Silk evening dress worn by Nancy Pickett (Amanda Woodhams)

In The Dressmaker, Nancy Pickett and Prudence Harridiene (Amanda Woodhams and Hayley Magnus) are two of Dungatar’s worst gossips. Despite their disdain for Tilly, they appear in an array of her gorgeous designs throughout the film, highlighting their vanity and their need to place themselves above others. Gertrude’s wedding is the ultimate occasion to show off.

Nancy wears a midnight-blue silk fishtail cocktail dress with a hat decorated with blue cornflowers. Prudence wears a silvery-gray silk taffeta dress with a dusty-pink-and-aquamarine bird design. The fabric pattern gives another nod to Marion Boyce’s metaphor of the townsfolk being like preening birds in their new outfits.