Honeymoon (1952)
Shek Hwei as Chan Yubing

 

A young bride going through hell and high water to plan her wedding. Her honeymoon almost became a ‘bittermoon’.

This was Shek Hwei’s first time playing a bride, so her costumes are more styled for a more mature look than her previous films.

An article from The Great Wall Pictorial described Shek Hwei as conservative, and ‘the people around her must notice that she has many white dresses, white pants and white qipaos…The sleeves on her short-sleeved qipaos must be at least 6 inches long, and the stand collars seal her neck up tight’. The Costume Designer of Honeymoon, Chan Da-Qing ‘made her a large collection of new clothes with the characteristics mentioned above’. (Excerpted from The Great Wall Pictorial, no 20, September 1952)


Characteristics of the Qipao Costume

Some standard features of the qipao are found here: stand collar, side slits, and a body-hugging silhouette. Yet, it has a centre-front placket, and a seam under the bust where the vertical stripes become horizontal on the body. Made in cotton with navy jacquard stripes, it brings to mind sailor stripes and polo shirts.

Costume Designer: Chen Daqing