Back for one last costume analysis for this season! I've already done a thorough one for Sansa, and one comparing Dany v Cersei v Jon so this time I've focused on Tyrion, Jaime and Arya. There are some critical clues about Tyrion's mindset, what he might have spoken offscreen to Cersei and whether he'll actually betray Dany. Jaime's costume (and the evolution of the Kingsguard armor) was intriguing. And I've analyzed Arya's costume and found some interesting tidbits there too. As a costume history major, here's my take:
Tyrion
Tywin
Tyrion's costume is similar to his father's outfit (and Cersei's dress inspired by him), if you look at from afar. Up close, the difference is Tywin and Cersei's outfit had laser-cut holes and a fabric layered underneath creating a dotted effect. Tyrion's dotted effect is due to embossed dots on his clothing.
There's definite significance to this because of the conversation between Tyrion and Cersei (some of it, which happens offscreen). What on earth would drive Tyrion to wear a Tywin-like outfit? After all, he didn't, prior to his arrival at the Dragonpit.
Tyrion's mind throughout this entire season was on legacies and succession, be it the future of House Tarly or House Targaryen. That was what Tywin drilled into him in season 2, that family (name) is all that matters. (Coincidentally, Tywin is wearing that same outfit in that conversation with Tyrion.) During the loot train sequence, only Tyrion's sleeves are Tywin-inspired, showing that he's just starting to feel conflicted about destroying the Lannisters. Then in the finale, even his doublet becomes Tywin-inspired so we can assume his conflicted feelings have increased.
Cersei goes on to accuse Tyrion of being the sole reason for the destruction of the family, something that's always been a sore point for him, and he denies it, saying he was truly sorry about Myrcella and Tommen's death. The outfit was a hint that there's still a part of him that wants to honor his father's words and ensure the Lannister name lives on.
My theory: I think the deal that Tyrion and Cersei struck was something along the lines of him ensuring the safety of Cersei's unborn child. I don't think it's anything more than that. He's still on Team Dany - hence, the difference in the outfits of Cersei/Tywin and Tyrion. Interestingly, Dany has wondered this season if Tryion doesn't want to hurt his family. But actually it's the family name he's more concerned about.
Dothraki
Just found this interesting: the Dothraki in the finale were wearing more layers than before, namely Lannister clothing that probably was their 'spoils of war' after the loot train sequence. They're wearing loose doublets, the kind often worn by Jaime. The Dothraki pictured here even has the a Lannister gorget (armor to cover the throat) strung around his neck (if you rewatch that scene you'll see the Lannister armor symbols on it)
Kingsguard during Mad King's reign
Kingsguard during Robert's reign
Kingsguard during Joffrey's reign
Kingsguard during Tommen's reign
Queensguard during Cersei's reign
Someone had asked me to analyze Jaime's armor and I think the evolution of Kingsguard armor is important in his costume story.
During the Mad King's rule, the armor is fairly unadorned aside from the Targaryen sigil and incorporates the Targaryen black, and silver colors. During Robert's rule, the sigil is a crown, it's more embellished, and the colors used are white, muted grey and gold. During Joffrey's rule, there's not much change, though in the fourth season Baratheon antlers creep into the design. During the latter half of Tommen's reign, the only change is the sigil becoming a combination of the Crown and the Faith.
But during Cersei's rule, the armor deviates in a major way to make the Queensguard act as an extension of Cersei. The sigil is Cersei's crown, the Lannister gold has been stripped away just as it has in her outfits in favour of black and silver (taking inspiration from the Mad King's reign), and the clothing they wear underneath the armor looks similar to Cersei's Tywin-inspired outfit.
Jaime armor
Jaime last scene
After Jaime was dismissed from the Kingsguard by Tommen, he starts wearing Tywin's armor. Interestingly, that has meant Jamie has worn each Kingsguard armor mentioned above except the one during Cersei's reign. That's important because it shows Jaime is no longer an extension of Cersei, although still fighting for the Lannister name.
When he's not wearing the armor, Jamie wears a black doublet. In his final conversation with Cersei, he's wearing that black doublet underneath. However, when he's riding his horse in the final scene, not only has he lost the armor but he's also changed his doublet to a brown one. This wasn't just him walking away from Cersei but also looking to start afresh (not unlike the Hound discarding his armor for plain clothing and regaining his humanity).
Note: Browns, blues and greys are predominantly Stark colours while blacks, greys and reds are Team Dany colors so that could be a sign Jaime will not join Tyrion on Team Dany and instead serve the Starks (Brienne is there, he owes an apology to Bran, and he's not been released from his vow to Catelyn to protect Sansa and Arya). Just my two cents.
Cersei
Cersei is wearing a dress resembling chainmail. Another callback to her conversation with Robert in season 1 - "I should wear the armor, you the gown."
When she's walking away, you can what appears to be origami pleats at her back, at first glance a lot like Dany's in her winter coat. The back panel on Dany's represents the back of a dragon, but why then does Cersei have one? Well, the main difference is Dany's back panel extends all the way to the bottom like a dragon's spikes, whereas Cersei's goes only slightly past the waist, similar in shape to a human backbone (and the backbone's connected to the neckbone...). I get Alien Queen vibes from it and though that's probably not what we're supposed to conclude, it seems to signify something sinister, which is Cersei's persona.
Arya before reaching Winterfell
Arya in Winterfell
Arya's cloak in comparison with other Stark cloaks
Till now, we've seen Arya stick to several nondescript outfits, playing the part of a boy, a cupbearer, a shellfish merchant, a serving girl for the Freys, etc and eventually Walder Frey himself. In the beginning of the season, she wears a makeshift cloak made of distressed cloth, suede instead of fur and chainmail, indicating that she's not Arya Stark yet.
When she finally reaches Winterfell, she reclaims her Stark identity, opting for a new asymmetrical cloak lined with fur. The fabrics get an immediate upgrade. It's lighter than the cloak her sister wears, and leaves her left hand (her dominant hand) unrestricted, and thus suitable for fighting and drawing out her weapons. There are elements of Ned (most notably her hair), but she's also not a carbon copy of him. The cloak, in particular, shows she's always ready for a fight. Sansa and Jon, in that respect, wear their (heavier) cloak more like Ned, and therefore aren't as keen to fight.
Arya becomes Sansa's weapon
The exception, though, is Sansa's outfit when she exposes Littlefinger. She wears a light cloak, draped in a way that exposes her right hand (her dominant hand). She doesn't have any literal weapon to draw out, but as mentioned in the Sansa costume analysis, her necklace is looped around her belt to the right side like a sword and it is supposed to be a symbol of her weapon (the costume designer confirmed the necklace's pointy end represents Arya's Needle so in the bigger picture it also represents Arya). Going by that, Sansa's weapon is Arya and she draws her out costume-wise and literally (calling her to the room). Thus, Ned's belief that 'the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword' was honored in the end.
