Designing “Historically Accurate” Costumes for Fantasy: Game of Thrones Case Study

For 16 free meals with HelloFresh across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts, use code BERNADETTEBANNER16 at bit.ly/3HHyktn!
Editing by @DannyBanner
@danbanstudio
www.danbanstudio.com
IG / danbanstudio
YT / danibanner
References:
1. Van Cleve, Joos. Henry VIII. c. 1530-5. Oil on panel. London. Royal Collection Trust. www.rct.uk/collection/403368/....
2. Cycling Suit. 1896-98. Wool, Leather, Silk, Linen, Cotton. New York, NY. Metropolitan Museum of Art. www.metmuseum.org/art/collect....
3. Marikevanroon20. Cloth of Gold. January 3, 2014. Golden cloth, woven with golden strips and crinkle cordonnet. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloth_o....
4. Meyer, John. The Imperial Mantle. 1821. Cloth of gold, Silk, Gold. London. Royal Collection Trust. www.rct.uk/collection/31794/t....
5. Court Dress. c. 1750. Silk, Metallic thread. New York, NY. Metropolitan Museum of Art. www.metmuseum.org/art/collect....
6. Tabart & Co. A Lady in Court Dress, 1805. October 24, 2015. Online image. Jane Austen’s World. janeaustensworld.com/2015/10/....
Want to get started with hand sewing?
🧵 My new beginner’s sewing book, “Make, Sew and Mend: Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes” is now available: linktr.ee/makesewandmend
🕯Check out my Skillshare original course, “Hand Sewing Basics: Working Wonders with Fabric, Needle & Thread”. To sign up for a free trial and take the class, visit skl.sh/bernadettebanner1
This channel is made possible through the generous support of Patreon members. To become a patron, visit / bernadettebanner (although videos will remain free for you here regardless).
Beyond KZbin:
IG @bernadettebanner / bernadettebanner
Management contact for business enquiries:
[e-mail]/
Soundtrack:
“Magician” by Anbr
“Governor of the North” by Jo Wandrini
“Across Land and Sea” by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
“Mask of Byron” by Deskant
“Where it Started” by Spectacles Wallet and Watch
“The Winding Path” by Deskant
“Sins of the Fathers” by Deskant
“Mural Legends” by Adriel Fair
“The Kings Ransom by Bonnie Grace
“May You Have” by Bonnie Grace
“Where the Thistle Grows” by Bonnie Grace
0:00 What is "Historical Accuracy"?
3:24 Material Accessibility
9:01 (Here is Your One (1) S8 Roast)
9:08 Garment Construction and Design
13:32 Culture
18:21 Physical Constraints
21:32 Class
27:16 Trends
32:59 Individual Preferences/Character Psychology
34:29 Conclusion
35:37 A Word From HelloFresh (Ad)

[@LolzUrFaceXD]

When it comes to repeating outfits, one of my favorite details is that Margaery's handmaidens will wear dresses that she has worn previously; meaning she either shares with them or gives dresses to them when she is done with them. Sometimes they will add a scarf to change it up a bit, but you can still recognize them.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

I did not notice that, I just thought they had similar style of dress, keen eye Kaz Q.!

[@vm1776]

The Queen of England had outfits altered over the years, but documentaries also say that if she is no longer going to wear something and not altering it, then she offered it to her ladies in waiting, but that tags had to be removed and the ladies were to change them enough that they would not be instantly recognized as wearing the Queen's clothes. Recycling, good to be thrifty.

[@jmnl2073]

How did you even notice that?? That’s such a cool detail

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

It's canonical too, in the books she was known for being kind to her handmaids, remember handmaids in this world tend to be young ladies from minor houses, even Sansa isn't very nice to hear handmaids until she meets Shae

[@mixolydia3309]

I think Sansa wasn’t kind to her handmaids because they were hired by Cersei and were presumably spying on her

[@catkin1671]

One of things that I really like about the Starks costumes is the lack of metal in the early seasons. In a interview, one of the costumers explained that the details around Sansa’s collars (embroidery and knotting) are to compensate for no metal necklaces or jewellery- because it would be horrendous to have naked metal against your skin in subzero temperatures. It’s such a nice touch.

[@Fledhyris]

That's an interesting perspective, but I have my doubts; I wonder what the Vikings would have said to that!

[@catkin1671]

@@Fledhyris Well, we’ll never know. Still I think the logic makes sense. We know that scarves, mittens/gloves and cloaks were all relatively common which would hide rings and necklaces in the winter months. Maybe their clothes were worm enough to protect them, or maybe they only wore the jewellery on warmer days. It could perhaps explain why we find so many really ornate cloak pins which wouldn’t be hidden under layers of clothes.

[@BexMatthies]

@@Fledhyris Vikings were super into jewellery that was pinned to clothing; brooches, pins and other fastenings. Also the climate in Scandinavia could be pretty mild especially in coastal areas - all of Scandinavia wasn’t a frigid, year-round wintery landscape (even parts of Greenland, that was settled by vikings, was considerably milder, than it is today - there is a reason they named it as such).

[@ViolosD2I]

@@BexMatthies The reason "they" named it such was that the guy who wanted people to go settle there needed to market it somehow.

[@Fledhyris]

@@BexMatthies Exactly! Same for Winterfell! I mean it makes sense not to wear metal jewellery against your skin if you're working or fighting in the snow, but nobody does that anyway - jewellery is for wearing at court or at home, when you have fires lit and it's just not that cold.

[@northernboy123]

Fun fact, when I was an undergraduate I was in a filmmaking society, and one night there was a talk by one of the costume assistants who worked with Michelle on GoT. She gave away some interesting facts about GoT that made it different from other historically-based shows at the time (I think she used Camelot as an example). She said in GoT they would put all the clothes in washing machines with some dirt to make them rougher/look more worn in, as opposed to pristinely/freshly made outfits. She also said a lot of the wolf pelts the people in Winterfall were Ikea rugs :D

[@tianna1116]

Omg, ikea rugs? That’s funny, would’ve never guessed

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

People kept there clothes clean back at that time

[@sakucha7514]

@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl I do believe they're saying this was done to get them to look worn out, not to get them to look dirty

[@cookiediangelo8511]

@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl yes but if dirt got on them it would have been more difficult to clean, especially for poorer people and people out adventuring or whatever.

[@pagesinked]

@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl That time? What time? Westeros isn't a real place, its got magic and dragons and isn't based on historical accuracy of any kind. Its High Fantasy.

[@sima4162]

For the "fashion armor" Cersei wore in the later seasons, I saw it as a representation of her growing paranoia. She had to still conform to the expected royal look but if an assassin rushed in and tried to attack her in the middle of court or during a walk through the gardens, she would have at least slightly more protection than if she were wearing nothing. Yes, it's not very useful in battle. But she's not planning on going into battle. She's planning on a surprise knife to the chest.

[@joannadaniels8356]

It also reminded me of the more military style Polish doublets that Elizabeth I favored as war loomed and as the Little Ice Age began, just as Winter is Coming to even King's Landing.

[@stephenm.stouter2238]

I don’t know how much those filigree pauldron things would do realistically

[@TRaWi]

I saw it more as a statement that she can be so masculine as necessary to be queen without a king and that she can handle with the war when it comes.

[@christopherjones7191]

I would have loved to have seen little rivets showing that she actually had something akin to brigandine beneath her dress, maybe not with padding, but to stop a knife in her torso.

[@indrabar]

i had noticed the dyes and colors getting more muted as the show went on - it never occurred to me that this was a realistic representation of the disruption of trade and commerce. I always just thought it was an aesthetic choice by show's makers as a "eh look, it's dark and gritty now"

[@aamentalukdar9371]

If I was to guess it was probably the latter; Bernadette’s idea is much better though

[@AW-uv3cb]

I think it might have something to do with the filters used: winter is coming and the war is raging, so the whole look of the series became darker and more sombre in contrast to the first seasons' summer feel - but yes, it does have the added advantage of looking like there are literally less shades available on the Westeros markets :-)

[@oaktree__]

This interpretation is probably the Watsonian one, over the Doylist ~dark and gritty. I have to say I really love it, though, and I'm going with that as my headcanon :)

[@tankicat]

The thing is that surely the trope of "eh look, it's dark and gritty now" especially during times of war, became that trope largely due to disruptions in trade and commerce during said times.

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

It may well have been both reasons. The costumers were clearly working hard and putting out high quality art & craftsmanship throughout all the seasons, so they probably made decisions that made sense in the ASOIAF universe, within the constraints & directives of the production higher-ups.

[@ragnkja]

A coronation dress is an example of a dress where symbolism would _absolutely_ be consciously used, because it’s already such a symbolic occasion.

[@KristenK78]

Yes! I was also thinking of the wedding gowns of Elizabeth, Kate, and Megan. Those were ALL about the symbolism, in fabric and embellishments.

[@ragnkja]

@@KristenK78 Queen Elizabeth I of England combined the two highly symbolic occasions by deliberately appearing bridal at her coronation.

[@katjas9150]

Definitely. Queen Elizabeth II's coronation gown had embroidery depicting all the floral emblems of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Nations. Queen Elizabeth was not the only one to use symbolism in her coronation gown. Queen Mary and Queen Mother's dresses also had a similar idea. It is highly likely that Sansa would take the opportunity to use soft power tactics and think carefully what her coronation gown would indicate to her people.

[@shutterchick79]

I noticed that at the last US presidential inauguration, Jill Biden wore a coat with all the state/territory flowers embroidered on it. Perfect moment for symbolism.

[@ViolosD2I]

IIRC the weddings also involved exchanging elaborate coats with house sigils, or at least the groom coating the bride in theirs. So yes, house symbolism on the clothes is very fitting - and generally used a lot by members of the top houses, also on weapons like Longclaw or Dawn.

[@MJ-98]

I think we all got so wrapped up in how bad the writing was getting that we forgot how great and hardworking everyone in every other aspect of the show was. This is a great example of exactly that. The costuming is clearly spectacular.

[@bryan__m]

I was thinking the same thing. It's a shame I can't stand so much of the plot because I LOVE all the intricate details, and videos like these make me think "hey maybe you should give it another try". (Of course the double-edged sword of all the detail is that I had a *very* hard time keeping track of some things, and pretty much anything that was mildly subtle got lost to me unless someone pointed it out to me. I just plain don't have the brain for GRRM).

[@Caldella]

IMO, poor ending writing or not, it's still possibly the best-acted TV series I've ever watched, too. The scripts and film time might have fallen apart toward the end, but everyone else involved gave their best.

[@bryan__m]

@John Kult I was with you on the first line then you lost me more and more as you went on.

[@Horatio787]

The thing that actually still angers me about GoT is all the hard work of the crew and production being wasted by two lazy writers.

[@aliciaulloagonzalez7015]

Exactly! The embroidery in the final seasons WERE AMAZING, the wigs were amazing (yet Dany's were kind of unrealistic at some time, but I think it was on purpose), that damn white coat of Dany... the examples can go on and on.

[@gawkthimm6030]

the thing with the neck ruffs in Bravos could be a legacy of them never being a slave city, but founded by run-away slaves. The style a legacy from a time when deliberate attention was drawn to their origin as a people who previously had to wear a metal collar but where many now can afford to wears the most expensive cloth collars stitched in elaborate patterns instead...

[@florie7705]

That's so good! Actually really nice and smart.

[@PhileasLiebmann]

That's a really good idea. The fashion could have formed due to newly freed slaves trying to cover marks on their necks from said collars.

[@nicolakunz231]

Headcannon Accepted!

[@renaigh]

another thing about Braavos fashion, is the reversed class dynamic where important officials wear plain dark clothing while everyday citizens are vibrant and diverse. Samwell even gets confused for a rich person because of his Night's Watch gear.

[@hannahfox5422]

A point on Shay's dress as well, could it be that the looser cut not only conserves fabric but also theoretically means that the dress could be given to another woman if Shay ever fell out of favour? A complex, tailored garment is much harder to repurpose for someone else than a garment which is essentially a strip of cloth shaped with gathers and belts, and since the Lannisters seem to treat prostitutes (and probably servants in general) as disposable, it would make sense that they would not want something made for her and her alone.

[@thodan467]

This would make sense for everyone, hand me downs and inheritance as well as a Lord and Lady supports their retainer

[@ru1634]

Considering it seems to be the Red Keep servants' uniform, that makes sense

[@nevaehaho61]

I also thought it could be a little nod to the looser styles of Essos since Shae is from Lorath(?) (Idk I just know it’s one of the Free Cities that she’s from🤷‍♀️) I feel like her very loose flowy dress with the belt and that “halter-style” neckline really resembles the white dress that Dany wears when she meets with Razdan Mo Eraz of Yunkai (and later the blue version Missandei wears in Meereen) as well as Dany’s early season 1 outfits when she’s in Illyrio’s Manse in Pentos. Just a thought 🤷‍♀️

[@ru1634]

@@nevaehaho61 if you watch the scene where Sansa gets her period, the random servant that comes in is wearing the same type of dress as Shae, except there's no belt. So it probably is a uniform but servants are given some leeway in how they wear it (unless it's a seniority thing since Shae is a lady's maid and the other's an ordinary maid)

[@nevaehaho61]

@@ru1634 ooh you’re right lol. I mean King’s Landing is also pretty hot apparently, since it’s like in the middle of everything and it’s summer when we start the main story. Maybe the style could be from Essos since KL is right in the center of all this commerce and the Essosi styles seem more practical at least in terms of climate, or it could definitely just be their uniform and Shae just threw a belt on cause it’s not as shapeless that way or something 🤷‍♀️

[@YakiraShatz]

I wonder if the Bravosi tendency to emphasis the neck has something to do with the city being founded by escaped slaves. The founders would have had scars on their necks from the collars they had to wear when Valayrian slave. Either they wanted to cover the scars or they wanted to show they now they can wear what they wish around their necks.

[@zabacinjsh]

Holy shiet that makes so much sense.

[@nevaehaho61]

Wow, that sounds incredibly cool 🤩

[@ragnkja]

Both hypotheses make sense, so it might even be a combination of the two.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

Makes a lot of sense

[@SecondFloor2311]

That makes so much sense, I'd say a bit of both! That's amazing

[@lcwagner94]

Bernadette brandishing a sword imploring “hear me out” is exactly how I wish to start my day

[@lynn_hathaway15]

I mean, she's a confident badass queen with that sword.

[@jesustovar2549]

Great your last name.

[@sebastiansegovia1415]

@@jesustovar2549 I laughed too. "Wagner". Lmfaooo.

[@sjonnieplayfull5859]

Then visit catlefest and go camping there...

[@kstormgeistgem461]

not just a sword... she used it for her Mic! why use a mic stand or pin it so boringly to one's collar like any other plebeian... no no No, attach it to the Blade of your Sword, that is the thing you Must do!

[@sockgoblin2942]

A nice part of one of Sansa’s dresses seems to be that she’s outgrown it- it is too tight along the sleeves and the back, and she has not the time or resources to make herself a new dress or to have a new dress made for herself (cersei is her guardian at this time and Cersei isn’t very nice)

[@PixiePoison]

The one thng I loved reading about was the fact that when Margaery Tyrell comes to King's Landing a lot of the nobles and courtiers are dressed similarly to Cersei, both hair and dresses. And as Margaery starts to gain power and is enroute to become the queen ladies of the court start dressing more and more like her. It's really fascinating!

[@charlleedodson]

I think it’s interesting because it also means that Cersei is losing her power because people are paying less attention to Cersei. Ladies are starting to figuratively ally themselves with Margaery by following her style.

[@Shan_Dalamani]

This happened in real history; when Anne Boleyn was in favor, the women of the court wore French hoods and less-modest clothing. When Jane Seymour overtook her in Henry's favor (even though Anne was his wife and the Queen), the women immediately copied Jane's gabled hood and more modest clothing.

[@anggi8699]

And when the faith millitant is getting stronger. All women including margaery were starting to wear less revealing clothing. They cover their shoulder, neck, and cleavage.

[@soren7550]

I’d dress like her too if I had the figure for it.

[@axeltenveils6816]

It's actually a historical political thing as well. This is more early medieval, but during the conflict between the Romans(Byzantines), and the Germans(Charlemagne's family and co.) over the Lombards, each time the Lombards changed their overlord they wore their style of clothing and cut their hair and facial hair accordingly.

[@kreestuh4367]

In case you haven't checked it out, the embroideress for GoT was Michelle Carragher. She has an online portfolio and it's disgusting how beautiful everything is! Insanely talented woman.

[@LuvLee296]

Her name is Michele Clapton but yes she’s incredible

[@EmpressCosplay]

@@LuvLee296 no, actually not. Michelle Clapton is the Costume designer, The embroideress is Michelle Carragher. Easy mistake to make, tho. The Michelles were often confused.

[@YetAnotherJenn]

Thank you! I will check out her work.

[@Fledhyris]

I think it pretty much says everything that the show had its own in-house embroideress!

[@LuvLee296]

@@EmpressCosplay oh my mistake. Thanks for letting me know

[@GrandPoobahRevvi]

I have seen my fair share of "historically accurate costume design" video essays but I don't think any of them have started with 'material accessibility' and moved forward from there. Someone is either an anthropology nerd or knows someone who is and I LOVE it.

[@melodyfussell829]

I might be wrong, but it sounds like you're pretty new to Bernadette's channel. She's a fashion historian, specifically focused on the period between about 1400 to 2000, and mostly in western Europe and America.

[@bluelagoon1980]

​@@melodyfussell829 she focuses on pre WWI, actually.

[@laughsatchungus1461]

When you mentioned how colored dyes were less in use in Kings Landing by the end of the series it made me realize how easy it is to forget that there were so many talented people who put their all into seasons 8-7. So many great actors, set designers, costum designers, directors, and even musicians making the score put their absolute all into the final 2 seasons and it can be hard to notice that over the dogshit writing.

[@solarcupid2583]

One thing that I don't see enough of is hand-me-downs! I remember how my aunt would send these huge boxes every year, full of clothes that my cousin had grown out of. Those same clothes then went on to be given to my little sister when she got big enough. And even now that my sister is guaranteed to be the youngest for a while longer, my family never gets rid of clothes unless they're irreparably damaged, like stains or holes. I want more shows where younger family members wear something that their older family members wore seasons before! Have kids wear clothes that are decades out of style! Have the print on them be faded and worn!

[@bernadettebanner]

Yes!! There was *almost* one between Sansa and Catelyn--there is a damask gown that seems to have the same figuring, only Sansa is seen in hers before Catelyn, and Catelyn's (which she wears only in the Tully funeral scene) is a few shades darker. So hand-me-down fabric perhaps, but I was gutted that they didn't go the full hand-me-down garment route!

[@kristin7121]

@@bernadettebanner I wish there were more examples of weight change. It’s seen in king Baratheon and implied with Cercei on and off but would love more of that.

[@claracardoso3349]

There's a passage in the books that could've been a nice opportunity to showcase this, when Arya is traveling the Riverlands and gets put on a dress by Lady Smallwood in Accorn Hall (presumably one of the lady's old dresses), this never happened on the show of course, but Arya wears dresses when she's traveling with the brotherhood, at least both in Accorn Hall and at the Peach, she dislikes it, possibly because she's a child who was surrounded only by boys at that point and made fun of for being a highborn lady, and not because she hated dresses and girly things. Here's the Accorn Hall scene between her and Gendry (who are both pre-teens on the books), if anyone's curious: “You look different now. Like a proper little girl.” “I look like an oak tree, with all these stupid acorns.” “Nice, though. A nice oak tree.” He stepped closer, and sniffed at her. “You even smell nice for a change.” “You don’t. You stink.” Arya shoved him back against the anvil and made to run, but Gendry caught her arm. She stuck a foot between his legs and tripped him, but he yanked her down with him, and they rolled across the floor of the smithy. He was very strong, but she was quicker. Every time he tried to hold her still she wriggled free and punched him. Gendry only laughed at the blows, which made her mad. He finally caught both her wrists in one hand and started to tickle her with the other, so Arya slammed her knee between his legs, and wrenched free. Both of them were covered in dirt, and one sleeve was torn on her stupid acorn dress. “I bet I don’t look so nice now,” she shouted.

[@saraa3418]

This is a nice detail in the 1993 Little Women where we see Amy in a few dresses worn by Meg and Jo once she's grown.

[@acerrubrum5749]

Ron Weasley's formal dress robes for the Yule Ball.

[@nushBee]

bernadette we need more thesis length videos of you geeking out over historical fashion i'm begging

[@pricklypear7516]

Costume CO does a wonderful job analyzing the costumes of various series. Of course, Game of Thrones is among the best!

[@laracraftstashraider5944]

Seconded!

[@elisabethm9655]

Yes, yes, yes!

[@Groganee]

a Lord of the rings one would be sooo great

[@lynn_hathaway15]

Yes, more please! Maybe do Gentleman Jack next!

[@rubinaaimin578]

I was really impressed how martin dealt with the topic of shoes. The two kids that travel with arya and joren to the nights watch were loured in by the promise of shoes and food for example. And when a soldier dies bronn is described of taking his shoes because they were of finer leather. Same is seen when one of the dead kills ser jeffrey on the wall: another man of the nights wach takes all of his clothing.

[@stephenm.stouter2238]

In an era where the vast majority of people were walking literally everywhere I would imagine you’d be fixated on having good shoes. I’ve worked jobs where I’ve been on my feet all day in cheap shoes and all you can think about by the end of the day is how much your feet hurt. Living in that era I can absolutely understand why you’d be tempted to stab someone for their nice boots.

[@lrizzard]

even though i didnt really watch the series in entirety i attribute a lot of the points that bernadette talked about to martin's insane attention to detail, he did really establish his world in a way that makes sense historically, and i do recall a lot of garments being described with their cultural (or symbolic) significance. and ofcourse it seems like the design team made an absolute amazing job translating that to screen

[@maggiecramer8154]

A few details I love is that Sansa's neglect as a prisoner is shown in most of her clothes not quite fitting between the time of Ned's arrest and her marriage to tyrion. Also you can catch missande wearing hand me downs from danarys in later seasons

[@Michael-if6my]

This was fantastic. Makes me miss the old seasons of GOT before they got lazy, the passion you put into it mirrors so well the passion those first seasons had.

[@piscis210]

What happened to Game of Thrones is almost tragic. It went from being one of the most prominent pieces of pop culture to something literally everyone wants to forget about because THAT'S how horribly it ended.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

@@piscis210 and it was so bad that it retroactively ruined the entire show. I can't even go back and watch the earlier good seasons.

[@TheVioletWolf]

That was mostly (completely) due to the fact that George branched off to write novels and left the screen plays to the real villains of the show. Not only did they kill the beautiful world and people he created, they did a great disservice to all those cast and crew members that put so much heart and soul into the production.

[@maryb3909]

The costuming and visuals are what kept me coming back for the later seasons.

[@xena91388]

Season 1 GoT: Hand stitches costumes among many minor details that most people will never acknowledge to immerse the audience into a fantasy world. Season 8 GoT: Starbucks cup, plastic water bottle, and a night battle scene so badly produced and directed most people only remember black screens.

[@arandomidea9010]

This is a really small thing, but I absolutely love Sansa's costume in the line up- specifically because, from a lore perspective, it would make 100% sense that it is a hand-me-down from her mother. Sansa is the outlier in that scene, being in a very pale blue. If it was a common dye then we would see other northerners wearing similar- but we don't, it's only her. It also looks to be much lighter than everyone else's clothes. We might not see anything similar in the north, but look at the Riverlands and the Vale- we see similar colors everywhere. Catelyn is from the Riverlands, and it looks like mother and (eldest) daughter are the same height and general build- meaning it could very well be a dress Catelyn brought with her to the North after her wedding, and then put away somewhere when she realized it was impractical, so it never got much wear- making it perfect to give to Sansa for when the King and family are visiting- an occasion that mandates exquisite dress, especially for a daughter coming up to marriage age.

[@Anna-rk2wi]

Yes I agree with you! It makes a lot of sense, especially considering that Sansa at that point is yearning for the south as she perceives it as the setting of most of the songs. Catelyn’s dress probably appealed to Sansa as a way to seem more Southron and thus more like the ladies in the songs

[@stoneheart8231]

This makes perfect sense, given how Sansa takes after her mother physically, and even tries to mirror her personality and behaviour early on. Sansa's actual character is probably more like Ned though; gentle, idealistic and quite naive. As she becomes disillusioned with her previous fantasies of the south, and yearns for Winterfell, she starts adapting more Stark clothing and specifically ones that are similar to what Ned and Robb wore.

[@gloriaalex11]

@@stoneheart8231 I haven't yet searched to see if it's mentioned in another video, but I can't believe we didn't see Sansa's "raven" dress that she made in the Vale.

[@ViolosD2I]

Good catch!

[@amazoniancosplay]

AMAZING video!! So you briefly touched on it, but Sansa's coronation dress is STACKED with symbolism, and also so much stunning craftspersonship that we NEVER even see on screen!! I've spent the past 3 years hand crafting a 1:1 replica for a cosplay and I can tell you whew, it was a lot of work. I'd like to think that Sansa made it herself, like she does a lot of her other outfits. The outfit has Sansa essentially just paying homage to the important people in her journey to become Queen in the North. The dress fabric is the same fabric (just a different colour) that was used for Margaery's wedding dress (do not recommend. Beautiful fabric, nightmare to work with. Frays like a bitch). The one sided sleeved shawl is a reference to Aryas later season cape. Theres an embroidered 3d wolf head on the other side, with the black feathered cape (Bran, being the Raven), that blends into the back half with some stunning 3d velvet scales with goldwork and metal wire and fur, representing the scaled fur look of the Stark wolf sigil. This then blends into beaded fish scales that continue down the outer side of the sleeve, representing her mother's Tully house. This fur mantle shape is similar to Jon's and her Fathers. Her dress cut is similar to some of Dany's. The metal spike hanging from the breastplate is worn in the same fashion Littlefinger wears his dagger. And her crown matches both cersei's, but also the wolf pins that Robb wears. And then that's not to mention the just stunning Weirwood leaves, and Weirwood branch steel breastplate. And some of the other unseen details include some TINY stumpwork and goldwork wolf heads on the dress sleeve cuffs, which also are buttoned with the tiniest bronze acorn charms, with there being the same number of buttons as stark children. This whole costume is a stunning piece of art, and you can really see how not only was it Sansa's in-world homage to her journey and the people that influenced her, but also the costume team's homage and goodbye to the work they had completed over the decade.

[@theonlybeka7337]

Was literally about to comment about the person who made the replica, which I assume is you! Saw ya on tiktok

[@forgotmyduck]

Oooo

[@MalloryNewcomb]

I remember as a kid in the early 2000s it was en Vogue to “never wear an outfit twice”. Shows like Mad Men and Game of Thrones where the costume design is so great have brought me back to reality… people repeat outfits, it’s ok. :)

[@hogndog2339]

It’s such a wasteful & pointless thing to only wear an outfit once

[@AL-fl4jk]

A problem with fast fashion. Good quality more expensive clothes should be worn often

[@Maya-hi6ce]

One thing I also remember is that a lot of the earlier Sansa and Dany costumes in particular were not only repeated, but gradually get more embroidered/repurposed - in Sansa's case, showing that she still adds embellishments to her own clothes, perhaps as a way to cope while a prisoner in King's Landing. And Dany's getting more elaborate as she gained power and wealth, and presumably, more servants with the time to do such work. Awesome video!

[@charlottet7379]

I think it was the first episode where we see Sansa being all proud about her needlework/stitching, one can only assume with Arya complaining about her “perfect” older sister that Sansa was adept in sewing as well. That being said, Ive seen a lot of people taking notice when she looses favor with the king (the Lannisters in general) that her clothing is more tight over her chest, meaning she continued to grow but the Lannisters refused to allow her more fabric to sew a new dress or to just adjust it so it would fit her. It’s such a fantastic way of telling a whole story with just too small clothing. TBH my heart broke when I realized this when watching the show - after first thinking it was wardrobe malfunction but then realized it was intentional to show us this aspect of the petty Lannisters. Costume, as well as music and set designs were on fire the whole series through, no matter how shitty the writing got.

[@maggiecramer8154]

One harness top Dany wears is later worn by messande

[@jpallan]

The costume designers described that throughout the early seasons as Daenerys got more in touch with her dragon nature, the scale embroidery was more and more pronounced.

[@LorwynAR]

"Black dyes of the North" reminded me one story about reenactors. My friends told me about one group that tried reconstruct this deeply black woolen garment from early middle ages, north of europe. Nothing worked, no black dye accesible so far north was working, and the garment was not worn by a noble, so dye bought from south was not an reasonable option either. Then. Then it struck them. Some sheep are already black... So, breeding black sheep for black wool would be my theory for Nights watch, it even works better with those pieces of fur they wear around their shoulders. It would be so much work to dye this all black, a time these watchers dont have... Also, great video and lookin' forward to another!

[@architeuthis_]

It's been a while since I last read the books, but I think I recall that the Night's Watch did dye the clothes that the men came with. Love the point about the black sheep though!

[@missanne2908]

GRRM stated in an interview that Westeros has superior dying methods than was available in our Middle Ages, leading to a wider range of colors.

[@johndododoe1411]

Don't forget Black bears as used for the hats of royalty guards in England and Denmark (extremely rare handed down large uniform hats made from no longer obtainable fur).

[@kjorgenson9236]

Black walnut??? Made my hands really black...

[@helenl3193]

Cool (insert weather joke here) that never would have occurred to me, and black wool is less commercially desirable IRL because it tends to be coarser and cant be dyed - so it would theoretically be cheaper for the watch to obtain, while those fancy/daft southerners are busy throwing money away on dyed wool, tut! (I'm a Londoner I'm allowed to mock us soft bastards 😜) And black sheep would be much less likely to be lost in the snow/landscape, as well as being a cheap and sustainable source for wool - and food once they age out.

[@shanika4160]

I was today days old when I learned Dany’s white coat was a mega flex and not a simple I’m with Jon now move. Either she had it started before she even arrived or they were on that boat for months.

[@krose6451]

It was definitelycstarted previously with how labor intensive it would be. I cry for whoever made it (in canon) since daylight would be scarce so your working with strips of fur by candle or fire light.

[@jaojao1768]

8:00 note however the historian Bret Devereaux has criticised Dothraki clothing for being impractical, historical horse-nomads would usually wear longer woolen robes to protect from the harsh weather of the steppes

[@mariebrennan1441]

Oh, it's worse than that. You may recall, the rest of Devereaux's argument is that Martin ostensibly based the Dothraki on the historical Mongols, but then ditched all the sheep-herding and trade that were central to how Mongol society worked (including their military effectiveness). So sure, Dothraki clothing as seen in the series makes sense for a culture of barbaric hunter-gatherers; however, them being barbaric hunter-gatherers *makes no sense at all*.

[@Sipu97]

@@mariebrennan1441 I mean, do you have to follow the inspiration in every single way? :D Maybe the Dothraki don't need to herd and trade in GRRM's mind or something.

[@CarrotConsumer]

@@Sipu97 No, but ideally you replace it with something equally plausible.

[@TheAsj97]

@@Sipu97 Why not just give them guns at that point? It's all made up anyway and doesn't matter weather if it makes sense or not, right?

[@Sipu97]

@@CarrotConsumer Sure, but what I'm saying that in GRRM's world it can be plausible just as it is. I mean it would be more realistic to have them have more ways to acquire materials but if there are enough rich cities to sack nearby, why would they use their time to other things?

[@UnseiligheSidhe]

When it comes to individuals' choices, one of my favorite things is Olenna's complaint about *everything* she owns having gold roses plastered all over it, while -- as far as I recall -- she is one of the few high ranking nobles who *doesn't* wear the symbol of their House as jewelery, or embroidery, or both. That struck me as a spot-on character choice.

[@pageandpetals]

LOLLLL yes! Isn't she also the one who goes on a bit of a tear about stupidity of the Tyrell house words ("Growing Strong")? Makes sense she wouldn't care, though-she's not a Tyrell by birth; she married into the family.

[@RozWBrazel]

“I even have a gold rose on my chamber pot…as if that makes it smell any better.”

[@CommanderLongJohn]

Uh, did we watch the same show lol? Literally almost no characters in the show display their House sigils or even colors on their clothing and armor, and it's pitiful . . . Not one single time did we even see someone with a surcoat, even Tywin fucking Lannister-the guy in the books who has ornate gold plated armor with big Lion rondels on his shoulders and a massive Warhelm with a golden Lion roaring on top and a cloth of gold cape that can only be held up by his Lioness necklace-isn't seen in the show wearing anything with the Lannister Lion (and 99% of his outfits' colors consist of... black... like a damn Nights Watch brother); when in the books (or hell Medieval Britain) *all* these Nobleman and Lord's are constantly displaying their heraldry, always trying to show off their House and wealth and power-often in the most ostentatious ways possible 🤷‍♂ I think the woman who played Olenna nailed the character in the same essence Charles Dance nailed Tywin, the problem I have is a bunch of the dialogue she has in the show is just God awful nonsense that book Olenna wouldn't utter in a million years (and they cut out ALL her JUICY ass-often hilarious-dialogue from the books I don't get it), like she openly lambastes her son/the HEAD of House Tyrell publicly-even directly in front of the Lannisters and various other House's/Lord's of significance-and it couldn't be anymore ridiculous

[@bridgetbrennan6615]

I wanted to see Olenna in some purples and darker blues of House Redwyne. I felt like that would have been fun.

[@kerenacosta6946]

No I'm pretty sure that during the purple wedding Olenna is wearing something distinctly floral

[@archervine8064]

It doesn’t happen all the time, but Sansa is working on her sewing when we first meet her and getting praised for it by the Septa, and we see her sewing more than a few times after that. Arya is less cooperative, but she was also expected to learn. Like in our own world, it’s a valued skill whether the fancy stuff for ladies or the more ‘pedestrian’ work a poorer woman might do to keep herself and her family clothed.

[@faithmoir1637]

also she’s v praised for making her own gowns consistently thru the series

[@velveteenrabbit542]

One time even by Cersei.

[@kessera5645]

I love the scene in the vale where she sews whilst first trying self-empowerement. Sad though that ramsay slowed her rise to a player

[@AisuruMirai]

The garment Arya sews, once she finds the right needle, is vengeance. She needs its warmth for the coming winter.

[@gloriaalex11]

@@faithmoir1637 Yes! Jon: "I like the wolf bit" (embroidery on Sansa's dress). Sansa also made Jon a new cloak similar to the one Ned wore.

[@tbotalpha8133]

I would like to point out that the depiction of the Dothraki doesn't actually fit... basically any real steppe nomad culture. The historian Bret Deveraux has a great, multi-part essay on Game of Thrones' depiction of steppe nomads, on his blog A Collection Of Unmitigated Pedantry. Look up "That Dothraki Horde" if you're interested. TL;DR: the Dothraki are an amalgam of stereotypes about steppe nomads and American Indians, embodying our own cultural ideas of savage barbarians more than any real historical cultural group. But a few highlights: Steppe nomads were NOT hunter-gatherers. They were pastoralists! Animal-herders! They kept sheep and goats, herded them around the steppe, and harvested products like milk and wool from them. Because they had to - when the most abundant plant life in your environment is grass, you've gotta find something that can convert that grass into something edible to humans. Their "nomadic" nature came from them having to move their herds around as they depleted the grassland of one area after another, rotating around their territory to allow the grass to re-grow. Furthermore, steppe nomads had access to spinning and weaving technology, and could make textiles out of wool, or plant fibers like linen or cotton. And their wealthiest leaders could even import textiles from non-nomadic peoples, either through trade or sometimes tribute. They didn't use leather, except for all the things that non-nomadic people do, like boots, fittings, saddles and so on. They much preferred to wear flexible, breathable fabrics in their day-to-day lives. They also didn't go around bare-chested. The climate in steppe grasslands can vary greatly, with very hot summers and very cold winters, and even extreme temperature shifts over the course of a day, with cold nights and hot days. So steppe nomads more usually wore fully-covering layered garments, removing layers in hot weather, or adding them in cold weather. They didn't just power through it, through sheer grit. Because heat-stroke and hypothermia don't care how many reps you can do. And they also dyed their clothes! Or, perhaps imported dyed fabrics that they then turned into clothes themselves. There's plenty of visual historical evidence of steppe nomads wearing brightly-coloured clothing. And it makes sense - steppe nomads were humans, and humans like to look nice, and own nice-looking things. And moreover, if coloured clothing is rare, then of course the elites in society are going to want some for themselves, to flaunt their wealth and/or political connections.

[@battyrae1398]

hi youre my favourite person pls continue talking i love this

[@tbotalpha8133]

@@battyrae1398 Honestly most of this is just me paraphrasing Bret Deveraux. Go read his stuff - it's a lot more detailed than this, and he actually cites his sources.

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

@@jeanette3915 this whole comment is about how they are only inspired stereotypes of the natives

[@bijtmntongaf]

@@jeanette3915 i think you misinterpreted the post lol

[@taeyeonsnose7003]

i was thinking of the same post as well during this video haha

[@tartnouveau3652]

It would be cool to see you review costumes of season one of HotD. Particularly how the styles of Rhaenyra’s and Alicent’s clothes change as they grow and change and characters, or the accuracy of Alicent’s costumes as she changes station and age.

[@freakyfro99]

I think the costume design is the only thing that no one ever really had complaints about. They killed it in most seasons and even in the last seasons they were doing better than anyone else lol

[@Luanna801]

Costume design and music were both top-notch.

[@ViolosD2I]

The attention to detail that went into little things like hand-sewn stitches makes the staggering inconsistencies in the last season even more tragic.

[@mothturtle7897]

The only complaints I've really seen about the costumes and set design is that GOT does somewhat fall into trope of medieval setting = literally dark and dull. I think this was more from book readers because the costumes of the rich nobles in the books are often described as so bright and decadent and sometimes even outlandish, like Loras wears a cloak literally woven from fresh flowers to the tourney. And the fashion of Slavers Bay is so different to really highlight how out of place Dany is - in Meereen the rich wear a large sheet of elaborate fabric wound around the body with a fringe that requires the wearer to hold it up or it could unravel, and the men also use hair wax to style their hair into shapes. But I also think a lot of the fashion in the books would not work well on screen and could be very distracting, like the Qartheen gowns that expose one breast or Daario, who in the books has dyed blue hair and a beard he styles into 3 points with a dyed gold moustache, and wears really bright clothes and lace. I think the show did very well to keep a balance between the fantastical and real--world inspirations.

[@michirukaioh4014]

Also the artisans' work creating the inside of buildings, like the Stark library that has wolf heads carved in the wood. Actually I believe that all the elements were a chef's kiss except for well... you know

[@TemariNaraannaschatz]

@@mothturtle7897 I think they tried the balance really hard, but some of the men really got the short end of the stick. Especially Renly and Theon. In the books both of them dress very well and it makes sense given who they are and it really helps set their characters something that sadly got lost in the adaptation. A lot of the over the top brighness of color that is and was something that happend in our world can look silly in an adaption, on the other hand dulling to down too much results in a quiet boring and often less characteristic look. Which I can see quiet a lot happening in GoT, again more on the men's wear. That being said I completly agree on things not being 1:1 with the books in Daarios looks of the Qartheen gowns, if not for the actressess who'd have to wear them alone.

[@lizayers4597]

One thing I noticed was Olenna Tyrell wearing a hood/headcovering. My guess was that it was once court style when she was younger, but she is only female nobility of her age group left.

[@nevaehaho61]

Lol Olenna’s just that old lmao

[@bernadettebanner]

This is admittedly one that perplexed me. I believe the only other characters we see dressed regularly in head coverings are the septas, but Lady Olenna certainly isn't the religiously devout type. Very Old Court Dress does provide a reasonable explanation!

[@acerrubrum5749]

@@bernadettebanner It was influenced by Katherine Hepburn. Ms Hepburn never like her, as she called it "my turkey neck". As she aged her neckline changed, flipped collars, turtlenecks, standing collars, head scarves, (Guess who's coming to dinner, Suddenly last summer, A lion in winter). Dianna Rigg was 75 when she first appeared in GoT's so perhaps it was a slight nod to vanity.

[@CalliopeMoEP]

I always figured it was either as you say old court style, or traditional wear for widows/ some other form of mourning dress

[@carbon1255]

@@bernadettebanner I offer an alternative explanation- she has had a skin cancer removed her head by the physicians, or some other skin or hair condition and cannot expose it to the sun or does not wish to make it visible.

[@PumpkinSpikey]

I'll gladly watch a part 2 if you graciously make another. This makes me want to restart and finish the series, if only to look at the pretty pretty clothes.

[@autumnleaves4879]

just in case you haven't finished the show before. Do yourself the favor and pretend it ends with season 7... no Spoiler but season 8 is overall very ignorable

[@PumpkinSpikey]

Yeah, I heard many of my friends trippin. Not to mention the stills that got released of the cast reacting to the script at the cold reading. When the cast ain't happy you know they screwed up big time. Tis a shame, I heard that the author gave them his ended even though he hadn't released the last book yet.

[@kelseyswanepoel7056]

These are the types of videos I want when I type 'how to create a fantasy world' I want the almost impossible to notice details, talked about by the people that are actually going to notice them. Please make more videos like this.

[@milazandstra8067]

You might actually be able to find this type of information in more anthropological studies/content/whatever! A lot of what Bernadette touched on is based on/related to research done in cultural anthropology

[@kelseyswanepoel7056]

@@milazandstra8067 thanks

[@favoritequill9084]

Historical accuracy… and Game of Thrones… AND Bernadette talking about both?????? I fear this video was tailor-made for me and I am OVERJOYED (yes I’m still a big fan of GoT even though my heart has remained broken after season 8, haha)

[@bruh666]

same same same

[@quintecence]

Me too... Such a shame they got lazy with the story telling and ruined the whole show in just 1 season

[@natalieklein9945]

I loved your comment, hold on to that joy and excitement! I've tried to watch GoT before but never got past season 3 (too much gore and gruesome for me, I'm a wuss 🙈😂) but y'all make me wanna try again 😂

[@favoritequill9084]

@@black_forest_ Yes I have! I completely agree that the fashion looks really interesting. I love that there are still those signature Targaryen touches from what they’ve shown, but it still very much feels like what they would have worn when it will take place. Plus some of Rhaenyra’s costumes are giving me major Byzantine vibes which is just incredible.

[@favoritequill9084]

@@black_forest_ I completely agree! I’m really excited for HOTD, and the Targaryen-ruled world is something I’ve been dying to see on screen since I read the books. I don’t think it can quite erase the pain of the eight season but if done right, it can certainly get close.

[@matthodek]

This just warms and entertains my research loving heart. I've seen legit PhD defenses that were not nearly this good. I'm seriously going to save this as an example to show grad students. I'm not sure if they would accept an electrical engineer, but if you ever need an outside-the-field member for your thesis committee let me know.

[@jlammetje]

but, PhD defenses are generally "live" right? Meaning you don't have the chance to edit your speech ;-)

[@matthodek]

@@jlammetje This is true, but by the time you are ready for your defense it should be so well known and practiced that it shouldn't be a big issue. Certainly people are nervous, but the live execution of the presentation is not the most important (unless it is really bad). What really stood out to me, and what I was complimenting, was how well she built her supporting arguments of her premise and how logically she presented them. I've never watched GoT nor studied dress history, and yet I was able to clearly understand the complex topic was she was trying to convey. That takes a lot of effort to do well, and I know she started that well before the camera was turned on.

[@Gna_d54]

@@jlammetje They also generally cite the original ideas which this video absolutely is lacking in.

[@arnejakobsen3296]

How much Bernadette is absolutely *gushing* over the attention to costumes in Got is hilarious and contagious. It's amazing to see how the series gives every type of nerd something to enjoy

[@kathmorgan3429]

I remember watching a "post apocalyptic" show where everyone was wearing cool black leathers, but living like the Lost Boys. It looked very silly and you've really nailed down why.

[@LeoFieTv]

A thing about the King's Guard. In the books they keep their own plate armour and their only identifying feature is the white cloak. Because even in as rich a city as King's Landing, the thought of uniform plate armour is kind of ridiculous. The idea with the white cloak is that they have no crest or banner, no family, no alliance other than to the king. It mirrors the Night's Watch, who also have no duty other than to the wall. Their crest is therefore black and empty. It is canon in the books that new recruits just get everything dyed, because it's the most practical, whereas recruits from noble houses mostly already come with a full set of black clothes. You can see that in the very first scene of S1E1 between the three Watchmen. The social structure stays the same even in the supposed egalitarian Night's Watch.

[@julecaesara482]

okay I know that in reality uniform plate armour is ridiculously expensive, but I have yet to be shown a method of dying black that isn't ruinous to an already malfunded organisation.

[@thodan467]

@@julecaesara482 Not really m it was mass produced

[@silferdeath]

@@julecaesara482 well charcoal would actually darken your clothing a lot, and I dont even want to consider how much fire they need at the wall to stay warm. so a charcoal would be available for dyeing clothing. It is ofcourse a bad pigment to dye with but the enormous excess of charcoal may lend to redying as part of the washing process.

[@SeleneSalvatore]

Iron nails+acid make mordant solution and bark of tree with lots of tannins like oaks make dark coloured clothing easy and cheap. Also thay could kept black coloured sheeps for wool, milk and meet.

[@ayemeebee]

If I recall from the books, the other thing about the cloaks is that it immediately distinguishes them from the other soldiers & guards in kings landing. Maybe a completely impractical waste of textile but it does signify they are the king’s hand-picked guard and possibly deserve a little more respect. At least that’s how they would see it. I’m sure the people of Flea Bottom couldn’t care less

[@nushBee]

"Historical accuracy-whatever that elusive concept is-ultimately really is just logic." louder for the 88,000 mythological series on indian tv!

[@amtulshafi99]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@foolishfife]

i remember watching the first seasons of game of thrones as they came out - me and mom (NOT people with fashion/costume knowledge whatsoever!) would notice and comment the ways Sansa would adopt the hair and dress styles of King's Landing and sub-consciously see the pace at which this changed as it pertained to the changes in her life. this MATTERED SO MUCH for the immersiveness of this universe!! even if I didn't have the language for it then, or I wasn't analyzing it purposefully: these costuming details that i was only quasi-conscious of supported Sansa's ENTIRE big-picture narrative absolutely beautifully... the costumers were not just making Sophie Turner look fucking gorgeous as always, but they were also FULLY and DEDICATEDLY part of telling the story of Sansa, a girl that gets chewed and spat out by many foreign lands only to, in the end, return to and rule her homeland, feeding her enemies to the wolves... ugh, so much admiration for every artist involved in this project

[@SarahHodgson96]

That thoughtfulness and attention to detail is exactly why Michele Clapton is one of my favorite costume designers currently working! One of my favorite Easter eggs in the show is that it’s her hands dressing Sansa for her coronation!

[@justanotherredheadattheend955]

Honestly, I'm super comforted by Bernadette's definition of "historical accuracy". Remembering that ultimately, people back then were mostly just like us and their clothes weren't perfect either, when in doubt or a bind, the most "historically accurate" thing we can do is just use common sense and logic. It's probably just what they would have done.

[@nautilusbelauensis6292]

I recommend the sections on production design on the making of the lord of the rings. It's super in depth on how they tried to make a timeline and design specific visual languages and tried to create a world that seemed like it has a rich history. So cool :)

[@Luanna801]

I was thinking that too!! A similar video on LotR would be amazing.

[@chanmarty7463]

Yeesssssss!!!!!! It would be so cool if she did one of these videos for the Lord of the rings!!!

[@MelanaC]

I have a lovely friend from northeastern Scotland and she told me that the majority of the embroidery and lace work was done by the embroiderers in Aberdour, New Aberdour, and other parts of Aberdeenshire 😊 She is in her 70’s and was so excited to watch GOT for the embroidery…. She blushed when telling me about all the …um… intimate scenes! 😂

[@tairneanaich]

Bit like if you go a wee bit south you’ll find Dundee is the home of rigging and ropes, with all the jute fibre, linked so tightly with the port and all that sea trade. I love how certain places are associated with certain industries like that, like mascot materials (indeed there was a time when people would dress in costumes suited to each location to be like a mascot, such as the woman from Sheffield with all the steel)

[@caitie8921]

The standing in front of a fireplace with a sword and bobbing up and down and gesticulating to emphasize points delivery is giving me Strong quirky professor whose lectures are always full vibes.

[@ElliotNesterman]

Best in-script comment on class difference ever: "Who's that, then?" "I dunno. Must be a king." "Why?" "He hasn't got shit all over him."

[@AW-uv3cb]

"Help! I'm being oppressed!"

[@ElliotNesterman]

@@AW-uv3cb Oh! Oh! Now you see the violence inherent in the system! Come see the violence inherent in the system!

[@AW-uv3cb]

@@ElliotNesterman Well you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you

[@jocosesonata]

@@AW-uv3cb I mean, if I went around claiming I was an emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd lock me away!

[@tbotalpha8133]

Commoners washed regularly too. Washed their clothes, as well. Perhaps not as regularly as we do, but the idea that everyone in pre-modern times walked around plastered with mud and dirt is a complete myth.

[@sianthesheep]

"Even those who have the means still aren't seen unrealistically in a new costume and style in every single episode" Yes, Bridgerton, your ears may be burning.

[@seashore961]

Louder!!!!

[@bofhzerozero777]

Yes, the go to the “modiste” like it’s a fast fashion store.

[@Dryhten1801]

I think the clothes aren't the main historically innacurate thing in "Bridgerton"

[@danyalullah5856]

caitlyn would likely have been overseeing the spinning weaving and sewing of the all other women in the stark Houshold (Sansa and Arya but also all the maids Ladys and the wives of the starks retinue) who would supply the clothing to for themselves as well as the men and children. textile work has for most of human history, even in upper class households. Augustus prided himself on only wearing clothes made by his wife, sister, daughter or grand daughter.

[@PinkPatriot]

It’s so refreshing to see someone obsess over the “small” details, like clothing, that made GOT so great! The fashion team did THE MOST AMAZING job. It’s unreal how much talent. thought, detail, and pure genius that went into the clothing. Also the music, that is another fantastic part.

[@delphinelavendermorgan4627]

This is more satisfying than the ending of Game of Thrones, in the best way possible

[@deidreg]

The bar is admittedly very low

[@andromedaspark2241]

The last 3 seasons of GoT don't exist...at least they shouldn't. Let's just consider it unfinished.

[@bibliophilecb]

@@andromedaspark2241 season 6 had some good moments at least. But the last two…

[@dolphinsrkool1]

in an alternate universe, some variation of this video is the last season. I wish I was there....

[@MysticaFaery]

On the cultural aspects, the slaver garment in the books (which has a name I can't remember) requires that the wearer constantly hold the garment together. Making it very clear that whoever wears it doesn't have to do any manual labour.

[@YakiraShatz]

I think it was pretty much just the Roman toga, made more ornate (the Carthaginian fringe ) and worn by all the nobles, not just adult males. The culture of Slavers Bay was a cross between Rome and Carthage.

[@Anna-rk2wi]

Wasn’t it called a tokar? Or am I misremembering

[@nevaehaho61]

Yes, the Tokar is a traditional Slaver’s Bay style garment worn by only the nobility as it is INCREDIBLY impractical. It’s basically just a big sheet of very expensive fabric that you have to wrap around yourself in a very specific way (around the hips, under an arm, then forwards over the shoulder) and hold in place with your left hand. It’s said that if the Tokar is wrapped too tight, it might tangle and you could trip, and if it’s wound too loose, it could very easily just fall off of you (so very reasonable why this was not adopted for the show lol). In one of Dany’s chapters, her Dothraki handmaidens (+Missandei presumably) have to wrap it around her three times until they get it right, and in another Dany comments on the fact that she has to make smaller strides when she walks when wearing a Tokar since it’s also quite a bit restrictive of movement. As for other garments the masters and nobility wear, very briefly in Book 5 (or Season 5) in the fighting pits scene (if you know, you know) Dany gets bored of sitting around in her Tokar and just takes it off along with some veils she was wearing, and it’s briefly stated that she was wearing some sort of under-tunic (since without it no doubt the crowd would be losing their minds that their queen just completely undressed in front of them cause she felt like it XD). The slavers also shape their hair (which is sometimes black and red and other times just one or the other in the books) into the shape of wings, horns, and even a unicorn horn in Astapor I believe, using oils, but Dany isn’t explicitly stated to have adopted this along with the Tokar. The Tokars are also decorated very richly with very expensive fringes to indicate the wearer’s status. For example, Dany has one with a fringe of baby pearls, one with Myrish lace, and more with gold and silver. Sorry this is super long, I’m just very enthusiastic about book-accurate ASOIAF fashions 😅 Edit: Holy cow, that’s a lotta likes 👀 Thanks! 🙏

[@Anna-rk2wi]

@@nevaehaho61 no that was great I love the intricacies of the asoiaf books and am thrilled to see someone else with equal enthusiasm in the “wild”, I’m more obsessive over the religions, magic systems, and universe internal history.

[@harmonysaolgra7978]

@@nevaehaho61 don’t apologize, this was amazing to read and super I formative

[@warwolf333]

Sansa at first in kings landing wears badly fitted lannister dress. That’s because she was out of place, a stranger. The more she becomes important and powerful, the better the outfit. Check it out!

[@elysetodd2308]

Being a bit of a world builder and dabbling in fiction writing, it's fascinating to hear you speak about "historical" costumes in such detail and scope. It certainly brought a lot of considerations to mind for me on how I should be thinking about textiles and dress in my world and writing, and how it reflects more than just regionality but trade and tends. Thank you for an excellent video!

[@alethearia]

Cersie's red gown in season 1 has attachable sleeves! She goes from a completely sleeveless look to wearing it with a shawl to adding shoulder caps to eventually adding sleeves and other layers as the season gets colder!

[@Chibihugs]

The mic on the sword sent me! I feel like your passion for explaining this topic made for an amazing and interesting deep dive. So good!

[@woahthisisinteresting4369]

Gotta do what you gotta do to provide for your War Slaughter ASMR side gig

[@lisaowen6103]

It's her own Needle.🤺

[@allisonb-h9184]

This is like my third or fourth time watching this video but I only just noticed the sick shades Bernadette gave the picture of Olenna behind her 😂 as well as the x’s on Ned’s eyes oop-

[@lililoki9738]

"Well that barely scratched the surface" *Me who was immersed *: Wait !! what ??? NOOOOO That's it ?? I NEED MOOOOOORRRRREEE I also love the excited Bernadette, very refreshing

[@munciemeg]

Sansa’s costume story melds so well with her character story. She wears clothing as armor and the detail that went into it is so cool to study.

[@TheGarnetObsidian]

I also loved that Sansa was shown sewing her transformation gown while ensconced in The Reach.

[@zabacinjsh]

When GoT first came out ppl were pointing to the high level of craftsmanship in everything they did, and so many behind the scenes videos showed the dedication and love for making this world feel real and rich. To me it was always a shame that the last season ruined it for so many ppl to the point of not recognizing that up to that point it was one of the best examples of the whole team which obv includes the cast and crew working towards something giving it 100% and we probs will never see it on that level ever again. Regardless of how it ended I still hold the show in high regard. D&D's laziness and ego at the end of it won't make me forget the breathtaking work of everyone else throughout the series. And I'm glad you made us remember just how amazingly well put together the show was.

[@stoneheart8231]

It really sucks that a couple shitty writers managed to fuck it all up for the amazing costume designers, set designers, special effects teams, music composers and all the other staff members that put so much love and thought into this project behind the scenes (and unlike the actors who are on screen, receive very little credit for their hard work in return). I understand people who are frustrated with the ending (or even most storylines past season 4), but it really grates me when they try to undermine the production side of the show.

[@zabacinjsh]

@@stoneheart8231 Exactly, I don't think the bad makes all the good things suddenly non-existent. Doesn't erase all the amazing work put into it.

[@softly128]

Brianne's split skirt culottes thing has been in my mind for a while. I didn't know what it's called or how to search for it. Thank you very much 🌼

[@CG-eh6oe]

About the continous wearing of armor: Armor in ancient/medivial times was ridicoulusly expensive, and therefor worn over long periods of time. A singel piece or armor might serve 5 or more men.

[@tairneanaich]

Also if it survives that long, it must be a good design, it works enough to keep all its wearers intact!

[@CG-eh6oe]

@@tairneanaich what makes you think the previous owners were still intact? Taking armor from dead bodies is easy ;)

[@tairneanaich]

@@CG-eh6oe but why WOULD you want to take armour that didn’t save someone’s life..?

[@CG-eh6oe]

@@tairneanaich serious? Because armor isn't the deciding factor. And even if it was, id rather have a bad helmet than none.

[@morganburt2565]

i’m so glad we’ve circled back around to appreciating the GoT tv show again. the first 4 seasons are so amazing, they don’t deserve to be stunk up by the last four.

[@TabiiKnutschaa]

Yes!

[@thespankmyfrank]

Yeees! The first four seasons are so great. They've got their faults, sure, but it's some of the best TV I've ever seen. Then it all went to shit lol. But I still appreciate the first few seasons, they're just too good to dismiss.

[@michirukaioh4014]

Even the last four deserve consideration for all the work the artisans made to create the environments, as they had more budget for it. I loved Daenery's dragon coat and the emboideries made for house Martell dresses as well as rooms like the Stark Library

[@belagrolaub8746]

well, then I recommend never reading the books lol

[@pocketchokepictures8100]

The costumers doing everything possible to make the clothes make sense. ***the writers have exited the chat***

[@chipmunkpark8826]

Daenerys white coat is the most beautiful think I've ever seen...she was a vision wearing it 😭💗

[@imuniquefangirl]

The world of GOT never cease to amaze me. It's just pure medieval beauty

[@TheSarahLindy]

The sword as a pointer… the murder map with the strings and photos… you are my new favorite GoT apologist, and I now accept this theory as canon. I loved the general storyline & the costuming, but some of the graphic-ness of the few episodes we watched made me *uncomfy*

[@francescathomas3502]

The "Red Wedding" is why I never even bothered to read the books or watch the series. I did NOT want to read about or see anything like the "Red wedding". I only saw one mention of the red wedding, but that was more than enough!!

[@karlarose536]

I tried to read the books, but only got about 1/2 way through the third one before giving up, when I realized that pretty much every character I became emotionally invested in was going to: 1. die, or 2. become a horrible person, or 3. become horribly maimed, or 4. supposedly die but come back from the dead somehow, or 5. some combination (or possibly all) of the above. Sorry, not my kind of fiction. Nothing against anyone who loved it, though!

[@Sarcasmhime]

YES! Internal inconsistency of clothing styles in historical fantasy is one of my top rant topics. Too many shows/movies costume each character individually for their personality without taking into account where the clothes came from or what else everyone in that world is wearing. The Witcher is especially bad for this - while the outfits are cool, each has basically no relation in style or silhouette to the next so it doesn't feel like a cohesive world. I recall being annoyed when Cersei suddenly started wearing high-necked, long-sleeved dresses totally unlike anything seen on any other woman in the series, and then realized it was because she was imitating the styles seen on all the men as a way to solidify her claim to the throne. Pulling a Hatshepsut! 🔥

[@Elaan021]

The lack of distinct cultural styles was one of the reasons all the time skips and location jumps in the first season of the Witcher just...didn't work. Meanwhile, you could just show me one outfit from GoT and I could tell you where it came from and (potentially) when. Not even one worn by a main character that I'd recognize, but one made in that style. I get that sorceresses and witchers live a long time, but garments wear out. Having different versions of Geralt's armor would have helped a lot.

[@vicki4552]

I found the fictional historically accurate Pillars of the Earth trilogy quite fascinating also

[@persistentfantasy]

I could watch you do an entire 7 (or, sigh, 8) season breakdown of each costume in GOT - this was fascinating, not just factually but it's always fun to watch people get to geek out about things they are passionate about :)

[@LaughingInTiny]

I've worked in film fashion. I would like to WHOLEheartedly thank you on behalf of those who worked on this show.This is one of the best, easiest to follow explanations I've seen. You are a treat! (And I am shooketh!) I didn't personally work on this, but I know people who did would be over the moon to see someone "get" the effort that so many miss.

[@donnashapleigh4863]

As someone who has never watched an episode of GOT this was wonderfully informative in filling in the blanks I missed. It's amazing how much I learned by social & other media about GOT without watching it as it is such a cultural phenomenon. Thanks! This was fun!

[@invadersin5203]

Same here. Zero plan to watch more than the 5 minutes I have seen of GoT but I do appreciate these sorts of deep dives that mean I don't need to lol

[@Rachel-fi4sc]

Ugh, yeah. I made myself sit through the first season, but by Gratuitous R@pe Scene # 267, I decided it just wasn't worth it.

[@needlearcher4806]

"we all are nerds here.... so hiding in our cool caves with our dragons hoard of books" I DIED LAUGHING. Not only did I throughly enjoy the breakdown of a series I did not see but was vaguely interested in purely by the garments, I thank you so very much for the video and the clever jab at reality that is lady nerdom in the best of moments. Also, as a reminder, Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and will taste good with the pasta!

[@MissLovesMichael]

I didn't even watch the series and thought this was interesting! Something like that on Lord of the Rings/Hobbit would also be super cool :D

[@eliterun6214]

get the extended version of LoTR -- they spend hours of documentary on the costume design there

[@Gabi-sy3tf]

Bernadette, you talked about Sansa and the women in the north making their own clothes. After reading the books and watching the series, what I had understood was not that they themselves were responsible for the entirety of the creation process, but that, being noblewomen with a lot of time on their hands, they were doing the embellishments and the fine stitching - the things that make their clothes stand out as being upper class. In the first book there is even a scene with Arya complaining that she cannot embroider as well as Sansa. Now I'm thinking both these interpretations can be true! I loved your video. I'm a big Game of Thrones fan, and I loved the world building of the series (at least up until season 5).

[@pearanerd]

This is an absolute master class on the importance of world building in fiction. You focused on the clothing, for reasons... but there's so much information here that could also be applied to architecture, food, or other cultural things. Excellent!!

[@sockgoblin2942]

Maybe the Night’s Watch also dyes all clothing black not only because of ~aesthetic~ but also because black attracts light and heat, and it’s very, very cold that far up north.

[@battlebugplays]

This video connected so many dots for me on things that were irking me about the series costumes. IE The lack of color in later seasons really annoyed me but considering it could have been an intentional choice to convey disrupted trade makes so much sense. The wedding gowns hips also stood out to me and it being a nod to court dress again makes so much sense. mind blown.

[@saraherrschaft905]

A tiny thing I remember noticing with Cersi's trendsetting: in one of the later seasons after she's cut her hair, her lady in waiting who finds Cersi and Jamie in bed together is also sporting the same short pixie cut. I hadn't seen any other character with that haircut, but it seems to have began to trickle its way into style among the Red Keep's staff!

[@kendelrenee1]

I love how your hair is being held together by a sword. Wonderful costume study as always! I think it's a testament to the amazing attention to detail of the Game of Throne costume department.

[@FairyRosee_]

I forgot what a visual treat this show was! Those textures omg!!

[@piperevelyn2446]

Amazing video! It's clear you care a lot about the subject and made it obvious that you are not alone, the costume department of this show also cared deeply about it. As I live in the Nordic countries and have survived many winters (the winter is coming memes/reminders start here before we hit mid-June), the thing I found most annoying in the costuming of Game of Thrones was the way the main characters don't cover their heads in extremely cold weathers/blizzards. I know this is most likely not a fault of the costuming department, I understand watching some bundles of fabric with eyes barely visible in the middle would not be the most interesting thing to watch but it bugged me so much. You know nothing, Jon Snow.

[@ragnkja]

Good point. I know I wouldn’t want any unnecessary bare skin when the wind is throwing snow at me. In a blizzard I’d want a good fur cap with ear flaps that tie under the chin, and I’d want most of my face covered, preferably including the cheekbones, and I’m not sure the costume designers would agree to cover the face that much.

[@gloriaalex11]

Many of the Free Folk do have hoods on their coats, at least.

[@TemariNaraannaschatz]

Michelle Clapton the head designer has spoken about this: she wanted head coverage, she was not allowed. I think it's even worse when they wear full plate amor without helmets into battle.

[@dannsherstone1037]

I am a fabric artist and Game of Thrones is fascinating! Thank you! I would just like to mention that the costume designer is Michele Clapton and the embroidery is the work of Michele Carragher. I would have loved to work on this amazing project!

[@Kiki-hb9sw]

I’d be curious about your opinion on HOtd and the clothings because honestly alicent’s dress in episode 9 took my out of the immersion because she appears to be wearing synthetic modern chiffon which was weird

[@wagnar]

This lady is the definition of elegance and style.

[@deboraharmstrong3002]

Your comment about Danerys' fabulous white fur coat...How the fur is cut into strips that are then sewn back together. This is how fur pelts are converted to a fabric..It is called 'Letting Out....the pelt is turned skin side up, and an approximately 3/8" wide strip is diagonally sliced off. The strip is moved approximately 2mm down, and then stitched back to the pelt it was sliced from. Yes, it is VERY labor intensive, and it turns a cured pelt into a lovely, drapey, supple fabric Very yummy!

[@DannyBanner]

Starting a petition for more information to be taught via sword, my interest was PIQUED ⚔️

[@SamBrickell]

It was really cute the way her cat was playing along in the background.

[@kathyhampsten3930]

I look at clothes so differently since I started watching your channel.The GOT costumes just blow my mind. Can you believe I never thought about the significance of meaning to the colors! I didn't notice that there were color regions or the significance of the small detailing. Thanks for your channel I love to learn about the who, what, when, where, and how's of historical clothing/fashion.

[@ashleypeacock389]

Having attended Costume College in the past, this absolutely felt like one of its classes, and I am here for this! Not only did it go into the analysis of the show itself, but I totally learned about how to figure this kind of thing out for myself on other pieces of media in the future! I felt like I actually learned something that I can take with me instead of the normal picking at another show that I’ve seen in the past. Also, may I just say how refreshing it was that she considered this historically accurate, not because of how it compares to our world, but in the continuity of another? Because it’s easy to look at at TV, hold it up against the familiar, then complain when it doesn’t match; it’s much harder and yet so much better to go through the processes these things could develop through anywhere and use that instead.

[@happycouchday]

I would happily watch 10,000 videos like this, and it's not the first time I've had the thought that even as the story itself was spinning out of control, there were countless people on that show still taking their jobs extremely seriously and delivering top-notch work.

[@23Sinbio]

What a wonderfully thorough and well researched look at the fashion accuracy in Game of Thrones. I hope that the GOT costume designer, Michele Clapton, sees this video. Well done!

[@mori_r_]

This is an amazing analysis that I will be using to help me in my considerations and worldbuilding when I am writing my book series! It breaks down the intangibility of obviousness such as "they are rich/poor" into a usable form by looking at the "why". I have been struggling with costume design for the cultures in my worlds and am excited for the inspiration this is giving! Also, I love the fact that your endorsements are at the end and beautifully crafted, with a humorous twist! They are neither overbearing nor do you force someone to watch them when they came to watch the subject of your video and I enjoy watching them, since they are a choice, you seamlessly flow into the topic and are humorous! Overall, an amazing analysis and well done!

[@TheMedCentre]

Something to be considered here in addition to historical accuracy is loyalty to the book. My friends who have read them tell me about so many repeated references to boiled leather armor that it became nearly tedious. I also find the Quarthian women's costumes interesting, as the book describes dresses that consistently displayed one breast, and Daenarys soon conforms during her visit. Yes, the costumers here had great attention to detail and context. But so did George R. R. Martin. Although, I've still wondered for years how no one could find the resources to provide the dragon riders with helmets. But that's almost a separate issue.

[@nint357]

About the dragon riders, I have two possible explanations: 1) Pride. They're riding dragons, they have the ability to ride with an unbeatable beast and well, if they are unbeatable and they're perfectly synced with their riders, then what's the point? 2) Logic. To be completely honest, they rode dragons to incredible heights, not just 2-3 metres off the ground, so even if they were provided helmets, any fall would be proven deadly on impact😭

[@vera3147]

@@nint357 nah a helmet or some sort of tight hat would definitely be a requirement. Not because of possibility of falling, but because of much colder and stronger wind up in the air. Would be a bummer to be a dragon rider and die from meningitis :^)

[@RozWBrazel]

@@vera3147 no one is mentioning the risk of an arrow to the head or body

[@jodiem3520]

The embroider for this show did a talk at my uni years ago and it’s amazing to see her work process, she seaid at one points she had made pieces that ended up not being filmed in the scene which I thought was such dedication to a craft (I would have been so sad if I spent the amount of time she did for it not be in the final cut)

[@RozWBrazel]

LUCKY!! Can you remember what specific pieces? 👀

[@jodiem3520]

@@RozWBrazel Im not sure exactly cuz it was like 6 years ago but I think it was a costume for cersei 😅 she had a few examples of fish and bugs and lion embroidery that was used and the neck ruffs that the two stark sisters made/wore in s1 😊

[@spntageous5249]

this but in House of the Dragon where they made this fancy outfit for Alicent's wedding and then deleted the scene.......

[@iandrewtv]

This is the mind-blowing attention to detail that I love... thank you for nerding out on this. FANTASTIC job.

[@dracosapple2584]

If she was my history teacher, i would never fall asleep 😭😭

[@paige6936]

I absolutely love the costumes in GoT. Was probably one of the main reasons I sticked with the series when the writing absolutely lost its quality. I got to see Sansa’s wedding dress in person and the embroidery detail was just so beautiful. The screen didn’t do it justice. My passion is in character design and world building and such well thought out garments are such a key factor to a sense of realism. Really loved you going into this!