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

Daenerys’ battle attire

The outfit Daenerys wears to take King’s Landing continues to tell her story, and it’s about more than just her hair being a bit uneven. This is probably the closest Daenerys gets to wearing armor the entire season, which is already telling. Just like Sansa’s armor is most prominent when she’s around Daenerys, who she believes is the true enemy, Daenerys only dons armor-like attire when she’s facing her real enemy. And that enemy isn’t merely confined to Cersei or the Lannisters; in “The Bells,” it becomes clear that Daenerys views the ordinary people of Westeros as the enemy, even though she wanted them to become her subjects.

Daenerys is also wearing her Targaryen house colors as she conquers King’s Landing. Representing your house is a theme of the season, so it makes sense that the characters would want to show which side they’re on, particularly given how close we are to deciding who will sit the Iron Throne at the end of the series. Daenerys wants people to bow to House Targaryen, and she also wants them to appreciate that a Targaryen “saved” them. Of course, that’s unlikely to happen now.

The dragon scaling on her clothing, as well as the chain that’s slung across her chest, also emphasize her house—and potentially foreshadows what she’s about to do. She’s essentially become a dragon by wearing this dragon-scaled attire. She’s doing what Olenna Tyrell told her to do back in season 7, as well as giving life to Viserys’ warnings about “waking the dragon” from back in season 1.