Hello, Tailor

Blurring the line between Game of Thrones costumes and runway fashion.

Game of Thrones may take place in a pseudo-medieval setting, but its costumes are surprisingly timeless. Curated by Game of Thrones fan Zana Bayne, Tumblr account GoT Runway matches real-world fashion photos with costumes from the show, giving us a handy guide to the possible couture inspirations behind the styles of Westeros. 

While GoT Runway would be an excellent resource for cosplayers with a budget north of $10,000 per outfit, it mostly offers insight into the similarities between present-day fashion and the supposedly medieval styles we see on the show. For example, Joffrey Baratheon and his mother Cersei might look like the height of historical glamour, but they could very easily be dressed in 21st century Alexander McQueen… [READ MORE]

Catching Fire introduces a whole new cast of Tribute characters, and their District-themed costumes should, in theory, give each one an opportunity to stand out. The most interesting outfits probably won’t be revealed until the movie is released, but these pictures don’t exactly fill me with confidence. Johanna Mason, who is portrayed in the books as looking spiky-haired, shameless, and implicitly butch, is wearing what looks like a bridesmaid’s dress for Katniss’ wedding. This outfit doesn’t convey one iota of Johanna’s personality or role in the movie, either within the context of the story (where she has her own stylist) or as a marketing image for the movie itself. — Capitol Couture: Catching Fire, at Hello, Tailor.

In the Hunger Games books, a great deal of emphasis is put upon the lavish eccentricities of the people who live in the Capitol. On top of that, all the Tributes have stylists whose job it is to make them look as unique and eyecatching as possible. Why, then, did all the costumes in the first movie look like they’d been bought at the same store? And why are the promo pictures for Catching Fire so damn similar? Katniss, Effie and Johanna are all wearing some variety of frilly Alexander McQueen gown, while almost all of the men are wearing some type of suit. — Capitol Couture: Catching Fire, at Hello, Tailor.

The main on-trend detail was the lack of tie, which in this instance actually worked quite well. First of all, a full suit, buttoned to the neck but without a necktie, is traditionally the outfit of nebbish weirdos — which fits in perfectly with the unsettling, serial-killerish vibe of this collection. Secondly,  these suits are far more mature than the typical buttoned-to-the-collar shirt outfits we’ve been seeing on the catwalks (and on hipster guys. And Jonny Lee Miller’s Sherlock Holmes.) for the past year or so.

There’s a trick to wearing a collared shirt with no tie, and it’s mostly to do with the shape and spread of the collar. As a rule, the distance between the points of the collar should correspond with the width of the tie, meaning that wider ties go with collars that spread out at a wider angle, and so on. If you think about it, this makes sense because the closer together the points of the collar, the less room there is for a tie. If you look at the shirts in this McQueen show, the collars are all long and thin, and point almost directly downwards. If you were to wear a tie with these shirts, there would barely be enough room for the knot. — Fall 2013 Menswear: Alexander McQueen.

The backdrop for this show was more like a movie set than a traditional catwalk, with models traveling between wood-panelled rooms that had the look and feel of vintage train compartments. But while the decor was old-fashioned, the clothes were all about extreme, disturbing smoothness. Every outfit focused in on classic tailoring (a nod to McQueen’s recently-opened Savile Row menswear store), with an overtly creepy tinge thanks to the smooth, almost android-like appearance of the models. Some even wore transparent masks, giving their faces a glassily inhuman appearance to match the sculpted Brylcreem hair. — Fall 2013 Menswear: Alexander McQueen.

There were, as always, several ensembles in this season’s McQueen collection that seemed to have been taken directly from the wardrobe of an evil witch-queen. I can only hope that one day the McQueen brand and/or Sarah Burton herself will be hired to provide costumes for a fantasy movie, as with Jean-Paul Gaultier’s work on The Fifth Element. — Alexander McQueen, Pre-Fall 2013: Puritans, Popes, and Vampire Queens.

I often see the word “costumey” used in fashion editorials, usually preceded by the phrase, “to avoid looking…”. Well, it will probably come as no surprise whatsoever that I have no qualms about looking costumey. What’s the point of high fashion if not to look interesting? And with with Alexander McQueen, “interesting” is a guarantee. The nipped-in waists and simple, tailored silhouettes could have come from any McQueen collection of the past ten years, but the severely colour palette and religious overtones are a definite step away from the more organic, animalistic inspirations of the pre-Sarah Burton era.— Alexander McQueen, Pre-Fall 2013: Puritans, Popes, and Vampire Queens.

This was a show so beautiful that the background for the lookbook photoshoot had to be blank, because anything else might have run the risk of overpowering the beauty of the clothes. Plus, the austerity of a whitewashed backdrop fit in with the puritanical theme.

This season, Sarah Burton took her inspiration directly from priestly vestments, nuns’ habits, and the severe black outfits of the Puritans. Featuring everything from medieval robes to 17th-century style buckled shoes, this collection was dramatic while still remaining entirely serious throughout. — Alexander McQueen, Pre-Fall 2013: Puritans, Popes, and Vampire Queens.