They are the sword in the darkness. The watcher on the walls. They are the shield that guards the realms of men. They pledge their lives and honor to the Night’s Watch, for this night and all the nights to come. And they shall wear rugs from IKEA as they defend the Seven Kingdoms from what lies beyond the wall.
Yes, Game of Thrones might be one of the most expensive shows ever and spend a ton of cash on CG dragons, but when it comes to saving a buck or two, they visit IKEA and head to the Living Room division of the store then browse the rugs for something truly fit for a King in the North.
Costume designer Michele Clapton explained that the various capes worn by the sworn brotherhood were properly ravaged to look like they were haphazardly put together by whatever the Watch could find. She explains in the below video that she wanted the audience “to almost smell the costumes,” and said the rugs were waxed and frosted “so they belonged to the landscape.”
The eagle-eyed IKEA fans at the AV Club perused the Swedish megastore’s online catalog to try and nail down which rugs were used in the production (and on behalf of cosplayers everywhere). They believe the Rens is the official garb of the Watchers on The Wall. It’s a sheepskin that was dyed black then beaten within an inch of its rug life to convey what the harsh elements of the North’s weather would do to the uniforms.
After further investigation, we came to the conclusion that the Koldby, a black cowhide throw, would make for the perfect base of the cape. Especially considering its durability and simple upkeep via regular vacuuming and rotation.
(Via AV Club)
