennejudithcw]

@@edeemitheippin3876 I do think that historically they would have the garments a decade later, and wearing them too. The only thing is they probably would have altered it in some way; adding or subtracting trim, fabric, etc. Although this show is not historical, I do think that it would be more likely the garments would have changed slightly.

[@ianvera4299]

Showrunners are not only responsible for the script, they are the creative leaders for the show visuals which includes costumes. Say what you want, D&D cohesive vision made GOT the standard for fantasy costuming and production value for a reason.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Ian, I totally agree.

[@JainaTargaryen]

I mean. It definately was Michele Claptons genius not D&D

[@ianvera4299]

@@JainaTargaryen I never said it was, but clapton always had to get the permission and approval of D&D and how they wanted the show to look.

[@lunacascade1125]

I absolutely agree with you Heidi. Your costume critiques both good and bad are always on point. What a disappointment these costumes for HOT D were especially after following the hughe success of Michel Claptons awesome designs. One would expect with such a huge budget the lack of attention to construction basics or cohesive time periods would be inexcusable for such a prestige production. My biggest pive was the bust line fittings on the womens costumes. Just about every female costume had this issue especially costumes for Halena! These missteps can't just be blamed on covid limitations. No period! And OMG don't get me started on the Velaryon wigs....yikes!

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Luna, thank you so much. I didn't want to be so harsh on the show but then I just kept going ang going....I still love the show, I just think it could be so much better!

[@gabrieltinoco830]

YOU'RE SO RIGHTTTTTT!!!!!!! Okay let me organise myself: 1- Why every female character looks like they are in the 13th century and Alicent looks like she's an English 16th century queen? It was so weird. Rhaenys and Baela's dresses looks like (and probably are) medieval surcoats while adult Alicent and Rhaenyra wear Elizabethan gowns. And Laena's dress at the wedding looks like an 80s prom dress. 2- Why are the costumes so flat? This is supposedly the peak of Targaryen dynasty, where's the brocades? The damasks? The furs? The velvets? The embroidery? We NEED to get rid of this assumption that medieval people were always dressing dull and plain, throw these characters at 15th century France and they would look like rich merchants at best. They loved to show off their wealth and dress stunningly as much as we do, probably even more! I feel like most of The White Princess costumes would've looked great in HOTD, I hope they rent some costumes for S2 if they don't have the time or budget to make more. 3- The crowns were AWFUL, I just can't believe NO ONE in the crew or production team didn't notice they looked straight up PLASTIC, have they never seen a real crown before? Okay, me neither BUT I know that's NOT how real gold looks like or shine, you can literally buy more real looking crowns on the internet. I'm sure they could've hired the same team that made The Crown crowns to make their own. 4- The male costumes look BORING as always smh, they look exactly like the ones we had in Game Of Thrones, while I can understand that the world of ASOIAF is in a medieval stasis trope, a different style would've worked just fine! They could've used houppelandes or tunics and it would be assumed that with time, they shortened until they became the doublets we saw in GOT. Or they could at least have used more fancy fabrics like brocade, honestly Rhaenrya's children looked like stable boys when they arrived at the Red Keep 5- The repetition of costumes had me so pissed off 'cause ain't this the peak of Targaryen dynasty? Ain't the Velaryons the richest house in the realm? Why are they all wearing the same 5 pieces back to back? Let's be honest even the poorest medieval prince wouldn't have repeated the same gown for 19 years. 6- The wigs were so bad but I don't know exactly how to criticize it since I'm assuming working with human hair is a tough thing but I must say that I've watched plenty Chinese dramas with white haired characters and the wigs looked perfect! And recently I saw a video here on KZbin of a wig making company for films and series and I'm sure they would've handled the job to make great wigs for HOTD. Maybe if they didn't make all Targaryens white haired it would've been easier, some Targaryens had silver gold and pale blonde hair, would've been easier than trying to make everyone fit in a white wig. That's it I guess, I think I expressed most of my frustration with the costumes here, I probably forgot a few things but in general that's it! 🤭

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Gabriel, wonderful analysis and of course you and I are like minded. Very much appreciate your comment.

[@cosmothecosmonaut5329]

You could REALLY see that Daemon's armor was not made from steel or metal, it was so obvious on the helmet and the shoulder pieces, it almost looked 3d printed :(

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks cosmo!

[@alexbramley195]

One thing I hope they change in later seasons is to have more consistent costume designs. Like that green sheer lace dress old alicent wears is completely different then her other ones and it feels like it was taken from a fashion show. That’s something I loved with game of thrones, the costumes felt cohesive.

[@faithmoir1637]

i think another reason that they made rhaenys blonde was to eliminate any possibility that rhaenyra's first 3 kids are actually legitimate. in the book there's some murkiness thrown in because there are legitimate targs who don't have the targaryen hair (both this rhaenys and later rhaegar's rhaenys have dark hair for example) but the show wanted to take away any dispute in the audience about the velaryon boy's true parentage

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Faith, good point.

[@le96g]

Young Rhaenyra ill fitting costumes bothered me quite a bit, it didn't feel like she was a princess who had clothing tailored just for her. It felt like she was wearing someone else's clothing becuase she couldn't have better.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Leticia, thanks for commenting.

[@AysKuz]

I expressed my grievances on Twitter often enough. Some garnments could have looked good if they had proper undergarnments. It is like having a gown that needs a big pettycoat underneath and you skip that, the skirt part will look sad, droopy and illfitting. Beside that problem I can´t get over the mistakes like ironing errors or the curve of the bust sitting up high on the decoletee. No chief of costume department should give their okay to such errors, even less if these errors are seen on the main characters. The magical embroidery of Carragher can distract and rescue only that much in that case. I wished and still hope they would bring Clapton back for season two. Thank you Heidi and TopShelfFandom for putting so much work in these videos.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Aysun, thanks so much for commenting as always. I'm hoping that season 2 we see some improvements.

[@AysKuz]

@@Costume_CO I hope so too. The story and the actors are amazing. The only lacking thing is the costume department for me.

[@alexac4293]

My main complaint with the crowns and armor, was that none of them are aged which only further highlights the cheap and plastic-y look of those pieces. Some basic weathering would have done wonders to combat that problem

[@LadyCin611]

I’ve said this before, and I will say it again…they cheated out on the costumes. Excellent video tho, Heidi!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much Cindy!

[@TheKefelder]

And the wigs! Lol.

[@mellowenglishgal]

I've been saving this video! You hit so many points that I thought while watching HotD. The men looked amazing most of the time. In interviews, the designer seems obviously excited by them, giving them attention to detail - custom-made chains and jewellery - while the female characters' designs seem to be an afterthought. There is no cohesion in the styling of each individual character, and no real identity - we could identify any GoT character purely by the cut of their outfits, even if the colours and trim were completely altered. The Game of Thrones costumes were absolutely phenomenal because the identities of each different region were created from scratch, based on resources the characters would have access to, and each character had their own palette and symbolism richly interwoven with the details of their costumes, which often the audience only saw for a split-second on-screen. The costumes were so effective because they took you out of the real world and lured you into Westeros, the Dothraki Sea, Qarth, Meereen. The HotD designer claimed she wanted to create a "modern silhouette" that audiences would want to wear. No. Give me any of the GoT gowns any day! Some of the mood-board references you've included made snort - Belle! Awful 90s necklines. The close-ups of the garments do nothing to improve them. Agree totally about Rhaenys' wigs. Awful - I get that she's probably wearing her hair like the crown she was denied, but it just looks awful. Rhaenyra's bridal hair was hideous! The first time I saw Alicent's "Green Dress" I thought, well, the designer obviously watched Bernadette Banner recreating the woolen cotehardie, switched out the colour, got rid of any underpinnings and called it a day. So lazy. I'm glad you mentioned Bernadette! The only outfits I really loved were Alicent's blue tourney dress, Rhaenyra's hunting outfit and her coronation outfit. One last note: I am delighted that there is a new designer for Season 2!

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Mellow, thank you so much for watching my video and all of your great comments. I really appreciate it.

[@tj3603]

Very spot on review. I also noticed they used more noticeably synthetic fabrics this time around. Some costumes look unnaturally shiny.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi TJ yes, they did. Thank you so much for commenting.

[@tj3603]

@@Costume_CO if you don't mind me asking, how would you go about differentiating passage of time in costumes? In GoT they always used colors to show allegiances or influence on people. Like Sansa starts wearing grey and white colors of her house, than transitioning to light red shades, when she is influenced by Cersei, than into bluish grey again while mourning her family and flirting with Tyrels, than into black under Bailish influence, and back to grey in last seasons. I thought they could have done something similar with Reinyra. She could have wear white and blue dress in first episode to underline her closeness with her mother, who was Arryn by birth. Than transition to shades of black to show her mourning, isolation and gloomy mood, as well as burden of being Targaryen's heir. Than while she was married to Velarion she could wear silver and black or red and green, like colors of her house, her husband's house and simultaneously her lover's house. So by the end she would settle in Targaryens's black and red. Now I see no story in her costumes, why she wearing gold and red Lannisters colors, why red and grey, why beige all over sudden, why red pink and gold? It does not match colors of her house or her character, and it feels disjointed.

[@miea34]

4:22 i totally agree and it made me think of a pregnancy bump handled well in costuming, which was Catherine's in The Great (amazing show if you haven't seen it btw). The difference between that and this (and most of the costumes in hotd, because the great has awesome costume designs) is huge and it makes me wonder how a show with such a huge budget could spend so little on costuming when it is one of the most important parts of world building and story telling. So unfortunate that this area of production is overlooked

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Mia. The costumes in The Great are amazing. They take some liberties but its all beautifully crafted and tailored.

[@lacym9278]

I was so disappointed at Rhanerya's gowns, that gold one was horrendous!!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Lacy.

[@WeatherInOrlando]

Compare the wigs the Velaryons wear to the wigs China Anne McClain wears in the Disney Channel movies Descendants 2 and 3. She wears wigs with braids and in a fantasy colour (green) but the Disney wigs look so much better, and they're more flattering on her.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Amy. 🙂

[@kragary]

My least favourite costume was Aemma's pink pregnancy gown - the fabric looks like grandma's old curtains and the gold chain on the bust is looped to look like boobs for some reason. Rhaenyra's short-sleeved golden dress reminds me of a modern t-shirt, doesn't really fit the medieval setting. I'm mostly sad about the hair though... In the books Targaryens have a wide variety of different hair colours, metallic silver and/or gold being the most common (and celebrated), but otherwise ranging from white to dark ash blondes. I don't know why the showmakers are so stuck on this boring white blonde, especially when it doesn't look very good most of the time. You can tell the wigs have been bleached alot, the hair looks really damaged and behaves weirdly. Many of the actors would have been flattered by a different color, too.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi kragary, thank you so much for commenting.

[@AnnabelTheGoldsmith]

I feel the same on Aemmas pink dress of ick, why make the chain detail look like it's where boobs are meant to go.

[@chaicracker]

Randomly found this video. Thank you for sharing you in-depth observations and perceptions. Unlocked parts of my brain that now sees more clearly about fashion and clothes. May sound „bit much“ but content like yours is live changing. Appreciation of art form fashion increases and personal cloth choices more clearly accentuate my own body for better self-awareness and confidence. A catalyst for everything. Reminds me of the moment when I first time visited a professional Parfum Store. My assumption of „I have a bad sense of smell“ got positively wrecked and opened a whole new dimension to life. It’s funny how I get charmed by beautiful fits when I visit the big cities. Thanks to you I finally know where to look at to understand why someone walking by causes me to stand in awe on a busy street 😄 Much love to you ❤️✨

[@Costume_CO]

Hello, thank you for such a lovely comment. I really appreciate it.

[@shiversivegotem]

I think it would have made sense if young Alicent's clothes were the ones that didn't fit so well. I think it would reflect her discomfort with herself/her teenage awkwardness, and she wouldn't necessarily have stuff as nice as the royal family. But Rhaenyra should have had the best dresses on the show.

[@Costume_CO]

Great comment shivers, that would have made more sense indeed.

[@kimcarragher5784]

I couldn’t believe how hotd was praised for being MORE colourful than GoT???? Like what???

[@lesliegalen7018]

1. Rhaenyra’s dresses just did not fit. 2. Bernadette Banner! 3. Daemon’s helmet is absolutely plastic, as you can see it bend when he beat the messenger with it. 4. Henry Cavill! Lost concentration for a minute there…5. My least favorite outfit was Alicent’s in ep. 9. That dreary dark green lace looked like an 80s mother of the bride dress. Anyway, thanks again for all you do, and I look forward to the next one.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much Leslie, yes, we need to have Henry Caville as a palette cleanser, 😄

[@cats1900]

I'm glad to find this. Im not a clothing expert or costume expert, but many times during HotD, I felt like costumes looked cheap. Glad to see there is a reason.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks 🐈, I appreciate your comment.

[@Khensani]

the most egregious thing about the valeryon (sp?) wigs was they could've just gone with afros. much easier to make look realistic and would suit a lot of the characters and you can vary the curl patterns and even go looser with the curls with as the descendants get more biracial/mixed

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Khesani, thanks for commenting! That would have been an interesting look.

[@angellover02171]

Rhaeny's armor is like a D+ sports bra.

[@margauxw5037]

I actually like that the costumes were a bit ill fitting. It made them look more child like which I felt was appropriate. it also made it feel a bit more rustic to have them not look hyper polished all the time. I dig it.

[@Costume_CO]

Hey Margaux, thanks for your perspective. I appreciate it.

[@LLivLLaffLLuv]

I wish they’d done more to make this era distinct from Game of Thrones, maybe with more Byzantine imagery

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Olivia.

[@Kittiesdressedinpink]

Fantastic video! Really appreciate the amount of critique that addresses supply limit, production wants and needs and ultimately, the realities of the pandemic and how it could have affected a lot of the costumes and props for this season. I also liked learning which type of item is considered a prop and what's a costume! Of all of the things you brought up that resonate with me the most was the hair decisions for the Velaryons and specifically how Baela / Rhaena's hairstyles and chosen types of hair DO seem odd for the pairing of Daemon/Laena. Yes, it's fantasy. Yes, it's up to the show runners to okay the final decisions, but without having someone point out (as you said) "wait, this is odd.", then there's nothing to let the showrunners know there's a better route to take and having staff who've worked with POC hairstyles / types would be a great way to ground the show. I really hope that next season, they take the things that happened from Season 1 and improve on them. GOT's production did as their success and budget increased and you can see this with their costumes / hair / makeup. Overall, great review and take on the inconsistencies for the costumes and time jumps. It's odd because there are MORE than 4 script supervisors that should have caught onto all of the inconsistencies throughout the shows and they really dropped the ball on this. Going forward, I hope that costumes are left to the Costume Design team instead of what they did this season since having directors make these decisions seem a bit odd. IMO, I don't think Clapton would have allowed such inconsistencies and while I may not agree with many things DnD did for the last few seasons of GOT, at least they trusted her and her team to bring the world of ASOIAF to life. I don't really see this season getting nods for costumes or makeup/hair and coming off of GOT, that is really unfortunate. But I'm hopeful for next season! Thank you for your video and really appreciate your knowledge and insight! It's really interesting to me and helps me learn more about costume design and creation.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi majoinspire, thank you for such a thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it. 🙏

[@angellover02171]

Yes Costume Co has some 9f the best videos on Costumes in TV in film. Please check out her other work.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Natural Selection!

[@dissaponteddunsky7654]

I do like the more outrageous armor in hotd compared to game of thrones as most the armor described in the books are very colorful and really extra.

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

💯% agree with **so** much- *especially* the puckers & poor fits - & why, in the name of all that's holy- do these people still _not_ put actresses in SHIFTS?!!! I realised what had me wrinkling my nose with a sense of confusion, so many times throughout the series; they *looked* like they were wearing costumes most of the time- _not_ clothes - compare it with something like 'Gladiator'; Joaquin Pheonix said that he got comfortable enough with his outfits, to wear them like they were jeans - they may not have been completely accurate to the late 2nd c AD, but there was very little to pull you out, with the costumes there- either by being overly anachronistic, or by the actors looking uncomfortable or poorly fitted; Connie Neilson *always* looked boss in her stunning ensembles. I think that Rhaenyra's short-sleeved gold dress would have actually looked *complete* (though the fit issue would have remained) had it had a long-sleeved superfine linen shift under it - same with Alicent's dress at the wedding; Myrish lace is a thing in this universe- a superfine linen & lace shift puffed through the openings, & peeking over the neckline would have looked *stellar* . I was particularly disappointed with the two main crowns, *especially* the Conquerors' crown- when you compare them to the GoT ones, it looks especially egregious - & I really don't know _why_ they chose to ignore the great descriptions we already have for them; those two- & the crown of Aegon IV (the Unworthy) are probably the most famous of the described royal jewels - there was _no reason_ to deviate as they did, imo... Edit: spelling

[@Costume_CO]

Great comment Ocarina, I really appreciate it. 🙏

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

@@Costume_CO Oh, thank you!

[@HazarielAtelier]

I wanted to love this shows so much, halas. It also suffers greatly from the comparison to GOT costumes who are in my opinion the best in television ever. I hated 100% of the costumes of HOTD.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Hazariel, I liked some of it but sadly season one didn't meet my expectations. Thank you so much for commenting.

[@HazarielAtelier]

@@Costume_CO Thank you for this analysis

[@billyo3915]

A really basic way to show her ageing could have just been to make her hairstyles more complex or make her wear it up as she grew older, and move from short sleeved garments to long sleeves; detachable sleeves would have worked.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Billyo. Much appreciated.

[@Praefectus95]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one to feel that the costumes just felt off at times in terms of cut and fit. I think my favorite costume, though, was Alicent's greenish gold dress she wears during the family dinner scene. It gave me some Margaery Tyrell vibes that I liked a lot, given that she's her ancestor, in addition to being a very similar person

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much for commenting Will.

[@angellover02171]

Oh my god thank you for mentioning the the lack of cohesiveness. I think it's on purpose. GRRM is involved in a lot of the production of this show. I'm not sure why the 80's 90's choices are there but it's something to explore. If I had to guess GRRM shared his favorite pictures of old 80's to 90's art or ads or something to make the characters pop more. Edit: I'm starting to think the Crappyness is part of things. Like you have this show that is supposed to lush and beautiful but there are off thinks in costumes. There are off things in the story telling. The Opening is off. I wonder if season 2 will be better and maybe more true to the period. I sort of feel like I want a do over.

[@Costume_CO]

Haha, that would be funny.

[@JainaTargaryen]

I think you are giving them too much credit. Both the set and the costumes were poorly done. Qualitywise most of it looked cheap and incohesive. That's in comparison to GOT ofcourse, if you compare them with shows like Reign they are fine, but I expect more from HotD. I hope they improve.

[@angellover02171]

@@JainaTargaryen Everything we see on film is a choice. This is a super expensive show to make. I'm wondering why they made the choices they did.

[@JainaTargaryen]

@@angellover02171 I work in the Art Department. Sometimes things are just bad work, or a lack of time, not a choice. GoT didn't have more budget, it's about the craft and how good you are at it.

[@niloticnya]

as a black girl i was so upset seeing the wigs on the valeryons. fans barely want black people on the show, so even though the casting was perfect, their appearances should’ve been done properly. corlys’s locs looked great and made him attractive. but the girls’ had an opportunity for versatility & they didn’t act on that. i don’t mind one of the twins having locs, but they could’ve styled them better.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Nyra, thank you. I really appreciate your perspective on this.

[@mistyroller3470]

I'm so glad it wasn't just me. I think my last favorite costume bit was the cloak Rhaenyra was wearing when she and Daemon arrived at kings landing in episode 8,I think. It was so cheap. Looked like it was finished on a surger, last minute, for a Halloween costume. Like something made by Ruby's costumes. Just the whole season was so disappointing. Each main character had like two costumes that they wore for the entirety of the season!

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Misty, thank you so much for commenting! I wasn't quite sure what was going on with that cloak either. I thought maybe it was meant to be Viking inspired? Who knows!

[@tatianamelendez490]

It's always a delight watching you verbally eviscerate costume flaws in such a sweet voice. 😋 Anyone want to know my detailed thoughts on the costumes, watch the livestreams. The bad wigs... oh how they haunt me.

[@CuntyMisanthrope]

Is the school teacher inflexion for me 😂

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Tatiana 😊.

[@Costume_CO]

Haha, I have been told many times that I look like a school teacher. 🏫

[@CuntyMisanthrope]

@@Costume_CO you dooo lol

[@NoName-wn4df]

They made Laena look like she’s wearing a parliament wig 😭

[@Costume_CO]

That made me laugh so hard.

[@JainaTargaryen]

I agree, I feel so strongly about this I even commented to Michele Clapton about it on her instagram page. I felt the same way about the set design. It was just all over the place, like someone put random historic periods and cultures together with a complete disregard for eg the Targaryen colors (all of a sudden the sets were predominantely blue?!). What was with that weird looking ship? I miss Deborah Riley.

[@hodgrix]

This was so interesting! I honestly didn't notice any of these things while watching.. at a casual glance I really enjoyed the looks especially compared to Rings of Power which looked really cheap imo. But after you pointed these things out it's hard to unsee hehe. Very much enjoyed

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Hodrix, thanks so much for commenting.

[@Destroyer94100]

I forgot how badass the Kingsguard armor from the 1st season of GoT looked

[@Costume_CO]

Yes, it's pretty good. 😍

[@AnnabelTheGoldsmith]

Yooo! That was pretty brutal, but very eye opening 💃

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Geek, I didn't mean it to be brutal. My other video is kinder. Thank you for commenting.

[@AnnabelTheGoldsmith]

@@Costume_CO ah I didn't mean in a nasty way! Just honest and observant!

[@Costume_CO]

Thank you the Geek. 😀

My fascination for costumes was something I never noticed but shows like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon really made it obvious to me. Found your videos while I was trying to find out how to make Jacaerys' outfit (the red and black one) but despite being unlucky so far I really enjoyed the video!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Harvle, there is a private group on Facebook for people trying to make costumes from GOTs and HOTD. Hope you can find it.

@@Costume_CO oh I haven't thought of that yet! Thank you so much, I'll try my luck!

@@Costume_CO edit: Do you mean the Game of Thrones costuming one? That's the only one that seemed fitting!

[@Costume_CO]

Yes, that's it. They also do HOTD. :)

@@Costume_CO awesome, thank you! Gotta wait to get accepted!

[@katiecaldwell4087]

Finally someone mentioned the crowns. That sad little ruby in aegons crown totally ruined the green coronation for me I wanted to see Woking great big gems as a show of wealth and power that's the whole point of the conquerors crown it's expensive but in a more subtle way than a gold crown is but instead it looks cheap and clunky

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Katie, I appreciate your comment.

[@jeanbutinfrench]

One point thats interesting to consider about cohesiveness (a complain of which i actually mostly agree) is that the world of ice and fire is seemingly eternally medieval, and some fans argue maybe even post apocalyptic (since there are monuments, castles and general architecture that they have no actual technology to build, like the wall and the titan of bravoos) so its a special challenge to conceive what would come 200 years before game of thrones while society is still mostly the same, i did get the feeling that the time period of house of the dragon felt more grand and the costumes helped with that even though it varied a lot…

[@Costume_CO]

@@jeanbutinfrench Hey Jean, thanks, I really appreciate your comment.

[@angelscott7539]

i agree with most points, but aegon's crown and rhaeyra's black late-season dress are my favs

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Angel, I really appreciate it. 🙏

[@naruske97]

Same,I think they are stunning💚🖤!

[@Costume_CO]

That's okay Kyoko, you can like them . 😉

[@NextToToddliness]

This is one of those shows that I call a "showreel production". There's no real vision from the top down, so people are making varied products to buff their reels & resumes. I really enjoyed the show itself, but it did look all over the place and cheap. Sadly, by comparison to Amazon's travesty Rings of Power, House of the Dragon looked pretty decent. That being said, I hope there's a vision guiding the production of the next season. Great video and couldn't agree more.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much for commenting Todd. I really appreciate it.

[@BexxiM]

The fit bothered me, and while foundational garments would have helped. There has been a trend of of actors coming out about how "barbaric" corsets are. I can swallow lack of proper fit.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Bex. 🙂

[@Prospectgirl]

Just discovered your channel! Fantastic video. I always felt something was off when watching, especially those enormous and cartoonish belly bumps on Aemma and Alicent. Now it makes sense. The thing that bothered me the most was the repetition. Wondering if you got to see in person the incredible GOT costumes from the Heritage Auction? I’m in NY and got to see the few on display there. It was incredible!

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Prospectgirl, thanks so much for commenting. I didn't get to see any of the costumes in person, but I did a livestream with my colleague William who owns a costume museum in Minnesota. Here's the link if you want to check it out: kzbin.info-0KetaklYTI?feature=share

[@Prospectgirl]

@@Costume_CO Brilliant! I look forward to watching.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Prospect!

[@michelledang6834]

I do suspect alot of this did have to do with covid. They said there were constantly production stops bc someone on cast or crew would catch it pushing them weeks behind (which if anyone knows production is super expensive especially bc actors and crew would have to be on standby). I also think there was a smaller budget allotted probably bc they were deciding on different GOT spin-offs at the same time (one of the choices got cancelled). I think next season will probably have a bigger budget unless the hbo/discovery merger somehow affects it

[@jessicarobinson4563]

The wigs for me

[@psychedelicpegasus7587]

I had no problem with Rhaena's locs but they could've gone for a more intricate up style that framed her face better. Perhaps subtle Velaryon or Tagaryen sigil hair jewellery or something. Since she is betrothed to Luke, the heir of Driftmark, they could've shown that in some way. I'm interested to see how they will style Baela's wig in future seasons. No spoilers but there is a change.

[@ivantothemax]

I can’t unsee the xenomorph like wig 😂😂

[@Costume_CO]

Sorry Ivan, pretty funny tho, 😁

[@TessZissou]

This was a fab vid and explained my naive view of costumes in HOTD being clunky! you have unpacked that clunky with such knowledge and eloquence. its. a shame because GOT did so great with the costumes

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Tess, thank you so much for your lovely comments.

[@misti-step]

excited for the new costume designer for season 2!

[@Costume_CO]

Me too, misti!

[@amyrat151]

I get the feeling that cosplayers who recreate these costumes will look better in them than the original cast because they will be tailoring them to their bodies. I actually really like Rheanyra's short sleeve gold dress. I would love to see it look properly fitted on someone.

[@tracys169]

Omg. Rhaenys' wig has been kind of bugging me, but after I saw the xenomorph picture...I CAN'T UNSEE IT. OH NO.

[@Costume_CO]

😄 Thanks Tracy!

[@angellover02171]

Hi everyone. I was in the hospital for about 2 weeks. I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss the wrap up livestream for Hot D. Thanks. I was hoping that I could be on it. Maybe.

[@Costume_CO]

No, we haven't had it yet!

[@angellover02171]

@@Costume_CO Do you have a date in mind? What would I need to make things easier?

[@Costume_CO]

Hello, I haven't had time to plan it yet. Maybe in the next few weeks.

[@angellover02171]

@@Costume_CO Ok. I look forward to it. I love joining in on the livestreams.

[@christyb2912]

I was often confused about the time laps watching this show - now I understand better why!

[@kitkat261]

I really hated Aegon's black crown and Rhaenys' weird wig, but I think they were going for something like Cersei's weird updo. I think they didn't put any effort into aging Daemon, Criston, or Corlys, and it was very annoying to me, I have no idea what Daemon's age is supposed to be.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi KitKat, thanks so much for commenting. I really appreciate it.

[@minty.maelstrom]

👏👏👏 couldn't agree more with all your points!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much Minty.

[@regeneratedwitch]

I'm happy I wasn't the only who noticed it and what throws me of is...I know its sci-fi but I see many trends going on for example 01:44. Look at Alicent's neckline and look at Rhaenyra's collar. They live in the same area so it's not like Winderfell, Dorn, King's Landing fashion differences if you know what I mean. I think young Rhaenyra was done dirty with the fashion choices. The yellow dress...ugh

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting regenerated!

[@masterbezeled]

What a wonderful presentation. So detailed, and excellently articulated. I can tell you put a lot of energy into this. Regarding the red stones on Daemon’s armor, we once discussed this in a live stream. When you catch a breather, please check out Swarovski article #2090, most commonly seen as a round (absent of facets), flat-backed cabochon. They’re vintage and difficult to track down, but I did buy some at TohoShoji in New York yesterday. They’re available in round, and oval, and it’s not uncommon for Swarovski to cut pears and squares which are all depicted in his armor. But since these shapes are so common in plastic, gemstone, AND crystal, I think I’m with you in that they are not Swarovski. As someone who commonly works with gemstone, I can vouch that some tend to look plasticky or “fake” in photos and even in person. I’ve looked at zoomed in pictures of his armor a half dozen times since the live stream, and one other option could be resin. Resin can be endlessly shaped through molds and comes in a litany of colors. Opaque or poorly crafted molds can look very plasticky in photo and IRL. Nonetheless, cheers for this video - your method of presentation has been thoroughly appreciated. ❤❤❤

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Master, thank you so much. Now that you mention resin, that makes sense. They did 3d print the crowns in resin. Thank you so much for commenting!

[@masterbezeled]

@@Costume_CO Yes, Viserys’s crown was offensive. Worst one ever.

[@Gandalfthefluff]

Just a heads up, we had way more than 3 Targaryens in GOT! Viserys, Dany, Rhaegar, Maester Aemon, Aerys II and Aegon (Jon Snow). Really love the video, the dedication to your craft shines through!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Caitlin, I really appreciate your comment.

[@mirzadakobilic6440]

I haven't thought about it at first, but the fact that Jany had to answer to multiple directors instead of creators might be the source of the problem. I can only imagine how difficult and frustrating could have been thoughout the creative process! It makes me sad because the show is ruined for me. Also, since you mentioned the lack of undergarments in Alicent's case, I immediately thought of Sansa wearing a corset without a chemise in GoT 😂 but we forgot about it because costumes were after all great and did their part of the job. Love your content! 🌻

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Mirzada, thank you so much for commenting! I can't recall, because it has been so long, but I think I did mention Sansa's lack of shift as well. Game of Thrones wasn't perfect but they did a pretty great job overall.

[@TorchVert]

I admire your critical eye and attention to detail, I can only imagine the series of videos you could probably mine from Amazons Rings of Power. HotD may have had some deficiencies in costuming, but that show was truly laughable in its ineptitude…

[@MrQdiddy85]

I too was very let down by how the crowns looked. Like something you'd get at a party city

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Quinton.

[@Sarcasmhime]

Agree so much. The lack of cohesion of style, silhouette, and sense of place/time isn't exactly uncommon in historical fantasy (*cough*Witcher*cough*) but after seeing it done so masterfully by Michelle Clapton in GoT, this was deeply disappointing. And the abysmal fit on so many costumes (and poorly disguised 3D printed armor and props) is simply inexcusable in a production this expensive.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Sarcasm, thank you for commenting.

[@SpinningOrange]

As a black person I was really disappointed in the Valeryon wigs. They pull references from many cultures/time periods when they costume on these types of shows. There's no reason why they couldn't pull from more sources of cultures with people with afro textured hair. There's nothing wrong with locs, locs can be and are beautiful, but I don't think it has to be the go to for characters with textured hair. A quick search could have given them so many options, both for look and subtle storytelling. Also, in my opinion, theres no way the the Valeryon family wouldn't have hairdressers trained to do hair of their texture just like the Targaryens had for their elaborate styles.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Opinionated, that you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it.

[@SCAScienceLab]

I’m surprised you didn’t bring up the ridiculous castle helmet in the jousting tourney. 🏰

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Camila, when I first saw that helmet, I thought it was supposed to look ridiculous, but now I'm not so sure 🤔 Thanks for commenting!

[@psychedelicpegasus7587]

Olivia Cooke (adult Queen Alicent) mentioned in a podcast interview that she had to wear a costume and by the second day she smelled quite bad. It hadn't been cleaned or there wasn't a second version of the costume or a change of undergarments. That doesn't sound right at all.

[@Costume_CO]

OMG, you're kidding me. 😳 Well, that shiny green dress is made from polyester, so that's not surprising I guess. Thank you for sharing.

[@chrisrubin6445]

omg i feel like everyone was gaslighting me with Rhaenys wig, whoever styled that thing shouldnt be hired again for wigs

[@kessera5645]

I actually like Rhaenys hairstyle since David Lightbringer interpreted it as dragonwings and as you said "I can't unsee that"

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Kessera.

[@Sophie-wq6eo]

I think they saved on the budget through the costumes and music which sucks because those were some of my fave parts of got. I hope the success of s1 will get them more money

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks for commenting Sophie.

[@WonderstoneWonders]

I’d love to know more About the crown 👑 and the colors used.

[@Piotr12396]

I just loved rhaenyra ' s costume and crown 👑 in last episode

[@TheYoJoChannel]

I agree with you so much! Especially the continuity, these characters are supposed to be royal and nobility they should be changing outfits like 3 times a day. I can understand reusing the costumes because before ready to wear clothing people reused their clothes/whatever fabric they had until they were rags. They could’ve at least modified the clothes to make them look different/up to date to the time jump.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi YoJo, thanks so much for commenting. I really appreciate it.

[@mariaandersson3013]

Wait til you find out that even royal medieval dresses weren't perfectly fitted. And a lot of hairstyles look pretty unattractive to our modern eyes. You have a lot of valid complaints but some of them are just a matter of taste.

[@chantintin10]

during episode 8, i thought that rhaenyra had already given birth especially when they showed aegon and viserys because her bump was not made obvious which shouldn't be since she was only a few months pregnant with visenya, though an empire waistline would've looked well with the pregnant ladies since already in real history, the empire waistline was throughout the years exclusively used on pregnant women. and with looser fabrics, similar to danaerys's flowy fabric dresses in season 1 of got, it would've been comfortable as well. such injustice to rhaenyra's costume in episode 8 since the details were made beautifully!🖤💚

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks so much for commenting Tintin. I really appreciate it.

[@grayaansi9812]

The wigs for the Black actors were war crimes committed. There are literally hair stylists on Instagram that can do much better.

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Gray. :)

[@averybell4273]

Young Rhanerys and Helenas fit horribly.... I agree poor foundation

[@Costume_CO]

Thank you Avery. Much appreciated.

[@asterismos5451]

Why is it specifically on the girls you don't like locks?

[@tribalbear84]

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed how many of the dressed were ill-fitting, like, many of the collars looked just skewed! And the part the made me rant at my husband was the fact that almost every Targ, green or black, had the same dragon-button/buckles on their jackets and tunics! A real eye sore that almost caused me physical pain! >:-(

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks JBear for commenting. While the clasps might have been a nice touch on one character, it was a bit much having them on ALL of the Targaryens. I fear they will be used again next season.

[@DewelynC]

Me: liking the costumes while watching the series, not noticing any of these things Me after watching this video: 😶

[@anwynoakenshield]

I really dislike the Celtic dragon designs. Like, with a burning passion, lol. Thanks for the great video!

[@Costume_CO]

Thanks Anywn, again, they are leaning into alot of influences. I saw clasps like that online so I think thru borrowed the idea from there. Thanks so much for commenting!

[@RockyPoncky]

I knew the costumes had something that didn't make them look the best! I'm a designer myself (not fashion tho) so I tend to notice more the little details of stuff it sucks I felt like the costumes where underwhelming and had something about them that made them not look top quality and now I know what it is, I felt like the costumes in general should've been more extravagant or something, this is the royal family in the peak of their power the outfits should've reflected that, and personally feel like it was a missed opportunity to showcase how the Targaryens are from a different continent after all and how traditional valerian clothes should've been reflected in Targaryen current dresses/ garments and how different they are from what traditional people of Westeros wear like the Hightowers...

[@Costume_CO]

Hey Nicolle, thank you so much for commenting.

[@NatureFreak1127]

Oh no. :D As a regular person I only noticed that costumes for women were all over the place inspiration-wise and the golden half mask looking plastic. I didn't notice so many fails. Wow, I wish I didn't see this. 😆 But who knows, maybe they'll get higher budget next season.

[@Costume_CO]

Sorry Shirin. 😞 I wasn't happy to do this video.

[@NatureFreak1127]

@@Costume_CO You've done a good job though!

[@Costume_CO]

Thank you. ❤️

[@Alex-mn1fb]

I completely agree with the criticism. Biggest offenders : sloppy silhouettes, especially female ones. Younger Rhaenyras particularly. Alicent has way more show stopping costumes, especially when she grows into her green phase, but that one with younger Alicent in the Godswood after Daemons return ( ep 4 ), its absolutely hideous to imo. It looks like a bad Halloween costume made from some plastic bag material, with some red chiffon added to fall like limp seaweed from her shoulders. Its really bad. 😅 Then again, some of the costumes were really wonderful. Unfortunately, I somehow doubt we will get to see much costumes and their improvements in the future seasons, simply cuz the story will follow the war from now on, and the era of tourneys, feasts, and court splendor is pretty much over with season 1.

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Alex, thank you so much for commenting. I really appreciate it.

[@arianafox365]

Yeah the Valeryon wigs were SO BAD. Did them so dirty

[@mana4830]

one of Rhaenyra's costumes is plagiarized from a costume sold at armstreet,( gray with applications of red on the bust)

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Mana, I didn't include that one - it does look similar but I don't know for sure if it was lifted directly from that costume. Hope you understand.

[@takuoku2546]

what I hate about daemon's tourney armour is the fact that is is wearing a open face barbute-looking helmet. he should be wearing a great-helm or atleast a helmet with a visor that protects the face like EVERY other combatant does in the joust. I honestly don't think he even needed to show his face in that tourney. In my opinion, 2 knight armoured to the toe with expresion-less helmets give a much better nervousness to the fight and if you REALLY needed to see his face then let him pull up his visor like sir criston. daemon with PROPER blackened steel platearmor with an closed-face helmet would have looked so epic instead of a plastic $10 helmet. If I was creating the costume I would have made him wear blackened gothic platearmour with the breastplate being made of lower breastplate over red brigandine for the red and black contrast. overall I think HoTD has better armour than GoT but it's such a shame how both series ruin the show with the costumes. In my opinion, proper-looking arms and armour gives much more depth and immersion to the show, just like how choreography of a fight scene can make a show good or bad. P.S "Oh BuT ItS A FaNtAsY WoRld." I think even if it is a fantasy world, humans probably would have developed quite similaraly through needs and demands. especially for armour, it probably would develop similarly to the real world because humans don't like dying. also I agree on the fact that leg armour is neglected

[@Costume_CO]

Hi Taku, thanks for commenting. I didn't mention the open helm, (although I agree that it is ridiculous) is because Daemon is so arrogant that he likely didn't think he needed it.