Likely inspired by Asian design esthetics which emerged in Western fashion after Sergei Diagilev’s costumed Ballets Russes debuted in Paris in 1909, this long black velvet coat evokes a Kimono or a "cocoon" or style.

The coat includes machine stitching, which forms a serpentine pattern throughout the front and back torso. Other details include large wide sleeves, and a rolled collar. The coat is lined in a peau de soie weave silk, a firm yet soft durable silk in a twill weave pattern with a dull satin-like finish. There is no front closure, alluding to the coat's more decorative nature.

Art teacher, puppeteer, and New Jersey socialite Ruth Trappan (1904-1997) summered in Yarmouth and Cumberland, Maine. After retirement, she moved to Maine permanently. She donated the coat to Westbrook College in 1984. It was later transferred to Maine Historical Society.