Haori-Style Kimono Worn by Jimi Hendrix

This silk haori-style robe was worn by musician Jimi Hendrix on several occasions throughout the summer and fall of 1969, including at the Newport Pop Festival in Costa Mesa, CA on June 22, 1969 and on the television program The Dick Cavett Show on September 9, 1969, along with blue velvet pants also in MoPOP’s permanent collection (Accession 1998.118.8). Additionally, he wore the robe before and after the Woodstock Festival in Bethel, NY in August 1969 and another appearance on The Dick Cavett Show on July 7, 1969. 

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who gained mainstream prominence in the late 1960s with hits such as “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Fire,” and is now celebrated as one of the most influential electric guitarists of all time. 

Fashion was an intrinsic part of the Psychedelic movement of the 1960s, featuring vibrant and tactile fabrics and patterns with focus on expanding the mind, body, and spirit. In addition, non-Eurocentric styles, such as those from Asia and the Indian subcontinent, were incorporated with silk crêpes and satins, charmeuses, brocades, and velvets, to create a visually expressive psychedelic style completely at odds with the typical staid fashions of the day.