SMITHSONIAN
Brown Faux Leather Diamond Pattern Belted Coat
1970s · 1970s · American
Production
ready-to-wear
Material
faux leather
Culture
American
Movement
Hippie / Counterculture
Influences
1970s geometric patchwork
A knee-length coat featuring a distinctive diamond or harlequin pattern in alternating brown and tan faux leather panels. The garment has a straight, fitted silhouette with a button-front closure running the full length. The collar appears to be a simple turned-down style. The diamond pattern is created through pieced construction, with each diamond-shaped panel clearly defined by seaming. The coat shows typical 1970s proportions with a moderate A-line shape and appears to be unlined or lightly lined based on its drape. The faux leather has a smooth, matte finish typical of synthetic materials from this period.
coatstraightcollarlessmidi
Connected To
Movement·Hippie / Counterculture
LINEAGEsame era · cross-culture · cross-category→ directed
Lineage: “Afrocentric pattern revival”
These two pieces capture the 1970s fascination with pattern as cultural statement, but from opposite sides of the decade's identity politics. The coat's geometric diamond grid—stamped into brown faux leather with machine precision—represents mainstream fashion's sanitized appropriation of "ethnic" motifs, turning ancient textile traditions into suburban-safe outerwear.
Pull the Thread→
Follow this garment wherever the graph leads
