Clothes tell stories. In Game of Thrones, they basically shouted them. Michele Clapton, the costume designer who somehow managed to win four Emmys for the show, didn't just put Emilia Clarke in a Daenerys Targaryen dress to make her look like a queen. She used silk, boiled leather, and literal dragon scales to map out a girl’s descent into obsession. If you look closely at the evolution of her wardrobe, you aren't just seeing fashion; you're seeing a psychological profile of power.
She started in rags. Well, not rags, but close—that sheer, silvery-lilac wedding gown in Pentos. It was flimsy. It was meant to show she was vulnerable, a piece of meat being sold to Khal Drogo. Honestly, it’s one of the few times we see her in something she didn't choose for herself. Everything after that? That was all her.
The blue period and the Qarth transformation
By the time she hits Qarth, the Daenerys Targaryen dress vibe shifts toward "influencer in a gilded cage." The Qartheen gown with the gold filigree armor—it’s iconic. But it’s also a lie. The people of Qarth wanted her to be a decoration, so they dressed her like one. This dress is fascinating because it features a metal corset. It’s the first time we see Dany "armoring" herself, a theme that follows her until the very last frame of the series.
She was trying to fit in. She failed.
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The blue dresses of Astapor and Meereen are where things get spicy. Why blue? Because it was the color of the Dothraki. It was a tribute to Drogo. It’s a deep, rich teal that stands out against the dusty, yellow bricks of the Slaver's Bay cities. You’ll notice these dresses often have trousers underneath. Why? Because she’s a conqueror. She needs to be ready to jump on a horse (or a dragon) at a moment's notice. You can't lead an army of Unsullied in a ballgown.
Clapton intentionally included "dragon scale" embroidery in these mid-season pieces. It’s subtle. You have to squint. But it’s there, creeping up her neck and shoulders like a physical manifestation of her mounting ego. She’s becoming the dragon. Literally.
The white dress that changed everything
If you ask any fan about the most famous Daenerys Targaryen dress, they’re going to talk about the white pleated gown from Season 5, Episode 9. The one in Daznak’s Pit.
It’s stunning. It’s also a massive red flag.
White is the color of purity, sure, but in Meereen, it was the color of the elite. By wearing that blindingly white, caped dress, she was distancing herself from the people she claimed to liberate. She looked like a god. And that’s the problem. The dress features a massive, silver dragon neckpiece. This isn't just jewelry. It’s a statement of ownership. She isn't just a ruler; she’s a force of nature. When she flies away on Drogon for the first time, that white silk trailing behind her like a cloud, the transition from "Breaker of Chains" to "Destructive Goddess" is basically complete.
Winter is here and the red starts to bleed in
When she finally hits Dragonstone, the palette dies. The blues and whites are gone, replaced by charcoal grays and blacks. This is Targaryen house colors. It’s also military. The Daenerys Targaryen dress becomes a uniform. The shoulders get sharper. The fabrics get heavier—wools and leathers that look like they could stop a dagger.
The "Winter Coat" from Season 7 is a masterpiece of technical costume design. It’s made of strips of faux fur and leather, dyed to look like dragon skin. But look at the back. It has these long, vertical stripes that mimic a dragon’s tail. When she’s walking away from the camera, she looks like a predator.
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Then came the red.
Fans waited seasons for her to wear the Targaryen red. When it finally appeared in Season 8, it wasn't a celebration. It was a warning. The red lining of her coats and the red embroidery started to look like blood. By the time she’s standing in front of her charred army in King's Landing, her silhouette is harsh, geometric, and terrifying. The dress is no longer a garment; it’s a weapon.
What most people get wrong about the costumes
People think the clothes are just there to look "fantasy." They aren't. Every single piece of jewelry meant something. That three-headed dragon brooch? It changed sizes based on her level of confidence. When she was feeling weak, it was small. When she was burning cities, it was massive.
- The silver ring she drops in the Dothraki Sea? A link to her past life.
- The boots? Always sturdy, never heels. She’s a soldier.
- The braids? Dothraki tradition. Every victory earned her a new twist. By the end, her hair is a complex labyrinth of wins.
How to use this for your own projects
If you're looking to recreate a Daenerys Targaryen dress or just want to understand the aesthetic, you have to focus on the textures. It's never just "flat" fabric. Clapton’s team used a technique called "smocking" to create those dragon-scale effects. They used organic materials—sea shells, rough linens, and raw silks.
To get that authentic Dany look, you should look for:
- Structure over flow: Even her softest dresses had a structured bodice or a heavy accessory to ground them.
- Asymmetry: She rarely wore anything perfectly symmetrical. It gave her an edgy, "outsider" feel.
- The Cape: Almost every major look from Season 4 onwards includes a cape or a "hanging" sleeve. It adds volume and makes her look larger than life.
Honestly, the tragedy of her character is sewn into the seams of her clothes. She spent her whole life trying to dress for a throne she ended up destroying. If you’re analyzing the show for a rewatch, stop looking at the dragons for a second and look at her collarbones. The jewelry there tells you exactly how much of her soul she has left.
To truly appreciate the craftsmanship, you need to look into the work of Jan Knibbs and Michele Clapton. They didn't just sew; they told a story of a woman who slowly turned into the very thing she was running away from.
The next step for any fan is to look at the high-resolution gallery of the "Game of Thrones: The Costume Exhibition." Seeing the hand-stitched details on the Dragonstone coats reveals just how much work went into the "scaly" textures that the camera often missed. You can also research "smocking techniques in costume design" to see how they achieved that literal dragon-skin look without using actual leather every time. It’s a masterclass in visual storytelling that most modern shows still can't touch.