Rendering of Julia Augustine's Three Outfits from Wedding Band

A rendering from the play Wedding Band. It depicts three different dresses on the lead actress, Julia Augustine. The first dress is a traditional 1910s blue and white ankle-length day dress. The second outfit is a sheer pink, yellow-lined, ankle-length nightgown with a pink, knee-length nightgown under. The third is a white, short-sleeved, ankle-length dress.

The rendering shown in the photo was created by the famed black theater costume designer, Myrna Colley-Lee. She sketched her ideas of these dresses for the female protagonist, Julia Augustine, in the theatrical play Wedding Band, originally written by Alice Childress. This play is set in South Carolina in 1918 and portrays the complex relationship between Julia Augustine, a Black seamstress, and Herman, a white baker. It explores the obstacles faced by interracial couples during that time. The pieces that Colley-Lee created reflect the clothing of this time, but with her own twist to them.

The dresses shown in the rendering depict three different outfit styles. The left costume in the photo is a simple blue and white dress with lace detailing, and it seems to be slightly formal. The dress is shown in the exhibit as the “House Dress.” It is perfect for meeting or dining with guests throughout the day as the dress is refined but not extravagant, suggesting both modesty and dignity. The center costume shows pale pink undergarments/nightgown with a sheer pink robe, trimmed in yellow. This costume signifies vulnerability and intimacy, and could be used in private or romantic scenes with Herman, exposing raw emotions and tenderness. The far right costume is a simple white short-sleeved dress, accompanied by a pendant or locket necklace. The dress appears to be the wedding dress worn by Julia in the last scene of the play. White wedding dresses imply purity and resolve, and it may signal the strength Julia has to display from arguing with her lover’s mom and eventually losing him.

The sketch emphasizes fabric and texture using pencil and light watercolor shading. Each costume implies light, breathable fabrics that Colley-Lee creates specifically for the actress to appropriately portray the 1910s South United States and Julia’s socioeconomic status as a black working-class woman. The delicate lace, mid-length skirts, and practical shoes align perfectly with the early 20th-century Southern modest African American women’s fashion. The first costume on the left can be seen going from page to stage in this exhibit, known as Wedding Band’s “House Dress.” Seeing the pure imaginative creativity in the rendering, and then the beautifully weaved together fashionable piece designed by Colley-Lee is awe-inspiring. People usually only see one piece without the other, like a sketch with no dress or a dress with no sketch. However, this exhibit shows both, and truly exemplifies the title “From Page to Stage.”