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

Sy Devore, American, died 1966 · September 30, 1957

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. The tails have rounded outside edges with squared interior edge and overlap about one inch at the center back. The center seam of each tail is covered by a pressed edge of the wool, which is stitched down at the top and bottom where the tail is attached at the waist and to the lining.