Tuxedo jacket designed by Sy Devore and worn by Nat King Cole in St. Louis Blues

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A tuxedo jacket designed by Sy Devore and worn by Nat King Cole in his role as W.C. Handy in the Paramount Pictures produced 1958 film St. Louis Blues. The navy blue wool tuxedo jacket has knee-length tails and a black satin lapel. Six black plastic buttons, three on each side of the center front opening, are positioned on a diagonal running parallel to the lapels. These buttons are decorative only, the jacket does not close. The jacket has a wide notched lapel covered in black silk satin, with a neck band made of navy wool. There is one exterior inset breast pocket on the proper left front. The sleeves are full-length straight cut, with two decorative black plastic cuff buttons at each cuff. On the back is a black plastic button at the waist above the center seam of each tail.

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