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

The object in the museum catalogue

Suit pants 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 trousers are navy blue with white pin stripes and have a zipper fly, hidden internal hook-and-eye closure, with a strip of Velcro to hold the zipper flap in place. The zipper has the manufacture's name printed down the tab that reads, [TALON]. The pants are hem sewn at seam line by machine and have a distinct crease in the front of each leg. The trousers have a flat front, with two slant pockets. They are straight-legged with a strong center crease down the front of the legs. The pants are hemmed by machine at the seam line and have a fold over at the bottom of each leg.

The waistband, interior pockets, and crotch are lined with black fabric. The interior waistband of the pants have seven black plastic buttons. On the proper left back waistband a piece of twill tape is hand sewn to the lining. Handwritten in black marker on the twill tape is the inscription, [DESHIELDS / PERSONAL]. A green dry-cleaning tag is attached to the zipper.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1982
• Created by: Unidentified
• Worn by: André De Shields, American, born 1946
• Type: suits
• Type: trousers
• Medium: polyester and satin with plastic, metal and Velcro™
• Dimensions: H x W (pants flat): 42 × 20 in. (106.7 × 50.8 cm)
• Dimensions: Inseam: 30 1/2 in. (77.5 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: 2018.1.1.1.2
• 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.