Jacket Made by Joe Emsley and Worn by Miles Davis

July 18 Miles Davis was constantly pushing the envelope and innovating in his music. However, his groundbreaking aesthetics extended far beyond his sound; he was also a fashion icon. Davis was known to take great care in maintaining a sharp, stylish, and creative appearance. Joe Emsley was a tailor who crafted many of Davis’ garments in the 60s. This purple velvet jacket with no lapels maintains Davis’ sleek style from the 50s and early 60s while reflecting the more colorful and bohemian aesthetic that he would gravitate toward as he explored electronic music in the late 60s and 70s.

Jacket made by Joe Emsley and worn by Miles Davis

Description: This dark purple velvet jacket was made by Joe Emsley and worn by Miles Davis. The jacket is slim cut, with no lapel, full length straight cut sleeves and a scalloped hemline. The jacket closes at the center front with three (3) black metal snaps. It is slightly longer in the back than in the front. There is one (1) exterior pocket at the waist of the proper left front, with a scalloped bottom left corner. The interior opening band of this pocket has a strip of the lining material sewn to it, but the body of the pocket is unlined. There are three (3) darts along the back below the neckline. On the interior, the jacket is lined with a printed silk fabric in a white, red, and blue polka-dotted diamond design. There is one interior set-in pocket on the proper right front with a label sewn onto it. There are underarm perspiration shields under each arm made from the same material as the lining.

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by: Joe Emsley, American
Worn by: Miles Davis, American, 1926 - 1991

Date: 1960s

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Medium: velvet, silk and metal
Dimensions: H x W x D (On form): 28 1/2 × 26 × 10 1/2 in. (72.4 × 66 × 26.7 cm); H x W (Flat): 28 1/2 × 17 in. (72.4 × 43.2 cm)

Type: jackets

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