Orange dress with mermaid silhouette and rhinestone straps worn by Mable Lee: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An orange dress with a mermaid silhouette and rhinestone straps worn by Mable Lee. The dress was possibly worn for the 1976 Broadway production of, “Bubbling Brown Sugar”. The satin dress features a v-neckline and the upper bodice is made from two panels that encompass the bust and the front sleeve. There are two bust darts, each measuring about 2.5” and two shaping darts measuring about 3”. Each sleeve has a lose dolman style that features a cold shoulder and tightens at the wrist. A strap made from glass and metal rhinestones strung on a thin string of cotton twill tape is hand sewn to each sleeve. There is a 4.5” metal zipper at the end of each sleeve. The dress bodice starts at a center point between the two bust panels and extends down to hip level, creating a downward center point. The skirt front is composed of two panels of orange satin that start narrow at the waist and gradually start to widen towards the calf, creating a mermaid effect.

The back bodice is made from two panels – each panel covers both the upper back and corresponding sleeve. There are no back darts and an 18” metal zipper with a metal tab that says [DARA] separates the two back bodice panels. The zipper has been handsewn to a panel of orange twill tape. Like the front, the back bodice is composed of two pieces that create a center point facing downward. Two panels of orange satin also make up the back of the skirt.

Handsewn to the interior proper right back neckline is a white cotton twill label that reads [MABEL LEE] in black handwriting. The sleeves and bodice are self-lined, but the skirt is unlined. Red synthetic bias tape encases a metal chain along the back skirt panel. There is a weight at each seam line of the skirt: center front, center back, and both side seams - four in total. The skirt hem is rolled, machine stitched down, then hand stitched into place. All seam allowances are left unfinished. Most of the dress is machine sewn but the zipper at the center back, and on the end of each sleeve are handsewn into place. The bottom central gore lining is also hand-stitched into place. There is no brand label.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1970s
• Created by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
• Worn by: Mable Lee, American, 1921 - 2019
• Type: dresses
• Medium: satin, synthetic plain weave, cotton (textile) twill, metal, and rhinestone
• Dimensions: Length (shoulder to hem): 67 in. (170.2 cm)
• Dimensions: Width (shoulder to shoulder): 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm)
• Dimensions: Chest (flat): 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
• Dimensions: Waist (flat): 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Entertainers
• Object number: 2007.3.720
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.