What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Dressmaker
Jocelyn Moorhouse · Film · 2015
If you loved The Dressmaker, start with Godless (Scott Frank, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 3 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Dressmaker across media.
If The Dressmaker hooked you, you will love these stories about women reclaiming their power through transformation and calculated vengeance.
Books on the same thread
A Remarkable Woman
Jules Van Mil · Book · 2022
Explores: Post-War Trauma, Immigration, Fashion Industry.
Like Tilly in The Dressmaker, Avril uses her mastery of fashion to navigate a new environment, turning her creative skills into a tool for empowerment and personal reinvention.
Mad Mabel
Sally Hepworth · Book
Explores: buried secrets, repressed past, small-town judgment.
This story mirrors the small-town judgment found in The Dressmaker, focusing on a woman whose repressed past threatens the fragile peace of her community through lingering, buried secrets.
The Mother's Recompense
Edith Wharton · Book · 1925
Shares a thread with The Dressmaker: Mother-daughter relationships.
Much like the protagonist of The Dressmaker, Kate experiences the social ostracism of returning to a place she once fled, forcing a confrontation with complex mother-daughter dynamics.
Series on the same thread
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Amy Sherman-Palladino · Series · 2017
Explores: Self-Discovery, Female Empowerment, Breaking Societal Norms.
Midge Maisel channels the same spirit of female empowerment as The Dressmaker, reinventing her identity and breaking societal norms through a newfound talent that shocks her traditional community.
Revenge
Mike Kelley · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with The Dressmaker: Revenge.
This series captures the core revenge motive of The Dressmaker, following a woman who systematically dismantles the lives of those who wronged her family with cold, calculated precision.
Godless
Scott Frank · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with The Dressmaker: Revenge.
The Dressmaker fans will recognize the theme of female solidarity against a hostile environment, as women in this isolated town unite to protect themselves from an encroaching threat.
McLeod's Daughters
Posie Graeme-Evans · Series · 2001
Explores: Inheritance, Female Empowerment, Sisterhood.
Set in the Australian outback, this drama shares the rural setting of The Dressmaker, focusing on the strength of women navigating inheritance and building their own future together.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If you enjoyed the intricate web of secrets and relationships in the small town from The Dressmaker, this long-running drama offers a similar deep dive into rural community dynamics.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
This podcast mirrors the dark, rural noir atmosphere of The Dressmaker, providing a grim yet comedic look at the sociological underpinnings and tragedies hidden within isolated small towns.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Dressmaker set in modern times?
No, The Dressmaker is set in 1950s Australia. The story follows a talented dressmaker who returns to her tiny hometown during this specific historical period to reconcile with her mother and address past wrongs.
What is the main plot of The Dressmaker?
The Dressmaker centers on Tilly, a woman who returns to her small Australian hometown to confront her past. As she reconnects with her mother and starts a romance, she uses her fashion skills to transform the townspeople.
Does The Dressmaker involve a romance?
Yes, romance is part of the narrative in The Dressmaker. As the protagonist returns home to right past wrongs and reconcile with her mother, she begins to fall in love while simultaneously changing the fashion of her small town.
Who directed the 2015 film The Dressmaker?
The 2015 film The Dressmaker was directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse. The story depicts a talented dressmaker returning to her tiny hometown in 1950s Australia to reconcile with her mother and transform the local community through her fashion designs.