Black pants worn on Soul Train by dancer Jermaine Stewart: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Black, pleated wool pants worn by dancer and singer Jermaine Stewart on Soul Train as part of a costume ensemble with a grey shirt (NMAAHC 2022.37.1).

The black pants have front pleats, belt loops, and front hip pockets. There are two back double welt pockets with black plastic button closures, though the proper left pocket is missing its button. The front of the pants features four closures: a black plastic button with a buttonhole on the waistband, a clear button with a buttonhole inside of the pants, a black zipper, and a silver-colored metal hook and bar fastener. There is a white tag with black text sewn into the front of the pants. It reads [30W 30L / F917 / 100% WOOL / MADE IN COLOMBIA] followed by a series of letters and number. The text reads [DRY CLEAN ONLY] at the bottom.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1978
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Worn by: Jermaine Stewart, American, 1957 - 1997
• Subject of: Soul Train, American, 1971 - 2006
• Type: trousers
• Type: costumes
• Medium: wool with metal and plastic closures
• Dimensions: L x W: 39 1/2 × 14 1/2 in. (100.3 × 36.8 cm)
• Place used: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Popular music
• Topic: Television
• Object number: 2022.37.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sheri Byers (Soul Train Dance Partner) in memory of Jermaine Stewart
• 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 underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.