Created by
Jacobs, Bernard G., American
Manufactured by
Custo Barcelona, founded 1980
Worn by
Bailey, Philip, American, born 1951
Johnson, Ralph, American, born 1951
Subject of
Earth, Wind & Fire, American, founded 1969
Date
2004-2013
Medium
cotton and rhinestones
Dimensions
H x W (flat): 30 1/2 × 19 1/2 in. (77.5 × 49.5 cm)
Description
Sleevless printed crewneck cotton shirt customized by Bernard G. Jacobs and worn by Phlip Bailey, vocalist for Earth, Wind, & Fire, and by Ralph Johnson, percussionist for Earth, Wind & Fire. The front of the shirt has a printed design in lime green and black of a man with a goatee, sideburns, and an Afro hair style wearing oversized square lens sunglasses and chain link necklaces. Round green rhinestones are attached to the shirt, primarily within the sunglasses frames and the chain necklaces, with some sporadically placed in the man's hair and one (1) on his proper left cheek as a beauty mark. Green rhinestones are also attached around the neck and sleeve openings on the front and the back. The back of the shirt has a printed design of a colorful beach scene with a female hula dancer, palm trees, and flowers. The woman is in the lower proper right corner and she is wearing a yellow skirt and a pink flower in her hair. She is seen from the back with her arms outstretched above her head. Rhinestones are attached throughout the scene with the color of the stone matching the color of the design below it, and a band of clear rhinestones across the hips of the woman. The neck and arm openings of the shirt are trimmed in a green, yellow, black, and gray striped cotton, with the edges of the arm openings left unfinished so that the fabric rolls inward. The shirt has two (2) tags sewn at the interior center back neck. The top tag is a small clear tag with red & blue text that reads "custo / BARCELONA". Underneath is a white tag with black text. The front reads "THE DESIGN OF / THIS GARMENT / HAS COPYRIGHT / PROTECTION / 100% COTTON / 100% COTON / MADE IN THAILAND / FABRIQUE EN THAILANDE / 2". The back has care instructions and text that reads "BLUE TOWER / BARCELONA / SPAIN / B-61517496".
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Type
shirts
Topic
Clothing and dress
Costume
Soul (Music)
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Costume Designer Bernard G. Jacobs
Object number
2015.147.4.3
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd56132dafd-3592-4faa-8889-3de55d6474bd

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

Share this page