Army green service uniform pants worn by Colin L. Powell, 1989 to 1993

Inside the waistband of these Army green service pants is a lining bisected by a white woven tape embroidered, in a repeating design, with rifles and the word “PATRIOT.” The pants were worn by General Colin L. Powell (1937 to 2021), as General and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, between 1989 and 1993. They are now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Army green service uniform pants worn by General Colin L. Powell, view 1. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, object number 2016.14.2.

What the pants are

The pants are dark olive green polyester with straight, creased legs. They close at the center front waist with a green painted metal zipper, a flat metal hook-and-eye and a round green plastic button through a self-fabric tab. There are seven belt loops. Two inset pockets sit at the front waist side seams, and two welted pockets are on the back legs below the waist; the proper left back pocket has a self-fabric loop above it that fastens around a round green plastic button. Two stripes of black woven tape run down the outer side of each leg.

The pants are lined only at the waistband. The lining is divided by the white woven tape with the rifle-and-“PATRIOT” embroidery, and a manufacturer’s tag on the proper left back pocket lining gives the style, fiber content and care information.

Record details

Sources

• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, object 2016.14.2, an object record; the donor credit line and three duplicate views are left out; rewritten in hubnx's own words.