A Costume Change In The Cradle

Published June 5, 2018 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hi Shat Hosts,

I just want to make a simple observation and get your take on it.

When Bernard first enters the Cradle in Episode 6 and in the first scenes in Virtual Sweetwater, he is wearing a grey three-piece suit with a white dress shirt – the same outfit he is wearing in the real world. In the scene where Bernard and Ford are visiting the virtual version of Arnold’s house, Bernard is wearing a black blazer, a blue dress shirt, and grey dress pants.

We know costume changes on Westworld don’t happen willy nilly. We’ve seen a change of clothes indicate a different timeframes (beach Bernard v. gala Bernard), different characters (Bernard v. Arnold), and evolutions of the same character (compare Dolores’s, Maeve’s, or William’s outfits over the course of their arcs). This change of outfit – in the Cradle, no less, where it wouldn’t serve a practical purpose like needing fresh clothes – is either a continuity error (unlikely) or has meaning.

I’ll be honest, I can’t come up with a good theory or rationale for the costume change – what’s your take?

Cheers,

Ken L.

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