Sansa Stark’s coronation dress as a symbol of her story: a thread

#GameofThrones

The crown

The back of Sansa’s crown immediately reminded me of Cersei’s crown.
I think this similarity symbolizes the underlying admiration Sansa had for Cersei and how much she learned from her during the time she spent in King’s Landing

Sansa even says she learned a lot from Cersei while talking to Jon in 7x01

For the entirety of season 7, Sansa also has the same hairstyle Cersei had in season three (more on Sansa’s hairstyles later)

The front of the crown is a clear homage to Sansa’s house, whose symbol is a direwolf.

The two direwolves on the crown may be an homage to Ned Stark’s words “the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives”

The two direwolves on the crown also reminded me of the cloak clasps on Robb’s cloak, which he wore the day he died (at the Red Wedding).

Robb was also the last Stark to be named the King in the North by his people (Jon was technically not a Stark so in this case he doesn’t count)

The hair

During Sansa’s coronation her hair is left down.
Many have said this might be a hidden homage to Queen Elizabeth I, who also wore her hair down for her coronation in 1559

@meakoopa https://twitter.com/meakoopa/status/1130318538990870529

Sansa hairstyle changed a lot throughout the seasons, based on which woman was having the most influence on her from time to time (Catelyn, Cersei, Margaery, Daenerys, some people even say Lyanna)

“There is always a pattern. Sansa's hair is constantly reflecting the people she's learning from, or mimicking, or inspired by at the time.

-Sophie Turner

Sansa’s choice to leave her hair down and not copying anyone else is a statement. It’s like she is implying she is not taking other women as inspiration anymore, she wants to be her own self

The material of the dress

The material of the dress was used to make two other iconic dresses: dark Sansa’s dress, which Sansa wore in 4x08, and the wedding gown Margaery wore in 4x02, when she married Joffrey

“The dress was made in the same fabric as the dark Sansa dress, which was the same fabric dyed that was used in the dress that Margaery Tyrell wore to marry King Joffrey. Sansa had a bond with her."

-Michele Clapton, Game of Thrones’ costume designer

The dress Sansa wears when leaving the Eyrie after Lysa Tully’s death symbolizes her transition from a girl to a woman.

When Sansa lies about the causes of her aunt’s death she officially becomes a player of the game

Margaery is another character Sansa learned much from.
Although she initially mistakes Margaery’s behavior for disinterested kindness, I suppose she later realizes that Margaery was just manipulating her into revealing information on Joffrey and that she and Olenna were-

-using her as a weapon against the Lannisters (like when they suggested a marriage between Sansa and Loras to have access to the North since Sansa was believed to be the last Stark alive). Sansa uses the same kind of fake kindness with Daenerys to obtain what she wants.

The cloak

Sansa’s fur cloak is a homage to both Jon and Arya.
It is black as the cloak Jon wore in the Nightswatch and its cut is also similar to the one-sided cloak Arya wore in seasons 7 and 8

The cloack also has a direwolf embroidered at the top. This is, again, a reminder of the Stark’s sigil but also be an homage to Lady, Sansa’s direwolf

The corset

The corset details resemble the branches of a weirwood, which symbolizes the weirwood in Winterfell’s godswood.
Similarly to other corsets Sansa wore, it is similar to an armor.

“We heated the metal to take the shine away and make it look like iron. There's something almost Elizabethan about it — it also represents protection, as even now Sansa continues to armor herself."

-Michele Clapton

The sleeve

The left sleeve of Sansa’s dress symbolizes her parents’ houses: Stark and Tully.

The scales on Sansa sleeves symbolize her mother’s house, House Tully, whose sigil is a fish, and also House Stark, whose sigil has a “scale pattern” where the fur of the direwolf is

The leaves on Sansa’s sleeve are red weirwood tree leaves. This might be an homage to both House Stark and Sansa’s brother, Bran, whose story is deeply connected to the weirwood tree and is often seen near the weirwood tree in Winterfell

The Winterfell tree is the setting of many important scenes such as Arya reuniting with Bran and Jon, Bran and Jaime talking, Bran telling Sansa he saw her past, Jon telling the Starks about his real identity, Ned talking to Catelyn, Sansa’s wedding to Ramsey, etc.

The collar

Although this is not super accurate, Sansa’s collar reminded me of the high collars Littlefinger used to wear. Littlefinger was one of Sansa’s many mentors so it makes sense something in the dress is connected to him

The chain

Attached to the bodice there is a chain with a needle at the end of it. Sansa had been wearing that style of jewelry since season 4

“The chain represents her sense of imprisonment and the needle is the link to the strength of her sister that she previously didn't understand.” (Needle is Arya’s sword)

-Michele Clapton

Regarding Sansa chain and needle, Michele has also said that Sansa wears it attached to the metal corset “the same way that Littlefinger would hook his dagger onto the fine chain belt he wore.”

A detail I’ve noticed is that the chain doesn’t wrap around Sansa the way it used to, it is just a small detail attached to the bodice. This might symbolize the liberation of both Sansa and the North from their enemies

The throne

Sansa’s throne is a wooden chair with two direwolves on the backrest. This chair differs from the one the last two kings of the North (Robb and Jon) used to sit on. It symbolizes the North finally gaining its independence and House Stark ruling it

Sketches of other possible designs for the coronation dress by Michele Clapton

End of the thread. Remember to stan the Queen in the North for clear skin