Michele Carragher: Game of Thrones' Embroidery

     If you follow our tumblr, you'll have already seen a post on Michele Carragher. Carragher is the artist behind all the FREAKING AMAZING embroidery in Game of Thrones' costumes. The attention to detail, both in artistry and in commitment to story detail is truly extraordinary. The tumblr post includes pictures and information from her website (which everyone should visit, seriously). Here we'll be doing a comparison between the detail pictures by the artist and the costumes in play during the episodes.

Sansa and Catelyn Stark, Episode 1:

     Getting to see the embroidery up close really adds to the experience of these costumes. In our original post we said that Sansa and Cat were wearing two different versions of the same dress. We can now see the details that set these dresses apart: Sansa's dress has a lot more decoration, including embroidered bows, flowers, and (you guessed it) dragonflies.

     You'll see a lot of this detail to the lives and experiences of the characters in Carragher's work; she's an artist who knows that costumes should tell stories.

     And check out the Tully trout jumping all over Cat's scarf... roll... thing. Whatever. It's awesome.

Cersei, Episode 3:

     This is the first, but by no means last time we'll see this bird-embroidered dress, which is good considering the INSANE AMOUNT OF DETAIL the artist put into it. The bird pattern on the shoulder in repeated throughout the rest of the garment, but it is the only part visible during this scene. (Appropriate, considering the main topic of conversation here concerns Sansa.)

     This dress in all its glory will repeat in future seasons. Larger views of the dress as a whole are available in the artist's Game of Thrones Gallery.

Sansa, Episodes 4, 5 and 8:

     Amazingly, this dress has even more detailing than previously thought, due to Sansa's habit of draping a shawl around her arms.

     It really is a pity (for a lot of reasons) that Sansa and Loras couldn't get married. Sansa's got the embroidered roses down, and we know that Loras appreciates her style.

Arya, Episode 4:

     Our original assessment of this outfit included the observation:

     "The scarf/collar beneath her tunic looks like northern roughspun but is embroidered in  a way that calls to Sansa's richer and delicate roses."

     Sarah is waaaay too smug about this.

     Going forward, we'll be featuring spotlights on the embroidery as we analyze more and more costumes. The seasons to come feature a lot of Michele Carragher's truly extraordinary work. We recommend checking out her website, for the artist's own explanations of her work, which include features on Sansa's wedding dress and the new embroidery technique she invented for Daenerys known as 'Dragonscale.'

     We cannot wait to get back to Dany. 


     Also, it's Fan Art Week over on our tumblr! Every day we'll be featuring the Game of Thrones work of our favorite artists, so come join us for A Dance with Drawings!

Cersei Lannister: Episodes 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

     Cersei is back home in King's Landing, where she sets the fashions of the day.

     This is the lightest and softest we see Cersei, wearing a color she usually reserves for Jaime.

     This is a very maternal scene for Cersei. Say what you will about the woman, but she does love her kids. In this scene she dresses Joffrey's wounds and gives him some decent advice about being king (although all he takes away from the conversation is "a king can do as he likes"). 

 

     Both her dress and hairstyle are fairly low-key compared to a lot of other stuff she wears. The embroidery on the gown is also much more delicate than her usual brocade. This scene, and this outfit, are about Cersei's role as a loving mother. Also, in this family scene, Cersei wears her Lannister Lion necklace.

"I really hope Joffrey doesn't take 'A king can do whatever he wants' the wrong way."

And now for another edition of...

The Many Faces of Cersei Lannister

Clockwise from top left: Anger; Annoyance; Concern; No Jaime that's a really bad idea for a ballad.

     Cersei panics about the possibility of Bran Stark waking up and telling his father what happened that day in the tower. Jaime is flippant ("I think we can outfox a ten-year-old") but then serious as he assures her that he will kill everyone in the entire world if that's what it takes for them to be together.
     This dress is the same blue-green as the dress she wore when she was mothering Joffrey earlier.  But this dress is a lot more revealing than almost anything else we will ever see Cersei wear. 

     Even though this dress is revealing, we don't think it's about sex. It's about vulnerability. She isn't wearing this dress to seduce Jaime; she's wearing it to yell at him for leaving a chink in their armor. A revealing dress because she's worried that they are about to be revealed, as the murderous, incestuous family that they are.

     This is a public appearance, so once again, Cersei is in full Queen of the Seven Kingdoms regalia. She wears a Baratheon antler crown, but it is overshadowed by the Lannister lions on the front of her cloak. Not much happens with Cersei in this scene, she's mostly just there to create a sort of "still life with perfect royal family" but like we said, the red and gold, and the large, prominent lions make a statement, and a pretty bold one at that. Also, some epic eye-rolling. Liz Lemon would be proud. 

     Cersei Lannister is the Betty Draper of the Westeros. Seriously, think about it: the lacquered hair, the impeccable outfits, the depression, the adulterous husband. But most of all, the outward appearance of perfection. She is what every woman in Westeros aspires to be.

Hi non-terrible children! Hi!

     This dress of Cersei's is about power, and definitely sex. (Which is fitting, because after this conversation, Ned realizes that Cersei's children may not have been by Robert.) The deep red, the Lannister necklace signifying that she is Jaime's woman, the relaxed hair (no braid helmet here; she doesn't feel she needs that particular piece of armor) - she is in control here, and fully confident that she has the upper hand.   

     She's flaunting her power in front of Ned, baiting him, challenging him to challenge her, dropping cryptic hints, and not a bit worried that Ned will rise to the occasion. She's having fun with politics here.

     Before Cersei begins wearing real armor in season two, this is her own version of protective clothing: red and gold, wealth and power, and the juxtaposition of her soft, robe-like dress with the metal at her neck and waist, holding it all together.

Cersei's really enjoying her role as Evil Queen here.

     And here is the most honest conversation Cersei and Robert ever have. They talk about the Targaryans and the Dothraki, they acknowledge that their terrible marriage is the thread holding the kingdom together. They talk about Lyanna. And finally, Cersei asks, almost tenderly, if there was ever a chance for them. Robert says no. And asks how it makes her feel. Mask firmly back in place, she says that it doesn't make her feel anything, and walks away.

     It's interesting that she goes into this scene with Robert wearing the same clothing, though it's an episode later. It draws a connection between Robert and Ned, but maybe Cersei felt she needed this protection, to feel confident going into a conversation that's almost the opposite of the one above. She is honest with Robert for the first and only time, vulnerable and in no way cryptic. But her clothes allow her to retreat quickly into her protective shell when she needs to, when Robert responds to her.

     This is Cersei's "you win or you die" dress. It's red, which is her power color. She wears it here, and later, when Ned stark confronts her. And in both those scenes, she's out to prove that no one puts Cersei Lannister in a corner. And in these two scenes, at least, she is powerful. Neither Robert Baratheon nor Ned Stark ever get the best of her.

     This is the dress she wears for Jaime - it connects her to him, and stresses her allegiance (not to her husband) in this scene. Now she wears it to confront Ned about his fight with Jaime and the fact that Cat took Tyrion captive. ("How dare you lay hands on my blood.") She and Robert and Ned argue until Robert slaps her across the face hard enough to bruise. And that is the exact moment when Cersei decides that Robert is going to die.

      

                                               She wore this dress in family scenes before and, though Jaime and Tyrion aren't present, this scene is about her family. They are her blood and she will protect them. If that means killing her husband and making an enemy of Ned Stark, so be it. 
     This blue-green dress also blends into the color of the room, both tying Cersei into her surroundings (she's decided Robert is going to leave King's Landing - feet first, but she ain't leaving), and diminishing her visually as Robert diminishes her power in front of Ned.
      
     This is another clashing outfits=unhappy marriage scene. Cersei wears a sumptuous dress in a cool blue-green while Robert is wearing a black jerkin that does its best to mimic armor.

     Now it's time for Ned to confront Cersei about her children's true parentage. She's wearing her same scarlet woman dress from her conversation with Ned that laid the groundwork for this one, as well as her conversation with Robert about their failed marriage (which failed more than Robert will ever know, as it didn't provide him with any true heirs).

     Ned has figured her out, but again, Cersei's not scared. She's so confident in her power in this situation that she tells Ned all, admitting her children are Jaime's and laughing at him. She can easily destroy him. She's left behind any remaining feelings for Robert (her cheek is still red and bruised from when he struck her), and has fully accepted her role as enemy of the crown.

     Instead of high braids here, her hair weaves into a single, long thick braid. Cersei's high piles of braids are about the power she believes she has, but thick braids=true power (see also: Dany at the end of seasons one and two). She's running this show even as she's put on Ned's mini-trial, and her hair knows it.

     And as Robert dies (and he sends her away and keeps Ned with him instead, a final token of his complete disregard for her) she's continues in her power, a Lannister through and through, ready to control the throne through her terrible son.

That's why her hair is so big: it's full of secrets.

     See what we mean about the braids getting higher? It's time to put on a show. This scene is all about securing Joffrey's right to the throne, especially in the face of Ned's (entirely accurate) accusations. She's wearing Baratheon colors and a Baratheon crown (with a green Baratheon jewel at the center). Note that she's still wearing her Lannister necklace, and that this gown is more subtly opulent than anything she's yet worn. The strings of beads that hang down the front bespeak riches as well as invoking chains of office. The cape (which still shows her arms - she's still southern fashionable even in a power coup) is imposing, and the hair that cascades from that truly impressive 'do is looser than usual, conveying a sense of ease in her new position. Joffrey may be sitting on the Iron Throne in this scene, but Cersei's the one in charge, the focal point of everyone's attention. She goes straight for Ned's throat in front of the whole court, coolly and calmly ripping apart Robert's will naming Ned as regent and ordering the death of his entire household.

Hey Cersei, you know ripping things apart doesn't make them disappear or prevent their legality right? No? Well, whatever works for you.

     Throughout it all, the mark on her cheek is still clearly visible, a bright red reminder of why this is all happening. Cersei may be awful, but much of this is also Robert's fault, for neglecting his responsibilities as a husband and a king. Winter is coming, but Robert had it coming, too.

Cersei Lannister: Episode 2

     Last time on Game of Clothes, Cersei Lannister had her brother/lover Jaime do a bad, bad thing. Let's look at how she's coping through the magic of costume.

   

     Bran is lying in a coma after witnessing Cersei and Jaime make incest-y love. Things aren't looking good for him, but there's still a chance he could wake up, and maybe start telling people the story of how the Best Climber Ever managed to fall off that tower. Though the embroidery of Cersei's wrap and gown is sumptuous and speaks to her wealth (she is a Lannister queen after all), Cersei's laying low after the incident in an attempt to prevent suspicion from coming her way. Her dress is blue, but it is overshadowed by her wrap, which is the deep forest green associated with the Baratheons. She melds into the decor of the hall and forest-like color scheme of winter browns, dark stones and massive amounts of animal skins. This is the only time she dresses anything like a Northerner, and is a shrewd attempt at camouflage on Cersei's part. Her Crazy Braids are also in hiding, disguising themselves as a normal hairstyle.

Hey look, it's one of Cersei's non-terrible children! Hi Myrcella!

Sweet, unknowing Myrcella is dressed warmly for the climate, but still in a southern red. She has no idea she's wearing a color and hairstyle that calls back to the ultra-literal scarlet woman looks Cersei favors for scenes with or involving Jaime.  Myrcella's clothes reinforce this scene's undertone of scheming about the twins ongoing affair. They also highlight the fact that Myrcella is not a Baratheon, but really, completely a Lannister. Nice girl though. Too bad a lot of her family is terrible.

And now it's time for another edition of...

The Many Faces of Cersei Lannister

Clockwise from top left: Active Listening; Concern; Deep Thought; RESOLVE.

Hey Cat, how you been? Oh, right. Sorry. Please don't take us to see your sister.

Cat's holding vigil over Bran, weaving a talisman to help keep him safe. She's exactly where she's supposed to be, and she looks it. No hint of southern anything in this garb - she's 100% Stark, melding into the shadows of the tower room.

     Cersei tells the story of losing her first child, a boy with black hair, the only child she ever bore Robert Baratheon. It's fitting that she's dressed in forest colors here, referring to her husband as well as drawing a connection between herself and Cat. 

 

Do you think lying on all those wolf pelts makes Summer a tad uncomfortable?

     In this scene, Cersei's vulnerability is on full display. It seems odd, given that she's standing in front of a comatose child who she and her brother chucked out the window, but nonetheless, Cersei has a moment of genuine emotional honesty with Cat in this scene. And when she says she's sorry for Cat's pain, as a mother, we genuinely believe her. (Cersei is very good at compartmentalizing.) The forest green Cersei wears in this scene is a Baratheon color. We don't see her in this color often, so it is usually significant when she does wear it. In this scene, it is about her vulnerablity, and the hopes she once had for her relationship with Robert (children, a happy marriage, etc.). This is one of the few scenes in which we see Cersei speak tenderly and emotionally and honestly about her relationship with Robert. In fact, in this scene we see glimpses of the person Cersei might have been if she and Robert had a more functional marriage, and perhaps a family of their own.

     But when it's time to head back to the capital, Cersei goes right back to her red and gold Lannister Lion power dress. Gone is the Cersei we saw at Winterfell, here is our regular Cersei, proud, cruel, and unwilling to hear a word against her son.

"A dog must die."  

Annnnnd we're back to hating her.

Cersei Lannister: Episode 1

     Cersei Lannister is the epitome of southern style, which makes sense, considering she sets the style. Notable aspects of her personal attire include rich jewel tones (especially the color red), sumptuous fabrics and intricate embroidery, all ostentatious displays of wealth and power. Even her crazy, crazy braids form a crown upon a her head, a crown which gets larger and higher throughout season one.

     The first time we ever see her she is in red tones with her hair down; she often wears this style when interacting with her family, and especially with Jaime, for whom she nearly always wears her hair loose.

 

The royal procession comes in a burst of color (still muted because of travel and Winterfell’s grey filter). It is immediately clear how much Cersei’s style influences the fashions of the court. As in Ancient Rome, when everyone tried to emulate the styles of the empress, here the women are all fully on board with Cersei's Valkyrie braid helmets.

Seeing this fur as a lion’s mane is a pretty literal interpretation, but then Cersei is a pretty literal person, particularly about the whole Lannisters = lions thing.

The warm colors of Cersei's outfit makes her stand out from the cool blues and grays of the Starks and their home. The red and gold denotes power; again with the lion thing.

 

This hairdo is pretty subtle for Cersei, but make no mistake: IT’S ALL ABOARD THE CERSEI BRAID TRAIN TONIGHT.

 

"Toot tooooooot." 

This is Cersei in full royal regalia. Previously we've only seen her in more informal settings; she is attending this feast as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Her crown is of Baratheon antlers - the jewel in the setting matches the red in her dress (later we will see differently colored jems to match her other outfits). However her braids overshadow her actual crown, a powerful statement of her own devising, separate from her husband (who is currently making out with a tavern wench in front of her and everyone else in the feast hall).

Cersei's okay though, because she's got...

 

FULL ON PRINCESS LEIA BRAIDS

And now for a small detour into...

The Many Expressions of Cersei Lannister

Clockwise from top left: Amused, Annoyed, Hiding her feelings, failing to do so.

In the final scene of the episode, Bran Stark and the audience witness Cersei having sex with her brother Jaime.

This is one of Cersei’s “scarlet woman” dresses. (Notable that the dress is actually scarlet. Like we said, Cersei tends to be pretty literal.) Red is commonly used to symbolize sex, power, and sexual power, and with Cersei it symbolizes all three. For Cersei, sex is almost always about consolidating her power. This scene demonstrates that power when she convinces her brother/lover to defenestrate ten-year-old Bran Stark in the scene that infamously closes out the first episode.