Picnic At Hanging Rock is your ultimate guide to summer dressing

Posted by: Billie Bhatia
Published: 9 months ago

The new BBC adaptation, of the 1967 novel, is an exercise in seasonal trends that designers have been inspired by for decades

Prairie dresses. Straw boaters. Black stomping boots. This might read like your summer 2018 wardrobe checklist, but it’s also the sartorial style of Picnic At Hanging Rock, adapted for TV from the haunting 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay about four school girls going missing in Victoria, Australia, in 1900.

The BBC2 drama, starting tonight, starring Natalie Dormer, as unflinching teacher Mrs Appleyard, is a feast for the eyes - saturated in lush colour, and managing to feel both contemporary and of the time. It’s departure from the original 1975 film version, all high-neck ruffles, a glimpse of an ankle and dainty lace gloves. In contrast, this six-part drama is serving up a fresh, pared-back take on Victoriana, with cinched waists, pops of colour and even today’s ubiquitous mini sunglasses. It’s exactly how you think you’re going to dress for summer - until confronted by packed public transport/ mal-functioning air con.

This is not the first time Picnic At Hanging Rock has been the in the fashion spotlight. The dark-edged innocence of the 1975 cult film influenced several fashion heavyweights, including Alexander McQueen, Erdem, Raf Simmons and Rodarte. In fact, the look also inspired another film entirely; you only need to watch the opening credits of Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled to see the obvious impact.