Why Game of Thrones Outfits Female Characters Wore Changed Television Fashion Forever

Let's be honest. When we talk about Westeros, we usually focus on the dragons or who died at the last wedding. But if you really look at the screen, the story isn't just in the dialogue. It's in the silk. It’s in the boiled leather. The way game of thrones outfits female characters wore evolved over eight seasons is basically a masterclass in visual storytelling. Michele Clapton, the costume designer who basically lived and breathed this show, didn’t just make pretty dresses. She built armor.

Clothes in the Seven Kingdoms are never just clothes. They are a status report. If Cersei Lannister is wearing a certain shade of red, she’s winning. If she’s in black with metal spines? Someone is about to die. It’s that simple, yet incredibly complex when you dig into the embroidery.

The Evolution of the Game of Thrones Outfits Female Power Players Wore

Think back to Sansa Stark in Season 1. She was a kid. She wore light blues, soft pinks, and those high-neck Southern styles because she wanted to be a "proper lady." She was literally trying to sew herself into a fairy tale. By the end? She was draped in heavy grey furs and a crown of weirwood leaves. That transition from a vulnerable bird to the Queen in the North is told entirely through her silhouette. Her final gown featured a "needle" tucked into the sleeve—a tribute to Arya, sure, but also a sign that she was finally armed.

Sansa’s journey is probably the most visual. She went from being a pawn to a player, and her clothes reflected that by becoming increasingly restrictive and protective. By Season 7 and 8, she was wearing a leather bodice that looked like it required a literal key to get out of. It wasn't about being sexy. It was about being untouchable.

Then you have Daenerys Targaryen.

Dany’s wardrobe is a map of her conquests. We first see her in Pentos wearing nothing but gossamer-thin silks that looked like they’d blow away in a light breeze. She was being sold. By the time she reaches the Dothraki, she’s in buckskin and trousers. Fast forward to Meereen, and she’s wearing these structural, white "Mother" dresses with dragon-scale textures. But the real shift happened when she finally sailed for Westeros. The red and black—the Targaryen colors—finally came out. That white fur coat she wore to save Jon Snow beyond the Wall? It wasn't just a fashion choice. Clapton designed it to look like a dragon’s pelt. It signaled her transition from a liberator to a conqueror.

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Hidden Details Most Fans Missed in the Embroidery

Most people don't realize how much work went into the stuff you can barely see. Michele Carragher, the lead embroiderer, put literal narratives into the fabric.

Cersei Lannister’s gowns were often covered in lions, but as the seasons went on, those lions became more aggressive. In the early seasons, they were decorative. By Season 5, they were pouncing. By the time she blew up the Sept of Baelor, the embroidery was gone, replaced by "military" silhouettes and black leather. She didn't need the lions to speak for her anymore; she had the throne.

• The Dragonfly: Look closely at Sansa’s Season 1 and 2 dresses. The dragonfly motif represents her flighty, naive nature before reality hits her.
• The Lion’s Claw: Cersei’s jewelry, especially her rings and neckpieces, often featured claws or bird-of-prey motifs. It was a subtle "don't touch me" to everyone in the Red Keep.
• Margaery Tyrell’s "Thorns": Margaery was the master of soft power. Her dresses were often backless or had plunging necklines—a stark contrast to the modest North or the rigid Lannister style. But look at the rose motifs. They were always surrounded by briars. She was beautiful, but she was sharp.

Why the Northern Aesthetic Feels Different

The North is cold. Obviously. But the game of thrones outfits female characters wore in Winterfell had to feel functional. While the women in King’s Landing were wearing silk, the Stark women were wearing wool and fur.

Arya Stark is the outlier here. Her "outfit" for most of the show was a disguise. She spent seasons in dirt-stained tunics, pretending to be a boy, then a commoner, then "No One." Her final look in Season 8 is a direct callback to Ned Stark. The double-layered leather, the heavy cloak, the practical belt for Needle. It was a rejection of "female" fashion in favor of survival.

Brienne of Tarth is another fascinating example. Her "outfit" was almost exclusively plate armor. But even within that, there was a shift. The armor Jaime Lannister gave her—the dark, midnight blue steel—was the first time she looked like the knight she actually was. It wasn't about gender; it was about honor.

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The Cultural Impact of the Westeros Look

Why do we still care? Because these designs changed how costume drama works. Before Thrones, fantasy costumes often looked like "costumes." They looked like they’d been sitting in a wardrobe trailer. Clapton’s team famously aged their clothes. They sanded them, stained them, and made them look like they’d been worn for weeks in the mud.

This "lived-in" look is what made the female characters feel real. When Catelyn Stark sat in a tent, her velvet dress had visible wear on the sleeves. It gave the world weight.

How to Apply the Westeros Aesthetic to Modern Style

You probably aren't going to walk into a Starbucks wearing a full set of Lannister armor. Well, maybe on a Tuesday. But the "Stark" or "Targaryen" vibes are actually pretty easy to pull into a modern wardrobe if you focus on the textures.

1. Structured Leather: A tailored leather jacket or vest can give off that "Northern commander" energy without looking like you're heading to a ren-faire.
2. Monochromatic Power: Cersei’s late-season black-on-black look is basically the blueprint for modern "boss" dressing. High collars and sharp shoulders.
3. Statement Hardware: Look for jewelry that feels heavy and symbolic. Think thick chains or rings with animal motifs.
4. Mixing Textures: The show excelled at putting silk next to rough wool. That contrast is what makes an outfit look expensive and thoughtful.

The Materials That Built the World

They used everything. Rabbit fur, goat hair, Italian silk, and even boiled leather that was literally cured to be hard. For the White Walkers, they used translucent fabrics that looked like ice. For the women of Dorne, they used thin, vibrant silks to show the heat of the climate.

Ellaria Sand’s outfits were a complete 180 from the rest of the show. They were daring, exposed, and focused on movement. It showed a culture that was more sexually liberated and less rigid than the North or the Capital. It’s a huge part of the world-building that people often overlook.

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The Controversy of Sansa’s "Warrior" Look

In the final seasons, some fans criticized Sansa’s wardrobe for being too "Goth." But if you look at the lore, it makes sense. She was traumatized. Her clothes became her shield. The "quilted" look of her final dress was meant to mimic the armor of the men around her, but with a feminine silhouette that asserted her role as a leader.

It’s interesting how people react to female power on screen. When a woman covers up in "military" style, it’s often seen as a loss of her femininity. But in Game of Thrones, it was often the moment she finally found her strength.

Real-World Fashion Influence

Brands like Alexander McQueen and Elie Saab have clearly been influenced by the show’s aesthetic. We’ve seen "dragon scale" textures on runways and caped gowns that look like they belong in the Red Keep. The show didn't just follow trends; it created a new vocabulary for what "powerful woman" looks like in media.

The Wrap-Up on Westeros Style

The game of thrones outfits female leads wore were never just about looking good for the camera. They were about survival, politics, and the slow, painful process of growing up in a world that wanted to kill you. From Dany’s capes to Sansa’s furs and Cersei’s crowns, every thread told a story.

If you want to dive deeper into this, I’d highly recommend checking out the book Game of Thrones: The Costumes by Michele Clapton herself. It’s huge, heavy, and full of high-res photos of the embroidery we talked about. You can see the actual stitches. It’s wild.

Actionable Next Steps:

• Audit your "Power Outfits": Look at your own wardrobe. Do you have a "Sansa" outfit for when you need to be resilient? A "Cersei" look for when you need to be in charge? Understanding the psychology of clothes can change how you carry yourself.
• Focus on Texture: Next time you’re shopping, stop looking at the color and start feeling the fabric. Mixing "hard" and "soft" materials is the fastest way to get that high-end Westeros look.
• Research the Embroidery: Go to Michele Carragher’s website. She has incredible close-ups of the work she did on the show. It’ll give you a whole new appreciation for the "hidden" stories in the fabric.
• Watch the "Behind the Scenes": Most streaming platforms have the "Making Of" featurettes. Watch the one on Season 7 costumes specifically; the transition to the "Winter" palette is fascinating to see from a technical perspective.