Crop top worn on Soul Train by dancer Edith Lynn Pickens: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This blue and floral print crop top was worn as part of a costume, with a pair of white bell bottom pants and a blue leather belt, by dancer Edith Lynn Pickens on the television show "Soul Train" in the 1970s.

The body of the crop top is a dark blue heavy knit material, trimmed at the neckline, armholes and waist. The crop top has a faux blouse sewn into the neckline and sleeves. The blouse collar and sleeves are made from a synthetic material in a bold floral pattern of light and dark blues. The shirt sleeves are cuffed, with one (1) light blue button on each sleeve cuff. Fragments remain of the manufacturer's labels that were sewn into the interior collar of the blouse segment but have been cut out.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1970s
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Worn by: Edith Lynn Pickens, American
• Subject of: Soul Train, American, 1971 - 2006
• Type: shirts
• Medium: synthetic fiber
• Dimensions: H x W x D (On form): 23 1/4 × 12 1/4 × 7 in. (59.1 × 31.1 cm)
• Place used: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Television
• Topic: Variety shows (Television)
• Object number: 2015.17.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Edith Lynn Pickens
• 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.