Dalton drew her inspiration for the outfit, as well as for those worn by Alec Guinness and the rest of the film's cast, from Eric Kennington's pastel illustrations for Lawrence's autobiography ...

"Alec Guinness was one of the great English actors whose talent ... The Bridge on the River Kwai, Our Man in Havana, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Star Wars, Passage to India and Little Dorrit.