Multicolor wax print Boubou and pants
date: label: Date
content: 1980s - 1990s
name: label: Created by
content: Gonfreville, African, 1921 - 1980
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
label: Owned by
content: Dr. Robert LaPrince, American, 1945 - 1994
notes: label: Description
content: (a) A geometric wax print Boubou (a) and high waisted pants (b). The Boubou is made from an entire width of wax printed plain weave cotton fabric, including the selvedge. The fabric features an all-over geometric pattern with vertical strip patterns, dots, and diamonds. The featured colors are green, black, beige, white, and red. There are no shoulder seams. The width of fabric has been folded over horizontally and seamed halfway down the sides to create armholes. There is a V-neckline with decorative black machine top stitching around it. Below the neckline is a center front pocket measuring 12.75” x 11”. It is made from one panel of self-fabric and has the same decorative machine stitching as the neckline. The brand label [GONFREVILLE] is printed on the proper right selvedge in beige text. The back of the Boubou mirrors the front construction, except there is no center pocket. There is ½” hem on the garment. All the interior seams are finished. The inside of the neckline is lined with self-fabric. A layer of non-woven interfacing is sandwiched in between both layers of cotton.
label: Description
content: (b) High waisted pants with geometric wax print. The pants are made from the same cotton plain weave wax printed fabric as the Boubou. They have a high waist and a tapered leg. The 2.5” width waist band is made form one panel of cotton fabric with four belt .75” belt loops, equidistantly spaced around the waist. There are two pleats on either side of the waist band. The waistband closes with two sets of metal snap buttons and a 6” metal zipper with metal teeth. There is one slit pocket at each side of the waist. Each pant leg is made from two panels of fabric – one for the front and one for the back, seamed at the inner and outer leg. One panel of elastic is sewn to the back waistband. There is one 6.75” x 6.75” back pocket on the proper right side with a flap that closes with a metal snap closure. The inside of the pants are unlined and each pocket is lined with self-fabric. There is a 1” machine stitched hem on the bottom of each pant leg.
label: Cataloging Notes
content: This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
place: label: Place made
content: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: African diaspora
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Black Fashion Museum Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.3.662ab
objectType: label: Type
content: boubous
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No known copyright restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cotton with elastic and metal
label: Dimensions
content: a: boubou
label: Dimensions
content: Length (a: shoulder to hem): 49 1/2 in. (125.7 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 41 in. (104.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: b: pants
label: Dimensions
content: Length (b: waist to hem): 42 in. (106.7 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (b: flat): 14 in. (35.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Inseam (b): 29 1/4 in. (74.3 cm)