Uniqlo makes Handmaid's Tale lookalike dress - and it's a sellout

Women around the globe can now dress like the cast of the Handmaid's Tale. Photo / Getty

Who would have thought that Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, which has helped put important social and ethical issues at the forefront of many discussions would become an inspiration to fashion designers?

According to News.com.au Uniqlo has released two new pieces which draw strikingly resemblances to the Handmaid's modest scarlet gowns - in the novel the outfits are a symbolism of the women's oppression.

The story follows women called 'Handmaids', who live in a totalitarian and theocratic state which has very little human rights for females.

The women are "assigned" to wealthy couples who are unable to reproduce and raped accordingly by these men due to low reproduction rates.

The two dresses on Uniqlo appear to have drawn inspiration from the melancholy clothing that the Handmaids wear on the Hulu TV adaptation of the novel.

The first piece is a long sleeved, full-length, robe style dress with a slightly clutched waist and neck.

Dress one. Photo / Uniqlo

The second is an equally modest skater style dress with short sleeves, a pinched waist, rounded skirt and reaches either knee length or just below.

Dress two. Photo / Uniqlo

This design is very similar to the dresses the women wear under their capes in the TV show.

The longer-robe style, arguably the style more similar to the iconic Handmaid's outfit, has almost sold out on the website.

Outside of the fictional dystopian world Atwood created, fashion designers are turning this fictional representation of oppression into a powerful message about feminism and discrimination.

Earlier this year in May the independent fashion label, Vaquera, held their own fashion show which was specifically showcasing pieces inspired by the hit show.

The infiltration of the inspired designs also extends beyond that of the fashion world.

The outfits have even been worn by female activists from Iowa when protesting for women's rights concerning new laws on abortion.