Game of Thrones fashion designer explains the details we missed

Every tiny detail on Game of Thrones is important. Fans know it, and that's why they pay attention to everything, from Sansa's hairstyles to characters' split-second facial expressions. But one of the most reliably theory-generating (and just pure fun) parts of the show—is the costume design. From the unexpectedly fashun looks of uber-villain Euron Greyjoy to what Ed Sheeran was wearing in his controversial cameo, every bit of GoT clothing that appears on screen can be significant.


Those of us who spend every second of the week dissecting Sunday's episode have Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton to thank for her easter-egg-filled, minutely detailed work. Clapton creates hundreds of costumes every season, but during her time off from the HBO drama, she's not exactly resting. She brought that same level of attention to the first season of Netflix's royal drama The Crown. Her equally detailed, rich work on that series has landed her an Emmy nod, and while Clapton has previously scored three Emmys for GoT, she's excited to be recognized for more realistic pieces.

Michele Clapton

"It's nice to nominated for something else," the costume designer tells ELLE.com. "Initially it was quite strange to work on The Crown. We decided we had to be very correct about key pieces—we couldn't afford to get something that everyone knew about wrong. It was quite intense. With a fictional book, no one really knows, but obviously with The Crown everyone knew what it should look like."

Despite the differences between the two shows, Clapton found common ground in creating costumes for powerful women who needed to be able to showcase both their strength and their vulnerability onscreen. Clapton is always interested in inserting "codes" into her work: small details that reveal something about the character or the story but that might not be immediately noticeable. The costume maven shared some of these particulars with us; here are the delightfully subtle easter eggs that come into play in both hit shows. While she couldn't dish on future episodes, she confirmed a few things for us about the "warehouses full" of GoT costumes—and yes, Sansa is definitely feeling Littlefinger's influence.

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