Game of Thrones is one of the few groundbreaking shows that changed the TV landscape with its immense budget, epic scale, and attention to detail in the settings and outfit styles. Taking place across a variety of locations within many different cultures, few shows pay as much attention to worldbuilding as the Game of Thrones franchise, and one of the show’s greatest indicators of place and status is in its costumes.
Of all the TV shows with excellent costume design, Game of Thrones stands out. That said, there is more to Michele Clapton and April Ferry’s costumes than just visual impact. Virtually all the main characters in the Game of Thrones franchise are fashion icons, with many showing the changes in their circumstances and allegiances through the garments that they wear, with most of the outfits carrying hidden meanings for viewers who look closely.
The Hound’s Dog-Inspired Armor
Sandor Clegane, better known as The Hound, is Joffrey Lannister’s bodyguard and one of the most formidable fighters in Game of Thrones. Brutal, cynical, and with a lifelong terror of fire after his brother burned his face, he is also one of the most complex characters. Not everyone could pull off the giant dog’s head helm he wears in combat, but it suits him perfectly.
House Clegane’s sigil is three black dogs, so the helm is fitting for his family name, but it also covers most of his face when open, hiding his burns from onlookers and keeping people from getting too close due to the menacing design. Actor Rory McCann was rarely seen wearing it onscreen due to its weight, but this allowed the costume to make an impact every time it appeared.
Sansa Stark’s Wedding Dress
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Sansa’s wedding dress looks extravagant and luxurious at first glance, but there is more to the costume than meets the eye. Virtually all of the costumes in Game of Thrones tell stories of their own, and this is one of the best examples in the show. Forced to marry Tyrion so that the Lannister family could seize control of the North, the dress is a physical representation of the gilded cage holding Cersei Lannister’s “little dove“.
The flowing fabric disguises the fact that the dress is extremely restrictive, and while most characters who marry in the show wear the colors of their own House or a combination of the two Houses involved, Sansa is draped in Lannister gold. The embroidery shows a lion licking at her arm, and one stamped on the back of her neck, making the dress one of Sansa Stark’s most symbolic costumes.
Alicent Hightower’s Green Gown
Alicent Hightower’s green gown is objectively beautiful and fitting for a fantasy TV series like House of the Dragon, but just as in Game of Thrones, the moment she appears in it is loaded with symbolism. When House Hightower calls its people to war, its beacon turns green, and when Alicent, who previously wore Targaryen colors, appears in the gown in the episode “We Light The Way,” it is a signal that she has chosen a side.
The scene is one of the best in the series, with Alicent interrupting King Viserys’ speech at Rhaenyra’s wedding, both stealing attention from the couple and calling her allies to war in the only way that she can as a woman in court. This moment sets up the battle between the Greens and Blacks while highlighting the power of a showstopping entrance and outfit.
Jaime Lannister’s Shining Armor
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Jaime Lannister makes an impression with his shining golden armor and hair resembling a typical fairytale prince in an attempt to combat Jaime’s reputation as “the Kingslayer“. His first scenes in Game of Thrones establish Jaime as an excellent fighter and his family as extraordinarily wealthy. Even when he is denied the opportunity to fight Robb Stark, his armor appears to say it all for him.
However, we find out almost immediately that this armor works exactly as intended—not just protecting Jaime from enemy blows but from people who might look too closely. Dazzled by his visual impact, Jaime’s dark secret remains hidden. Jaime Lannister’s evolution through Game of Thrones plays out through his clothing choices, but first impressions are hard to forget. This costume is one of his greatest.
Daenerys Targaryen’s Final Outfit
Many characters from Game of Thrones could be considered among TV history’s best dressed characters. Daenerys Targaryen has been a style icon since her very first scene. Virtually all Emilia Clarke’s costumes are incredible feats of design and symbolism. However, her final evolution into “Mad Queen” gives us a design that is both striking and disturbing.
Red and black are Targaryen colors but Daenerys’ outfit turns this into a symbol of her bloody past. The outfit changes from black to red as it goes further down her body. While Daenerys is not yet a queen—never wearing a crown—the triple dragon head chain symbolizes intent clearly. The flowing material at her shoulder resembles a great dragon wing while her Dothraki past shows through her most elaborate braided hairstyle yet.
Prince Maekar Targaryen’s Armor
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