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Alina Starkov of Shadow and Bone
Alina: Jessie Mei Li
Costume Designer: Wendy Partridge
The second season of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone dropped March 16, 2023. Where the first season focused on the first book of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy, Season 2 covers books two and three, with characters from the Six of Crows duology woven in. There are a lot of differences between the books and the series, so it’s best to look at each as separate stories.
Season 2’s Best Costumes
Much like the first season, Alina doesn’t have many costumes. In fact she seems to have fewer, not counting three repeats from Season 1. She does, however, have much more agency and choice in what she wears. She doesn’t wear a kefta, aside from aforementioned repeats. instead, she takes up a new role with the second army in Ravka.
So while this is a ranked list of her five best costumes from the second season, she really only has about five new outfits with a degree of variation. The repeat costumes are her Etherealki (blue) kefta, black kefta and the black dress with the antler motif, all super lovely.
FYI: List could change in future.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
5. Gold Engagement Gown
In her travels Alina meets a privateer, Sturmhond, who is actually the second Prince of Ravka, Nikolai. Nikolai proposes a politically arranged marriage with Alina that offers her protection as well as leader of the second army. For the engagement party the Queen’s seamstress makes her a gold gown. Alina however hates this dress and doesn’t wear it. She remarks that she can’t move her arms in it.
While she is only seen wearing it for a minute and clearly it’s not to her taste it’s still rather pretty. It looks to be made of a textured silk with a floral brocade underskirt. The bodice has a gold double-eagle design on the front. The short sleeves and boat neckline have a gold beaded trim.
The skirt has fullness in the waistline giving it a very soft silhouette. For a garment that is seen for a brief moment it is very pretty and nicely detailed. And it is a nice departure from most of the other costumes in this season.
4. Pirate Outfit
Once the crew reaches the Sea Whip’s lair, Alina changes into an outfit that could have been borrowed from a crew member. The costume is a good mix of hard and soft; feminine and masculine aesthetics.
The most notable part of this outfit is the jacket. It’s an all-over beige and black pattern with dark red design over the pattern. It has a double lapel collar that is edged with dark red trim.
The white button down shirt she wears under the jacket has some softer touches. It has a purple flower ribbon trimming the opening. The front panels have been small knife pleats. Poking up at the neckline is a white eyelet lace trim from another under-layer.
Her pants could be made of leather and they lace-up at the sides. She wears two belts both with gold buckles. Alina wears this costume throughout a chuck of the first part of season two.
3. Leader of the 2nd Army Uniform
Unlike Kirigan, who wore a black kefta, Alina wears a high-ranking military uniform as leader of the second army. She wears this costume throughout the season with or without the coat and sometimes with pants or a matching skirt—as seen in the trailer above. She basically only wears this costume from episode four to eight.
The coat looks like it’s made from brown cotton velvet. On the front panels there are gold and blue appliqués. The metal buttons have a double-eagle on them. On one sleeve there is an embroidered golden sun emblem.
Much like her original first army uniform there subtle touches of blue along with black karakul curly wool trim. Much like kefta, which were based on frock coats, her coat has a very similar cut.
She wears a white Kosovorotka, a traditional Russian shirt with suspenders, underneath. Pending on the scene she is either wearing a matching brown fabric long pleated skirt or pants.
2. Coronation Gown
While Alina does accomplish her goal of destroying the fold, most of the finale was set-up for a third season and a Six of Crows spin-off*. Alina was to more tasks and goals going into a third season plus she seems to be corrupted. All this comes out at Nikolai’s coronation when it is revealed that there is a dangerous and addictive drug that will be a bigger problem than the fold if it’s weaponized.
To the coronation she wears a blue and white gown with gold details. The color blue harkens back to her kefta color of choice. The blue fabric looks to be made from velvet. The sleeveless bodice has a wide neckline with a folded over lapel edged in gold. Under it is a layer of white lace with gold embroidery. Down the center-front is white panel with gold edging. The hem has decorative tabs (pickadils) also edged with gold.
The skirt looks to be made from two layers. The underskirt is gold and white possibly made from brocade with a gold fringe at the hem. The overskirt is made from the same blue velvet as the bodice and white silk with gold embroidery along the edge. It looks like it’s a train with the blue side as the lining and has been pick-upped then bustled at the back and draped at the front which the weight of the velvet creates.
She is wearing a few accessories, one is the tall pierced silver tiara with blue stone with matching necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings. She is also wearing the “Lansov Emerald” again. Suspended over her skirt are two jade pendants with large gold tassels, honoring her Shu-Han heritage.
This gown is a nice counterbalance given to her other costumes this season as well as being juxtaposed with the ending using the cut with shadows and just smiling as a result.
*Unfortunately Netflix canceled the Shadow and Bone plus the spin-offs so we’ll never really know what was up with Alina’s corruption since that was a show only addition.
1. Teal Outfit
At the beginning of season two Alina and Mal escape to Novyi Zem, a place that is a safe haven for grisha, however hijinks ensue and the pair leave just as quickly. For the season opener and for most of the episode two Alina wears teal robe-like tunic with a long brown skirt.
The fabric has a subtle texture with a floral border with gold trim along the opening. The hem of sleeves have the same floral border. She wears a contesting orange sash and two leather belts. Her undershirt has a white soft ruffle trim.
It’s a refreshing look for her. It has a casual feminine aesthetic that looks very relaxed and wearable while still being pretty and fluid.
