Gray tuxedo trousers worn by Cab Calloway: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A pair of size 39-41, gray tuxedo trousers designed by Bill Blass and worn by Cab Calloway. The pants are solidly gray. At the waistband are two side adjusters; small silver tone buckles, one at each hip, attached to small cloth straps to cinch the waist. The trousers have a gray fabric stripe running down the outer leg seam. The trousers also have two side pockets, a front hook closure, and a zipper. There are two back pockets, one with a button closure on the proper left side. The interior waistband is lined with black silk and cotton. The rest of the pants are unlined. There is a white label with black printed text sewn to the interior back center of the waistband that reads [TO ADJUST: SLIDE TABS THEN CLOSE / L5 39-41 / PROFESSIONAL DRY CLEAN / ONLY]. Printed vertically along the left edge of the tag is black text that reads [after Six FORMALS].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1978-1994
• Designed by: Bill Blass, founded 1970
• Manufactured by: After Six, Inc., American, founded 1903
• Worn by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Type: trousers
• Type: tuxedoes
• Medium: silk (textile) on wool (textile) with metal and plastic
• Dimensions: H x W x D (flat): 41 7/16 × 23 1/4 × 1 in. (105.3 × 59 × 2.5 cm)
• Place made: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Band (Music)
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Composers (Musicians)
• Topic: Conductors (Musicians)
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Object number: A2015.273.1.30.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
• 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.