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

The object in the museum catalogue

Suit jacket from Ain't Misbehavin' costume ensemble for Act I worn by André De Shields during the 1982 NBC TV special. The suit is comprised of a jacket (2018.1.1.1.1), pants, (.2), waistcoat (.3), and two pocket chains (.4 and .5). The jacket is navy blue with white pin stripes. It is single breasted with two brown buttons on the front at the waist. There is one standard-style breast pocket on the proper left upper chest. Inside the pocket is a white piece of paper with the handwritten inscription in black marker, [PINK POCKET / SQUARE]. On either side of the jacket front, below the waist, are two large patch pockets. The jacket has a peaked notch collar and a wide lapel with a red fabric flower pin clipped to the proper left lapel. The jacket has straight, full length sleeves, with three brown plastic buttons at each cuff. On the verso, the jacket has one center vent.

The jacket is lined with a dark gray shiny synthetic fabric. The lining has a cross-hatch pattern with a lion standing on back legs with an arm raised. Inside the proper right side of the jacket is a small pocket. Inside the pocket a piece of twill tape is hand sewn to the lining. Handwritten in black marker on the twill tape is the inscription, [DESHIELDS / PERSONAL]. There is another small pocket on the proper left of the inner jacket.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1982
• Created by: Unidentified
• Worn by: André De Shields, American, born 1946
• Type: suits
• Type: jackets
• Medium: polyester and satin with plastic and metal
• Dimensions: H x W (jacket flat): 31 × 27 1/2 in. (78.7 × 69.9 cm)
• Dimensions: Waist: 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm)
• Place used: 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: 2018.1.1.1.1
• 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.