House of the Dragon Fashion: Storytelling Through Costume
Image Courtesy: Instagram
In the hit TV series House of the Dragon, based on George R.R Martin’s novel, Fire and Blood, stylists intentionally used fashion to display the characters' emotional changes. Rival queens Rhaenyra and Alicent (of Teams Black and Green, respectively) showcase bold and complex fashion choices that aid in revealing their inner workings. Fashion in HOTD works as a valuable tool to give viewers of the show an insight into the emotional complexities of the characters, something often not seen in television.
In S1 EP5, Alicent’s character is spotlighted as she visually transitions from girlhood to womanhood. After a dispute with her long-time friend Rhaenyra, Alicent decides to make a grand entrance during a pivotal moment in the show, the wedding between. Prior to this moment, Alicent is only shown wearing varying shades of baby blue and red, to signify her innocence and her belonging to the House Tagaryen. However, at the wedding she emerges in a vibrant emerald green, the color of her original house, the Hightowers. This moment is so significant that the score playing in the background is titled The Green Dress. This acknowledgement of her new position separates her from the life she once knew, and is the catalyst in her arc towards evil queendom.
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As the season ends and the next one begins, there is a continuation of the green wardrobe, with muted and darker tones. The subtle change of color allows viewers to see that Alicent’s overall character arc is negative, while also representing the continued torment she endures as the war progresses. In the final episode, she meets with Rhaenyra, donning a dress in a rich shade of blue as she asks for pardon in the war. This scene calls upon the bond the queens shared as children, as they both still yearn for one another. The abandonment of her green attire reveals Alicent is returning to herself and grasping for innocence, but she is not quite there. The shade is still deeper and more mature than her original baby blue gown from her youth. Viewers are able to empathize with her character as she pleads to die unnoticed and free, and are visually aware of a shift of motivation by the color of her gown. For the first time, Alicent is making a decision for herself, and not on the whim of the men around her.
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Rhaenyra, the face of Team Black, is seen in the colors of her house: black and red. This is used to solidify her place as the legitimate heir, being further cemented as the show progresses with symbolism in the details of her wardrobe. This specific fashion makes it so that Rhaneyra is able to maintain the support of the patriarchal society. Referencing again the final scene of the second season, , Rhaenyra also wears a muted shade when meeting with Alicent, a gray silk gown. The two women stand face to face after years of war, reminiscing on their friendship as children, both dressed in lighter, more inviting shades. It allows viewers to see them finally be vulnerable, while once again understanding each other. Exercising fashion in this way allows viewers to understand not only the shift in their dynamic, but also a shift in the politics of war.
With a show as complex, fantastical, and sprawling as Game of Thrones, using every resource is key. With the (unfinished) five novel series sitting at nearly two million words, it is nearly impossible to translate the level of detail to screen. However, the utilization of fashion and wardrobe in this show is a beautiful and brilliant workaround.
Strike out,
Jaden Rudd
Saint Augustine
Editors: Kaya O’Rourke and Maya Kayyal
Jaden Rudd is a Staff Writer for Strike Magazine, Saint Augustine. She’s obsessed with her five cats and Game of Thrones. You can find her at @jadenrud on Instagram or jadenrudd95@gmail.com.
