Powder blue suit ensemble worn by Slick Rick: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This outfit was worn by Slick Rick at the World B-Boy Championships in London in 2004. The outfit is comprised of six pieces, a derby stanton hat (.1), powder blue suit jacket (.2), powder blue suit pants (.3), a white dress shirt (.4), and royal blue Clark Wallabees shoes (.5ab).

.1: The hat has a purble cloth ribbon around the side band, covering the original powder blue ribbon. The inside of the hat is unlined and has a black sweatband that covers the shoulder joint. Gold letters are printed on the sweatband that read "Capas Design." There is a logo centered in the interior tip of the hat that features a gold top hat, gloves and cane centered on a black background.

.2: The jacket is single breasted and has four buttons running vertically down the center. There are two straight pockets at the waist and one breast pocket on the right chest piece. Two black labels with white type are sewn onto the polyester lining of jacket and read, [100% LINEN / GIOVANNO / GEORGIO GIOVANNO].

.3: The pants have a metal clasp in the interior of the waist, a plastic button in the center of the waist are cuffed pant legs. The front of the pants feature two pleats and one slant pocket on the right and left pant leg. The pants are stained near the inseam of the right pant leg. The back of the pants feature two straight back pockets.

.4: The white dress shirt has tags on the interior collar that read "POLO / By Ralph Lauren / MARLOWE Custom Fit." The size and care tag reads "MADE IN HONG KONG / 100% COTTON."

.5ab:Pair of size 8 1/2 blue Clarks Wallabees shoes. The shoes have black, rounded laces and a tan rubbber sole. The insole of the shoes are brown with gold type that reads, [Clarks/Wallabees].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2003 - 2004
• Manufactured by: Georgio Giovanno
• Manufactured by: Ralph Lauren Corporation, American, founded 1967
• Subject of: Slick Rick, British American, born 1965
• Type: ensembles (costume)
• Medium: Jacket: linen, synthetic fiber (polyester) and plastic (buttons)
• Medium: Pants: linen, synthetic fiber (polyester) and plastic (buttons)
• Medium: Shirt: cotton (fiber) and plastic (buttons)
• Medium: Shoes: suede and rubber
• Medium: Hat: natural fiber and cloth
• Place used: London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Object number: 2014.203.6
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ricky Walters, professionally known as Slick Rick
• 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.