Tuxedo pants 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.

Tuxedo pants 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 pants have a black satin tuxedo stripe and are creased at the front and back sides of both legs. The pants have a zipper fly center front closure with a flat hook and eye at the top and an interior button tab that closes with a black plastic button. Eight blue wool belt loops are evenly spaced around the waist band. There are two black plastic buttons at the exterior back center waist and two sets of two black buttons on either front side interior of the waist for attaching suspenders.There is one inset pocket at each front side seam, with the satin stripe on top of the pocket openings.

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗