The 50 most iconic looks from Game of Thrones

Mourning Mother (season 4)

Although black becomes Cersei’s signature color during the later seasons of Game of Thrones, it’s rare to see her wearing it during the earlier episodes. Following Joffrey’s murder, however, the queen regnant drapes herself in mourning attire, choosing to don a black dress with gold fringes.

The black dress is a stark contrast to how viewers usually see Cersei — at this point in the series, she typically wears red and gold — but apart from its coloring, the dress fits her usual style. And it’s fitting that the dress doesn’t change much because, unfortunately, Cersei doesn’t change much after her son’s death. Instead of stopping to consider why someone would launch such an attack on House Lannister, Cersei doubles down on the sort of brutality that got Joffrey killed.

The gold portions of the dress also highlight that Cersei is still embracing her ties to House Lannister — probably even more so now that she has a debt she’d like to pay. She goes to great lengths to avenge her child; it’s just that she focuses her energy on the wrong person: Tyrion.