In 1939, the film Gone with the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind, was released with unprecedented success.
Stills from Gone with the Wind
Before the film's release, films about the pre-American Civil War and Civil War periods were rarely released. By the mid-1930s, Civil War films were even considered box office poison.
Gone with the Wind was a huge success around the world, with twists and turns and elaborate cinematic costumes that are talked about today.
After the success of Gone with the Wind, many Hollywood studios seemed determined to replicate the success of the 1939 film.
The 1957 film Sengoku Ishik was a film created by MGM Studios to replicate the success of Gone with the Wind.
Starring Elizabeth Taylor in "Sengoku Beauty" as southern beauty Suzanne. Taylor was 25 years old when she starred in the film, about the same age as Vivien Leigh when she starred in "Gone with the Wind".
Stills from "Sengoku Beauty"
The film's costume designer is Walter Plunkett, who is also the costume designer for Gone with the Wind. The film costume designer has focused his life on historical film costume design.
Next, take a look at the beautiful puffy skirts that Elizabeth Taylor wore in "Warring States Lady".
#1 Pink and white two-tone lace lace skirt
Pink and white two-tone skirt contrasts with green print skirt
Many people think that this dress can be used to match vivien Leigh's famous dendritic print picnic dress in "Gone with the Wind". This pink and white skirt is fitted with a matching parasol and a large hat.
In film images and stills, the dress is shown in two slightly different colors: pale pink or orchid.
"Sengoku Beauty" pink and white two-tone printed skirt
But no matter what the color, you can still feel the full femininity: delicate ruffles and a princess dress covered with a bow.
Barbie even produced a doll based on the shape of the film.
Same Barbie
I didn't really like Taylor's dress because Elizabeth Taylor looked mature, while the dress was childish, too pink in color, and too much lace.
Details behind the skirt hat
I prefer the look of the skirt in the black and white photo, and the color photo I think is not so good. Vivien Leigh's green dress in "Gone with the Wind" is better than this dress.
#2 Lavender-coloured button-up embellished printed skirt
"Sengoku Beauty" lavender color buttoned skirt
What attracted me most about this outfit was Taylor's slender waist, and in order to wear this dress, Taylor wore a very tight corset inside.
The bodysuit was too tight, causing Taylor to overvent and tachycardia, and the temperature was too high when shooting, and Taylor once fainted.
I did not find a full-body color photograph of the dress, only a photograph of the dress when it was later exhibited.
You can see that the color of the skirt is not as bright as in the stills, and the skirt seems to be light yellow with a romantic print on it.
This dress is beautifully designed, but it is very short to Wear on Taylor.
I think this dress can be compared to the green and white dress played by Scarlett and Red in "Gone with the Wind" who returned to Tara Manor after marriage.
Gone with the Wind Scarlett Green Dress
There is no doubt that Vivien Leigh's green dress has won again.
#3 Lilac V-neck printed skirt
Taylor lilac print skirt
I don't know if it is because Elizabeth Taylor has violet eyes, the designer designed a lot of purple skirts for Suzanne, played by Taylor.
This dress is very romantic, the skirt is a fresh lilac print, and the hat is also decorated with fresh lilacs, which is very idyllic.
I couldn't stand the design of the sleeves of the skirt, similar to the sleeves of the first pink and white skirt, the sleeves of this skirt were decorated with layers of ruffles, which I felt a little cumbersome.
This is what the skirt looked like when it was exhibited in the museum, and it is well preserved, and you can see the clear texture of the fabric.
This dress can be contrasted with the white ruffled cake skirt worn by Vivien Leigh. Well, although Vivien Leigh's white dress also has a lot of ruffles, it doesn't make people feel cumbersome, only feel innocent girlish.
Vivien Leigh white cake dress
#4 Red and white striped skirt
Tate red and white two-tone striped skirt
This skirt is decorated with gradient red and white stripes at the neckline and sides of the skirt, which is atmospheric and simple. The mature Van Taylor is indeed not suitable for too girly clothes, this dress is very lining her temperament.
In "Gone with the Wind", Vivien Leigh also wears a red and white striped skirt. This skirt is matched with a tassel belt at the waist, and the design of the skirt is quite girly. Personally, I still prefer Vivien Leigh's skirt.
Vivien Leigh red and white striped skirt
#5 Big V-neck skirt with red and green print
This dress features a ruffled neckline and a red-and-green print that extends from the neckline to the hem.
Taylor in the stills is really charming, beautiful and compelling, exuding a mature femininity.
In the GIF and later photographs that were exhibited, I thought the design of the dress was quite earthy. There is really no feeling for this dress.
You can see that the skirt is also matched with embroidered high heels that are consistent with the pattern of the flowers of the skirt.
#6 White off-the-shoulder lace ball dress
This is my favorite of all the dresses Taylor wears in the film. Taylor's upper circumference is relatively plump, and it sometimes looks fat to wear clothes wrapped around the neck, and it is better to wear this off-the-shoulder skirt.
The skirt is paired with lace transparent gloves and a hand fan, which is particularly ladylike.
#7 Greek style housewear
Greek-inspired homewear
This lace-up pleated skirt references ancient Greek costumes and is quite flowy. The large flared sleeves hang all the way down to the ground and are particularly feminine.
This dress can be used to match the red velvet home clothes worn by Vivien Leigh of Gone with the Wind. The two skirts have their own advantages, one is flowing and the other is luxurious.
Vivien Leigh velvet homewear
In addition to the above 7 famous skirts, Taylor also wore a lot of other skirts in "Warring States Beauty", which I will not list here.
Taylor 'Sengoku Lady' costume
"Warring States Beauty" costume exhibition
To be honest, there is no very stunning design in all the dresses, although it is the same designer as "Gone with the Wind", and the film has received a large costume budget, but it is really not as amazing as "Gone with the Wind" in terms of costume design.