Sewing Through the Cinema~ Love is a Many-Splendored Thing

                                                                                                                                                                               by Amy~ViennasGrace

        Get your tissues ready, no not that kind of tissue silly, although this one does happen to be a bit of a tear jerker. So get both kinds of tissue ready.  I'm searching sewing patterns modern and vintage to find the looks featured in classic films. Although it might not be possible to duplicate the exact look, I'll show you how to easily mimic the feeling of the style. Soon you'll see that a silver screen wardrobe is only a pattern away.

LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING

a 1955 drama-romance, set in 1949–50 Hong Kong.  A married, but separated, American reporter Mark Elliot  falls in love with a beautiful 
Eurasian woman, Dr. Han Suyin.  Their love story leads them to face prejudice from her family and from Hong Kong society.   

 STARRING......

And Also Starring.........the timeless Cheongsam Dress
in many-splendored prints, colors, cotton or silk, each just as lovely as the next. 

Just a few sewing pattern examples that are available from the Pattern Patter Team.

Polynesian Pattern 125                          Simplicity 1018                           McCalls 4911                            
SewBettyandDot                                   Redcurlzs                                    VintageNeedleFinds

There are no open backs or deep plunging neckline, this modest cut neckline only adds to the classic sex appeal and every perfect figure curve.

Here is a partial quote from Wikipedia regarding the Cheongsam dress:

"The cheongsam (/ˈtʃiːɒŋˈsæm/,^[1] /ˈtʃɒŋˈsæm/ or /ˈtʃɒŋˈsɑːm/) is a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo (旗袍; pronounced [t͡ɕʰǐ pʰɑ̌ʊ̯]) Wade-Giles ch'i-p'ao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown. The stylish and often tight-fitting cheongsam or qipao (chipao) that is best known today was created in the 1920s in Shanghai and made fashionable by socialites and upper class women."

Designer Charles LeMaire winning the Academy Award for Costume Design in Color that year. Marking another grand achievement for the renown designer. His dress design for Jennifer Jones' wardrobe in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing surely launched the Cheongsam dress into high fashion wardrobes everywhere that season and for all the years to come.

Three of the actual Charles LeMaire dresses worn by Jennifer Jones in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.
In 2011 at an auction the blue silk dress was estimated to sell for $3,000 but the winner of this iconic dress paid over $27,000.  The yellow Cotton dress sold for over $13,000. The Beige Cotton Dress over $12,000.

Here is Dr. Han Suyin- Jennifer Jones and Mark Elliot-William Holden in a very well known scene on the beach. Her lovely pastel yellow bathing suit is a strapless sweetheart shape accented by a v strap halter cord.

I'd imagine that if they had another chance to sit on the beach together Dr. Han would have worn this playsuit and one of these stylish mandarin style beach robes.

                                   
     Simplicity 1608                                                                                        Vogue5477
     PinkPolkaDotButton                                                                                Fancywork

A perfect overcoat, lounging coat, or in Dr. Han Suyin's case a lovely Doctor's over coat.

Simplicity 3354                                                         Simplicity 3604
Sandritocat                                                                 FriskyScissors
                                                                                                       
How can you get all this style into your closet? I told you, pull out your tissues! Pattern tissue that is, go sew it girl! Below is a Pattern Patter Team Treasury inspired by the lovely fashions in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.
Click Here to View Pattern Patter Team Treasury Link on Etsy