The costumes on Game of Thrones always have a tale to tell – perhaps none more so than Sansa's. Since the beginning, Sansa has made her own clothes...
...and used her needle as a weapon of her own. It may not be as deadly as Arya's Needle, but in the political game that Sansa has been learning to play, it's important.
Sansa has used her hair and clothing to send very deliberate messages to her allies and her enemies on multiple occasions. The "dark Sansa" outfit she wore in Season 5, for instance, was an indication that she was well and truly a player in the game, with costume designer Michele Clapton explaining that her necklace specifically was symbolic of her own Needle. In Season 6, when Sansa reunited with Jon and the two of them were seeking allies in the North, she dressed not only herself, but also Jon, in the most Stark-ish clothes possible, reminiscent of Ned and Catelyn.
There's been a lot of speculation over Sansa's costuming in Season 7, as everyone tries to figure out exactly where her allegiances lie. But this week Clapton shared some details that confirm Sansa still seriously distrusts Littlefinger.
If Sansa's 1,000% done with his bullshit attitude didn't already tip you off.
On HBO's behind-the-scenes website, Clapton said Sansa's belt represents her bodily autonomy, and her costume is a message to Littlefinger to back the fuck off.
“This is her taking back control of her body. I designed [the belt] to wrap around over her side-laced dress to represent the absolute removal of any possible physical touch. Her dresses are also tightly-laced on, incredibly difficult to remove; it’s a message to Littlefinger.”
Sansa's cape, meanwhile, is intended to connect her to Ned, and her desire "to take on more of a leadership role at Winterfell".
And, as we wrote last week, her hair is looking a hell of a lot like Catelyn's.
So while Sansa might want power, it's almost certainly not at the expense of her family. More than anything, her desire to lead seems to be so that she and her family can finally be safe after everything they've been through.
We even heard her say in the trailer, "When the snows fall, and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives." Presumably she'll say that onscreen this season. Because her PACK is BACK.
