A Song of Dany's Style

I've always been drawn to the power of the characters’ costumes – what they symbolize and often foreshadow in the show – and none is more powerful than Daenerys Targaryen's. 

We’ve seen her wardrobe evolve over the series in a way that uniquely aligns with the development of her character. In the beginning, she doesn’t even have the power to choose a dress: her sinister brother forces the gown on her as he simultaneously sells her into marital slavery for the price of a larger army. The fabric is thin-skinned, see-through in most places, draping so loosely that it could fall off at any moment. Like her, it is merely a fragile ornament. 

As Dany grows accustomed to her Dothraki culture, we see her begin to choose rough, structured fabrics, as she transforms into a leader of the strongest warriors in the Game of Thrones world.

After losing her family and subsequently birthing a new one, her three dragons, she goes back to softer fabrics, but always with a structured waistline, shoulders, and neck, most often framed with metal. This new look underlines that Dany is starting to choose her own identity. Her Targaryen and Dothraki past is mixed into the fabrics and the woman she will become that season: a freer of slaves, breaker of chains.

Fast-forwarding to this season, we only see her in heavy, hard leather costumes, the tops of which resemble armor, which cover her head to toe. These foreshadow the war to come. The pieces are all black with small hints of red – symbolic of her Targaryen namesake – as she finally reaches her birth home of Dragonstone.

In this last episode, we see her change her image completely as she reveals an unusual weakness, the feelings for Jon that motivate her to rush to his aid. Further enhancing this moment – as she ignores Tyrion's pleas and storms towards Drogon – was her white fur dress, as symbolic as it was striking, and something we've never seen from her before. There are obvious parallels, of course, including snow white as a symbol of winter, and her realization that winter is, in fact, real and it is here. But it goes beyond that. I think it’s the first representation of her allegiance to the North through Jon Snow. Did this ensemble remind anyone else of his dire wolf, Ghost? We know there are no coincidences in Game of Thrones. 

This is a pivotal moment in the series – the joining of Jon and Dany – alluding to the book's name: A Song of Ice and Fire. Looking forward to what the finale brings us on Sunday. 

Stripes on Stripes: Shop Like a Parisian This Season

Madewell

J.Crew

Halogen

Thakoon

Band of Outsiders

Topshop

See by Chloé

Eugenia Kim

Christian Louboutin

Tory Burch

Givenchy

Chan Luu

Since the early 20th century, when the French turned a Navy uniform, marinière, into a chic statement piece, stripes have been in style. Coco Chanel, often inspired by comfortable menswear, began donning the piece regularly on seaside holidays. With a little help from Brigitte Bardot and Pablo Picasso, the trend became the quintessential style of the French that we so adore today.

This year stripes were especially prominent on the runways during London Fashion Week. Here's how to incorporate the runway trend into your everyday wardrobe. 

Beyond Blahnik: Lessons I Learned at Vogue

Always have a positive attitude. This is the most important lesson to live by in the fashion industry. There will be days where you don’t have a minute to breathe and you are still expected to go faster, be more efficient, more organized. But if you seem even a little frustrated, it comes off as unappreciative. And that’s not an impression you want to leave with the editors who have been in your shoes and climbed the ranks to get to where they are today.  If you get overwhelmed, you must always check yourself, remember you’re at your dream job, and focus on showing gratitude for the opportunity.

The little things you do make a big difference. You may have thought the halls of Vogue were lined with diamonds and servers delivering free Manolos with your morning coffee – and I do hate to disappoint – but it’s a real, live, corporate office. Your duties will sometimes include ordering supplies from Staples, fixing the printers, making copies, and running to the post office. These little tasks make a big difference in a very fast-paced office. There is no room for error, and you are there to make sure avoidable errors don’t happen!

Don’t take it personally. I’m sorry if someone yelled at you because you brought over the wrong pair of shoes. The designer or style they were thinking of may not have been what they said aloud, but it’s an extremely fast-paced environment and everyone is going to make mistakes. The fact is, it doesn’t really matter whose mistake it was because you are going to have to fix it. So shrug it off and grab the right pair with a smile! 

Find your office buddy. This is crucial. There will be times when giving your best friend at work the look - the one where she knows you’re screaming inside – turns a moment of frustration into a burst of laughter. Basically, you spend so much time together, experiencing all the highs and lows, that you start to read each other’s minds. Kelsey and I found this in each other, and the bond never left us. We will still have moments at a dinner when someone says something obnoxious, and our eyes meet, and we both think “at least we’re in this together.”

Take initiative. Go out of your way to ask for more work. Ask how you can help make your bosses’ life easier. Bring him or her a cup of coffee one day. . . just because. The little things go a long way in your professional life, too! 

Always say thank you. For everything. Even if an editor spends three minutes with you, listen carefully to every word, take notes, and be gracious. In our experience, it’s rare to find a senior level mentor in fashion magazines, even rarer that one might answer your email, so always, always say thank you when they do. The best way to say thank you is always the old fashioned way – handwrite a thank you note! Extra points if you do it in cursive.