When I was in 8th grade science class in the very early '70s, we had a unit warning us against drugs. We saw a really corny anti-marijuana film featuring Sonny Bono as the narrator, and he was wearing a gold Nehru jacket. Decades later a friend told me that Sonny must have been convicted of posession, and this was his community service!

Nehru jackets had a short leash in fashion (1968-70). British in origin (the Beatles made them a hot item here), many Americans took to these quickly. The Smothers Brothers wore them on their TV show (until CBS cancelled it). The usually hip Rowan and Martin did not...being middle-aged men, would have looked mocking to the youth. Found an Archie comic book story in which Reggie shows off his Nehru jacket (plus beads and a small cow bell). Archie could not afford a Nehru, nor did his dad want him wearing beads (be a man). Archie, dating Veronica, shows up at a party with a large cow bell around his neck. Reggie's response: An emphatic "MOOO!!!" This was from January of 1969.

A correction from my previous story: On "Laugh-In," Dick Martin did wear a Nehru, while he and (conservatively-dressed) Dan Rowan introduced a Mod, Mod World segment in an early-1969 show. Also, in the never-aired "Smothers Brothers" episode (show was cancelled), Dan Rowan was a guest (filled in for Dick Smothers), and also dressed conservatively, while Tom Smothers wore a Nehru. Wanting time off to go stock-car racing, Dick had a (scripted) fight with Tom, walks off, then enter Rowan. CBS refused to air this, due to David Steinberg doing a controversial, mock sermon.