Silk shirt for Ain't Misbehavin' costume worn by André De Shields: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Silk shirt from Ain't Misbehavin' costume ensemble for Act II worn by André De Shields during the 1982 NBC TV special. White and pink striped silk shirt worn under suit. The pink stripes are made of the same material as the waistcoat embroidery [2018.1.2.1.3]. The shirt has large white starched collar and sleeve cuffs. Below the collar is an interior manufacturer's label in white with blue stiches, [BROOKS-VAN HORN / NEW YORK / COSTUMES / NAMES [DE SHEILDS] / SIZE ]]. On the inner collar [AINT] has been handwritten in black marker. The brackets denote the handwritten inscription in black marker. A piece of fabric has been sewn to the bottom back of the shirt, to be worn between the person's legs, and attaches to the front with metalsnap buttons. There are multiple areas of loss in the silk and fabric and large repairs to the fabric have been sewn in throughout.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1982
• Created by: Brooks-Van Horn Costume Company, Inc., American, 1962 - 1981
• Worn by: André De Shields, American, born 1946
• Type: dress shirts
• Medium: silk (textile), cotton (textile), metal and plastic
• Dimensions: H x W (flat): 34 × 31 in. (86.4 × 78.7 cm)
• Place made: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Musical Theatre
• Topic: Television
• Object number: 2018.1.2.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of André De Shields
• 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.