The motif of Frankie’s dresses follows the evolution of her relationship with Aiden and his world. Her first bridesmaid dress aptly reflects her working-class social status, as it is a used designer dress, and even then, Frankie must take a second job in order to pay for it. Doing so fuels her pride at remaining an independent woman who provides for herself. However, she also feels like an outsider in Aiden’s world, where expensive dresses are everyday items rather than luxurious extravagances. When the dress gets ruined during her attempt to rescue Chip, Aiden easily provides her with a new one, highlighting the extreme class-based difference between them. Frankie accepts the dress out of necessity but resents his casual gesture because she feels as though her former self—the woman who valued independence so much—is now being replaced by a woman who allows a man to take care of her. She therefore resists the dress and Aiden himself because she is still unsure of him and wary of his economic and social resources. The replacement dress is a symbol of her resentful, partial resistance and her reluctant acquiescence to his presence in her life.

As the novel progresses, Frankie continues to accumulate dresses from Aiden, and each new gift—and her acceptance of it—emphasizes her softening resistance.