"The Look" Part II

Back again so soon?

           Some costume designers are really able to set the mood with wardrobe.   Here are some more film costume ideas that I'm considering for my assignment.

The cheongsam.

             I recently watched a Chinese film called “In the Mood for Love,” and really enjoyed it.  So emotional, so pensive, and the costumes!  The lead actress Maggie Cheung, has a very graceful, slight frame and in nearly every scene (sometimes in several different shots at a time) she is dressed in a beautiful vintage cheongsam.  They all fit her perfectly, and even better the movie is set in the early-mid sixties so her hair is super teased and fabulous. Each dress is unique to any other cheongsam I have ever seen before.  

           
             Just as a side note: Honestly, my only real experience with the cheongsam are the brightly coloured "satin" ones my grandmother used to get from Chinatown, the ones that you want to rip into shreds whenever you attempt to button and then snap behind your armpit (please do not try on when frustrated, fighting with your sister,  bloated or hot).  So, this was refreshing. 

. 

Here are a few shots:

Gorgeous, right?  The picture quality is not the best and neither is the lighting, although the movie tends to be melancholic so most of the scenes were a bit shadowy.  Still, whether the fabric design be floral or geometric, the fact that each cheongsam fits her figure so perfectly really says something about the costume designer, William Chang.  

Hopefully I can make the right choice...

Until next time,

SBS