The Cloven Sky

Michael Nesmith Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors embroidered and rhinestone-accented stage outfit, hat and boots (circa 1967-69), photographed by Bob Delevante.

An influential outfit if ever there was one in the genre. Nesmith was country-rock when country-rock wasn’t cool, when he was still in the Monkees. This rhinestone-accentuated suit — with chain-stitched peacocks, orchids, musical notes and American flag motifs — also came from Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors, circa 1967. It predates the famous Flying Burrito Brothers suits of a similar nature.

“He wore it to the premiere of ‘Head,’ and on the last Monkees television special, ’33 1/3.’ As soon as we decided to do this exhibit, this was one of the first artifacts we thought of, like, ‘Oh, we’ve gotta have that.’ You know, we had a little bit of a relationship with Michael because he was featured in the Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash ‘Nashville Cats’ exhibit that we did, and he came and played an album release party for that, and we got to know him a little and had a relationship going. We asked if we could borrow this, and he made it clear that he absolutely wanted it to come here. And then just with the timing… by circumstance, the same week he passed, we’re getting notices that the shipment is on its way to Nashville. It was just interesting timing.”

Fictional characters:

Robert Chase (House)

Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs)

Don Eppes (Numb3rs)

Larry Fleinhardt (Numb3rs)

Benjamin Braddock (The Graduate)

Daniel Jackson (Stargate)

OCS:

Blaine Akin

Oslyn Yvonnet

Fredrich Nagy

Edmund Peters

Rux Inari

Hollis Tomme

Flann Inari

Denver Smith

Icarus Inari

REAL PEOPLE:

Micky Dolenz (The Monkees)