Sansa Stark's hairstyle had a hidden meaning in GoT's finale, so did you spot it?
The final season of Game of Thrones came to a close on Sunday night, and while we're still reeling over Bran Stark ruling the six kingdoms of Westeros in the finale, we're also taking a moment to analyse every single beauty look in detail.
If you've been watching closely, you might have noticed that during her coronation as Queen of the North in the finale episode, Sansa Stark swapped her signature braids and simply wore her red hair completely loose, with no decoration apart from her silver crown in the shape of the Stark house direwolf sigil.
Well, it turns out that the debut of a sophisticated new 'do was a very deliberate move by the series producers to mirror Sansa's character development.
In an interview with Refinery29 in 2017, Sophie Turner explained that all of her hairstyles on the show have a specific storyline, according to the people she's tried to emulate in the past.
"There’s always a pattern," she revealed. "Sansa’s hair is constantly reflecting the people she’s learning from, or mimicking, or inspired by at the time."
"When she’s Cersei’s prisoner, and she’s kind of absorbing all her manipulative techniques, it’s reflected in her hairstyle, and when she’s finding the spirit of Margaery in herself, she wears her hair like Margaery," she added.
Ahead of the much-anticipated final season, Turner also revealed that her character's ever-changing hair reflected her evolution throughout the series.
"For so long, Sansa’s hair changed season by season depending on who was influencing her," she told InStyle earlier in January. "The first few episodes she was a Northerner in Winterfell and took after her mother with a simple braid down the back. Then when she went to King’s Landing it was a big, decadent halo that was very much like what [Cersei Lannister] wore. With Littlefinger, she dyes her hair black and wears all black. Then she goes back to Winterfell and returns to her mother’s hair."
"She created her own identity in season 7 and that kind of runs through to season 8," she added. "She’s chosen how she wants her hair to be, and she’s finally the leader and influencer instead of being influenced by everyone else."
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When Sansa is finally crowned Queen of the North, her hairstyle is a symbol of power. No longer is she obliged to imitate other people's aesthetics, but she can now showcase her independence as a leader, and her own individual style.
"She created her own identity in season seven and that kind of runs through to season eight," she added. "She’s chosen how she wants her hair to be, and she’s finally the leader and influencer instead of being influenced by everyone else."
Twitter fans also speculated that Sansa's hairstyle was actually inspired by another red-headed monarch, Elizabeth I, who defiantly wore her hair loose for her coronation to signal virginal purity, despite enduring sexual abuse and scandal at the hands of her adopted uncle.
Which means that Sansa's beautiful loose waves at the end of the show confirms her status as a leader completely in control of her own fate.
Scroll down to see the 5 beauty trends that GoT gave us...
SKYPlatinum hair
Even people who don't watch the show know who Daenerys is, thanks to her signature platinum blonde hair. Ever since her on-screen debut as the Mother of Dragons, bleach sales in salons have (probably) spiked. If you're going to attempt this level of blonde, make sure you read our guide to white blonde hair first.
SKYBraids & plaits
Almost every female character in GOT has worn a plait or braid of some sort at some time - but did you know about the hidden meaning? An eagle-eyed fan spotted Daenerys explaining a Dothraki custom all the way back in Season 1, claiming that a braid symbolises victory. So therefore the more braids you have, the more battles you've won. Not to mention they're great for festivals when you're dancing around in the moshpit.
SKYLong, LONG hair
Regular trims aren't a thing in the Seven Kingdoms, with haircuts usually reserved as a sign of 'shame'. This might explain our sudden swap of bobs for hair extensions.
SKYHead pieces
Love her or hate her, you have to admit Cersei has rocked some pretty impressive hair accessories and headpieces over the seasons. This particular crown is the ideal accessory for your Game Of Thrones-inspired wedding.
SKYGuyliner
Oh Drogo, too young to die, too smokin' hot to ever be erased from our memories. Move over Jack Sparrow, there's a new Halloween costume favourite for guys who really just want an excuse to wear eyeliner.
