House Dress from Wedding Band
The house dress designed by Mryna Colley-Lee was created for the female character, Julia Augustine, in the play, The Wedding Band. First performed circa 1972, the controversial play did not make it way to the stage until almost ten years after its original production. Mryna Colley-Lee costumed the play when it was produced around 2003 and where the noted House Dress derives from. Set in the 1920s, The Wedding Band costumes reflected the time period and the intricate detail that specifically went into Julia Augustine's costume is what is reflected here. In one of Myrna Colley-Lee's production bibles for the construction of the house dress, there were multiple warehouse clothing magazine cutouts, offering a look into what the women of the time were wearing, and where Myrna Colley-Lee built her inspiration for the dress. The rendering of the dress, also pictured in this exhibit, pulls inspiration from these catalogs as many of the stylistic features seen in the magazine, are reflected in Lee's work.
Women at the time were expected to be poised and poignant at all times, offering a look that they are always "put together" in a sense. Myrna Colley-Lee chose to embody this feature by designing the sleeves of the house dress in an "L" shape fashion with an almost exact 90 degree angle at the elbow. To keep the point of the elbow prominent, Myrna Colley-Lee added a weighted coin to the corner of the elbow region of fabric.
Additionally, many of the dresses of the time had a button down front, which can be seen in this costume. Myrna Colley-Lee put her own touch on the dress by adding what resembles a necktie down the bodice of the dress where the buttons are placed. Lee explained that she often used whatever fabric was available and affordable and that often led her to local thrift stores to find pieces for her costumes. Many of Lee's works feature the necktie as she mentioned that they were always plentiful in the thrift stores she visited in search for materials. The bottom of the dress features a thick, jean material that reflects the detail of this costume being a "house dress" or something that is elegant and beautiful, but can still be worked in. The course material at the bottom is countered by the lighter linen fabric at the top of the dress, and the lace that can be found on the neckline and bodice, but also towards the bottom.
The light blue and white coloring play into the character development as Julia Augustine, the character who wears the house dress, is dainty and elegant, and wishes to be wed to her husband Herman. Their marriage was not legal at the time in the state of South Carolina, but through Mryna Colley-Lee's costuming, the depiction of the intimate, and romantic time Julia and Herman were going through can be seen. Blue and white have been associated with bridal themed clothing for a long time so by Mryna Colley-Lee playing into that part of history and fashion, we can see the innocence and longing of Julia Augustine's character to be able to marry the love of her life legally. This costume reflects the time period and social issues that faced the character of Julia Augustine in the play, The Wedding Band, and the intricate detail Myrna Colley-Lee infused into her costuming will continue to be compelling for years to come.