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 II worn by André De Shields during the 1982 NBC TV special. The suit is comprised of a jacket (2018.1.2.1.1), pants, (.2), and waistcoat (.3). The jacket is emerald green with two green/white buttons on the front at the waist. There is one standard-style breast pocket at the proper left upper chest. Inside the pocket is a white piece of paper with the handwritten inscription in black marker, [WHITE 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 white fabric flower pin clipped to the proper left lapel. The jacket has straight, full length sleeves, with three green/white plastic buttons at each cuff. On the verso, the jacket has a band around the waistline and an opening slit in the middle.

The jacket is lined with a dark gray shiny synthetic fabric. The lining has a cross-hatch pattern with a light and dark diamonds. 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, [DE SHIELDS / PERSONAL]. There is another small pocket on the proper left of the inner jacket. Attached to this with a safety pin is a dry-cleaners orange tag that reads, [25 / 03].

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: suits
• Type: jackets
• Medium: polyester and satin with metal, plastic and Velcro™
• Dimensions: H x W (jacket flat): 32 × 27 in. (81.3 × 68.6 cm)
• Dimensions: Waist: 36 5/8 in. (93 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: 2018.1.2.1.1
• 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.