Smokingvest van zwart laken, met diepe sjaalkraag, drie knopen en drie steekzakken; rug van zwart satijn (?) met bandje en gesp en voering van wit katoen 1916

This smoking vest was made by De (firma) Jong, from black cloth, with a deep shawl collar, three buttons and three pockets; the back is made of black satin, with a strap and buckle and a white cotton lining. The inside of this garment is beautiful! That quilted lining, the way it just peeks out, makes you wonder about the rest of the thing. And that collar - the kind of curve that makes you want to reach out and touch it. I love how the maker considered both the outside and the inside, the hidden and the revealed. It reminds me of the work of Ree Morton, who used to make these elaborate constructions with hidden compartments. Like this vest, Morton's work had a sense of humor and a kind of awkward beauty. It’s this attention to detail that elevates a simple garment into something really special, something that speaks to the human desire for both comfort and style.