Start your sewing adventure with us.    Join Seamwork

Articles on this site were all published prior to 2017 and this site is no longer updated. Please visit our current Articles, Patterns, and Classes for the most up-to-date content and products.

Film Inspiration: 3 Coins in The Fountain (1954)

We recently watched 3 Coins in The Fountain and while I found the film rather silly, the wardrobe of the three main characters were quite stunning. The film takes place in Rome and centers around the lives of three American secretaries living there. Just look at that two-toned green beauty above! It has precious little buttons at the shoulder.

These images were captured by Sweet Sunday Mornings, a real treasure of a blog that explores costume and production design in vintage-oriented films.

>

This character was extremely annoying to me, but her clothes were pretty wonderful. I love that blouse in the top photo, and look at the buttons on the sleeve (which I didn’t notice until I saw this image).

A beautiful silk dress worn to an Italian countryside picnic.

Love the detail on this dress (and the kitten).

More lovely yellow silk. Notice the direction of the stripes… it looks like the top is cut on the bias.

Just lovely all around. Take a look at all of the photos at Sweet Sunday Mornings, along with many other pretty films!

Sarai Mitnick

Founder

Sarai started Colette back in 2009. She believes the primary role of a business should be to help people. She loves good books, sewing with wool, her charming cats, working in her garden, and eating salsa.

Comments

Corvus

November 5, 2010 #

I utterly adore that green dress.

LeeAnn

November 5, 2010 #

The buttons on the green dress is my favorite! Now if only I had the skill to recreate that!

Krystle

November 5, 2010 #

Oh, so many of these dresses and details are gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing. I love the green dress so much!

Tasia

November 5, 2010 #

Gorgeous inspiration! Everyone looks so effortlessly elegant. Like if I threw on a dress like that I’d have the same instant style… I love the cornflower-blue dress in the last shot. Thanks for sharing!

Lola

November 5, 2010 #

I recently watched the movie before I went to Rome, to get some inspiration :-) Thanks for commenting on the silly character of Maria, I was really annoyed about her too! She had pretty dresses though.

Sarai

November 5, 2010 #

I know Maria was supposed to be rather silly compared to the other two, but she was just such an annoying person…. there was nothing to like about her!

Sarah

November 5, 2010 #

My sisters and I watched that movie more than once and NOBODY else has ever heard of it! I am so glad to see it mentioned. I always reference “Lacrima Christi” wine in reference to one’s pretending to like something he doesn’t, but nobody ever knows what I am talking about. Ha ha.
You’re right, the dresses are fabulous.

mo

November 5, 2010 #

This post makes me smile :)

Marieke

November 7, 2010 #

I haven’t seen this film but the styling looks sooo great! Another great film i thought had fantastic outfits was Rosemary’s Baby. Rosemary was constantly wearing the greatest late-60’s fashion.

Jill

November 7, 2010 #

Makes me want to move to Italy and become a secretary IMMEDIATELY.

Elizabeth Ann Lowe

May 4, 2012 #

My mom took me to see Three Coins in the Fountain in Brooklyn N.Y. when I was 14 years old. Fifty nine years ago! It has always been in my top three favorite movies! After the show we crossed the street to a small clothing store and there in the window was a white cotton blouse with three coins on each collar. The sleeves were long and each had a coin button on it. it was tailored very nicely. Mom bought it for my birthday!

Rachel

August 22, 2013 #

Oh my lord, that suit and silk blouse in #3!! How do you even get something to fit like that? I must learn!

Ann

September 11, 2013 #

I would love to make any and all of the above … Now if a designer could be persuaded create the patterns…..