Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Description

A silvery gray swallow-tailed coat worn by Cab Calloway. The coat is made of a medium weight slubbed twill fabric with silver satin peaked lapels and straight cuffless sleeves. There are two (2) decorative silver satin-covered buttons, one at each outside wrist. The coat does not close in the front, but there are six (6) decorative silver satin-covered buttons, three on each front side. The tails of the coat are rounded on the outside edge with a squared corner at the center vent. There are two (2) decorative silver satin-covered buttons on the back, one at each center seam of the tails. The coat body and sleeves are lined with silver synthetic fabric, while the underside of the tails are self-lined. There are two interior inset pockets, one at each front side breast, lined with a white open weave nylon fabric. There is a hanger loop at the interior center back neck made of maroon fabric with yellow embroidered text reading "After Six / COUTURE / MADE IN U.S.A.". An additional designer's label, also maroon with yellow text, is sewn below the interior proper left breast pocket that reads, "After / Six / COUTURE". A manufacturer's label with size 48R and care instructions is sewn inside the proper right interior breast pocket. Below this tag is a union label for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU).

Designed by

After Six, American, founded 1903

Worn by

Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994

Date

1976-1995

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam

Medium

synthetic fiber

Dimensions

H x W x D (On form): 43 1/4 × 26 × 13 in. (109.9 × 66 × 33 cm)

H x W (flat): 42 3/4 × 18 3/4 in. (108.6 × 47.6 cm)

Type

tail coats

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Clothing-Costume

Exhibition

Musical Crossroads

On View

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053

Object number

2013.237.3.1

Topic

African American

Clothing and dress

Conductors (Musicians)

Costume

Dance

Jazz (Music)

Singers (Musicians)

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions