Clothing and hair design: Why is everything so...plain?

[Wsaharan]

This has annoyed me since Season One. Sure, they can come up with some stunning dresses and interior design, but they never really go for extravagance.

Where are the bright banners and the colorful heraldry of the knights? The tourney of Kings Landing was the only time when I could feel the connection with the knights of GRRMs books.

It's just boiled leather and dirt everywhere.

And Slaver's Bay? Where are the oiled beards and weird haircuts and the incredibly cumbersome tokars? The yunkish envoy in S03E07 looked like some dude picked up from the street with some added eye-liner.

Which brings me to my last point/rant: haircuts.

Yunkish Whasshisname, Gendry, Joffrey, Petyr, they all have "modern" haircuts cut in a modern way. Makes me think of Spartacus the TV-series.

This is a trend we see everywhere now in movies and TV shows, everything is so stylish, dimmed, plain...and boring!

I love the HBO version of the books, I really do, but this bugs me a lot.

That is all.

[BlackTalon]

That sort of stuff sounds great and exotic in the books, but if people actually saw it on the screen they would be rolling on the floor with laughter.

[The hairy bear]

I thinks it's mainly a budgetary matter. Painting distinctive heraldry in shields, embrodied surcoats, extravagant haircuts, mismatched pieces of armor and so one costs a lot of money. And the look of the show was defined in the first season, when the the budget was very limited and every penny counted.

But I agree. I also miss the grandiosity of the show.

[Newstar]

That sort of stuff sounds great and exotic in the books, but if people actually saw it on the screen they would be rolling on the floor with laughter.

Basically. The show edges far too close to camp as it is; if they went overboard with flamboyant, book-correct costumes or hair (like Daario), no one would take it seriously. Think a book-correct Rainbow Guard--I can only imagine what non-book readers would make of that--and multiply it by a thousand, and there's your audience reaction.

This has annoyed me since Season One. Sure, they can come up with some stunning dresses and interior design, but they never really go for extravagance.

There is extravagance in the costuming, but it's measured out, so that it has more of an impact. The costume people are capable of going to the wall with eye-grabbing costumes when needed--Joffrey's luxurious outfits, Dany's white silk dress from 3x07, etc.--but too much of that would create too much visual clutter. Given how many characters and plotlines there are, I think promoting simplicity and subtlety in the costuming, even at the expense of book-correct fashion, is a good idea.

[eetrebor]

Where are the bright banners and the colorful heraldry of the knights? The tourney of Kings Landing was the only time when I could feel the connection with the knights of GRRMs books.

It's just boiled leather and dirt everywhere.

How many prominent knights are featured in the show? There lies your answer. Outside of Loras, The Mountain, etc. there hasn't really been a need to go all out.

[Wsaharan]

Basically. The show edges far too close to camp as it is; if they went overboard with flamboyant, book-correct costumes or hair (like Daario), no one would take it seriously. Think a book-correct Rainbow Guard--I can only imagine what non-book readers would make of that--and multiply it by a thousand, and there's your audience reaction.

A Rainbow Guard would have been quite silly :) Also a blue-fork bearded Daario. But I still think they went to far in the other direction, now his only feature is a braid. Un-dyed off course.

[Wsaharan]

How many prominent knights are featured in the show? There lies your answer. Outside of Loras, The Mountain, etc. there hasn't really been a need to go all out.

Yeah you have a point there, they have really downplayed the role of the knights in the series. Given a tight budget that's understandable.

[protar]

While obviously they couldn't have gone full out, I think they certainly could've made things a bit more extravagant than they are. They could have given Daario some subtle highlights as they did with Jaqen, styled the Ghiscari hair a bit more etc. etc.

[digiFemme]

I'm not fond of the Southern hairstyle at all and was disappointed to see it used again on both Sansa and Cersei during Tyrion and Sansa's wedding. In Sansa's case, it's not that she had her hair in an updo but that it was way too pulled back from the forehead and somewhat severe looking; can't imagine the person wearing it not to have a headache! There are ways to have it in an updo that look stylish yet classic- Margaery's hair always looks good I kind of wish they'd have that (or at least a similar looking variation) for Cersei and Sansa. Just maybe not too curly/wavy so as to be different.

Cersei and Sansa both had beautiful gowns on during the wedding but the lighting made them look washed out and dull. Cersei was supposed to be wearing a dark red gown but it looked black. Sansa's grey and gold gown actually was said to have a nice design with a little lion sewn in the collar but you can't really appreciate it because you're looking at it from afar. I think they ought to consider the room lighting when choosing gown colors. Again, the only one who seemed to have a bright colored outfit was Margaery.

[The Red Pope]

I agree, without his cloak Ned Stark looked like a bum even compared to his own guardsmen.

I think they could have made the noble characters stand out a bit more even without coming close to extravagance. It's gotten a bit better though.

[The Knight of Flours]

And the budget is still having an effect on costuming. I mean they can't even afford clothes for many of the actresses in the show! :)

[Archmaester]

Joffery's hair has always bothered me... It's awful! Other than that I can't really pick much fault

[Gartwyn Harthor]

Personally I've always been bothered by Dany's lack of violet eyes. Would contacts or a tiny bit of CGI be that difficult?

[Nazurane]

I thinks it's mainly a budgetary matter. Painting distinctive heraldry in shields, embrodied surcoats, extravagant haircuts, mismatched pieces of armor and so one costs a lot of money. And the look of the show was defined in the first season, when the the budget was very limited and every penny counted.

But I agree. I also miss the grandiosity of the show.

I think they went for the established 'medieval look' that you find in most movies and shows about that period: everything is kind of brown and dirty. I'm not complaining, I think it's kind of realistic. As for heraldry and costumes, I think a lot of thought and work and money went into that. Most of the time it's just almost to subtle to recognize at first. I remember how in an interview Michelle Fairley praised her costume as Catelyn and in a close-up you could see, that it was all over embroidered with Tully trouts.

I think that GRRM did write Westeros as very medieval looking. In Essos he went all exotic and fantasy-colorful. I agree that blue beards and overboard costumes would just be laughable for TV viewers, they would be too much of a contrast to Westerosi fashion and culture. As long as they stay true to the character I don't mind that Daario has 'normal' hair. But that wig is awful :laugh:.

[The Boar of Gore]

I think you guys need to open your eyes, These are some of the best costumes and armour I've ever seen on film.

It's obviously not the same as in the books, but this is an adaptation. And as Nazurane said, too much might have turned out laughable for viewers. They've done an incredible job and Michelle Clapton, Simon Brindle and their teams have already won some well-deserved awards.

[Ponys123]

Lannister helmets are both impractical and ugly, but other than that it's fine.

[Angmar]

I kinda miss the Bolton's pink cloak with red drops embroidered over it. In the books, it was the only characteristic that made us know who was the man that killed Robb. Very symbolic.

I know, I know, it works different in tv because visual medium and blah blah blah, but it's still an impact that Martin only described Roose through Catelyn's eyes in that moment with his cloak. It's a part of his character.

[Loras]

The whole argument against extravagance could be Cersei's hair during 'Baelor' and Melisandre's robe during 'The Climb'.

And the budget is still having an effect on costuming. I mean they can't even afford clothes for many of the actresses in the show! :)

:rofl:

[Longspear Ryk]

Obviously colored cloaks, shields, armors would make it easier to remeber the characters though...

I mean thats how it helped in the books

[The Flaying Man]

The whole argument against extravagance could be Cersei's hair during 'Baelor' and Melisandre's robe during 'The Climb'.

Or just Lena Headey's season 1 wigs in general! Some of them looked ridiculous and quite obviously fake...like strange baskets on her head.