This unusually dark purple gown of fine, semi-sheer linen was designed by Janet Patterson and her team for the 2009 film Bright Star. Worn by Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne, the dress appears in several different forms throughout the film. It is seen both with and without sleeves—a detail that makes perfect sense, as Fanny is portrayed as a skilled seamstress making full use of the versatility of early nineteenth-century clothing. The gown also appears with subtly contrasting copper-colored ribbons and several flounces around the skirt, details that may have been altered or removed for later productions.
The costume later appeared on Claudia Jessie in the 2018 adaptation of Vanity Fair before turning up again on Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet in the 2026 mini-series The Other Bennet Sister.
At first glance, it seems to be the same dress. The distinctive fabric is an excellent match, and the decorative flounces around the sleeves appear to be identical in all three productions, if a little worse for wear. But other details raise questions.
In Bright Star, the back of the dress is almost entirely open and tied closed with a ribbon. By the time it appears in Vanity Fair and The Other Bennet Sister, the back seems to have been permanently closed, perhaps with hook-and-eye closures—or even a zipper (gasp!).
The flounces around the skirt also appear to have disappeared. They may simply have been removed to change the length of the skirt. Interestingly, in The Other Bennet Sister, a few stray threads and small holes in the fabric seem to mark where those flounces may once have been attached.
Of course, there is another possibility. Film and television productions routinely create duplicate costumes, so it is entirely possible that more than one version of this gown was made. Without examining the garments in person, there is no way to know for certain.
And that is one of the great challenges of costume research. Sometimes the evidence is overwhelming, while other times all we have are careful comparisons, production stills, and educated guesswork. Unless we are fortunate enough to see the costume labels—which occasionally identify the original wearer—we can rarely be completely certain.
Take a look at the detailed comparison photos in our gallery and let us know in the comments what you think.
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