Fashion is Coming: Examining the costumes of “The Bells”

Daenerys’ disheveled hairstyles

“The Bells” showcases a Daenerys on an emotional rollercoaster, getting lost in her grief before succumbing to the madness it brings on. Honing in on her appearance during this episode tells her story. In particular, her hairstyles reveal a lot about what she’s going through.

At the very beginning of the episode, Tyrion goes to visit the queen after we’re told that she hasn’t left her chambers or eaten since Missandei’s death. During their conversation, Daenerys looks as disheveled we’ve ever seen her—it’s almost as bad as when she’s kidnapped by the Dothraki, only she still had some spirit in her back then. During this scene, her expression is empty.

As Culturess points out, her hairstyle here is a far cry from what’s typical for Daenerys. Her go-to look usually includes neat braids wrapped tightly around her head, with some of her hair flowing down. “Neat” is the key word here. Her hair here is anything but. Her hairstyle at the start of “The Bells” looks as though she was sporting her usual look and then just let it fall without restyling it—which, if Varys is to be believed, is probably a fair assumption.

Later, when she executes the Spider and speaks with Jon, we get a different style. Daenerys styles her hair in a single braid down her back, making herself more presentable. But the accusation that this is the look of “someone barely holding herself together” is on the mark. This braid looks as though it was quickly done, just a little something to hold her hair while she takes care of last-minute business.