The Zoot Suit

Boy in zoot suit, c.1943

1940-1945 Man's Double-Breasted Suit; Purchase of Collection

No item of clothing is more closely associated with the 1940s and the big band era than the zoot suit. The zoot suit is a man’s suit, which features high-waisted, wide legged, tight cuffed, pegged trousers. These distinctive trousers were worn with a long coat with wide lapels and wide, padded shoulders. In addition, the suit was often accessorized with a long dangling wallet chain and wide brimmed hat. The fabric of the suit was frequently brightly colored, boldly patterned. Neck ties worn with the suit were often showy, and two-tone shoes usually completed the ensemble.

The zoot suit was worn almost exclusively by young men, typically teenagers. It was first adopted by Mexican American youth in Los Angeles in the late 1930s. Given their age and economic situation, it is likely that the style was achieved by buying over-sized clothing from second-hand stores and altering it to fit.

This fashion style ran head-on into conflict during WWII because it was misunderstood by the larger southern California white population. The U.S. War Production Board had enacted a series of regulations in 1942 that limited the amount of wool fabric available for men’s and women’s clothing, as the material was needed for military uniforms. Known as Limitation Order 85, it restricted the length of jackets and skirts and reduced the fullness of pants. Wearing an oversized zoot suit was seen as being blatantly unpatriotic by the majority population, as it seemingly flew in the face of these regulations. This hostility culminated in the Zoot Suit Riots in 1943. The riots were a series of conflicts from June 3-June 8 between American servicemen and primarily Mexican-American youth. Racial tensions also contributed to the escalating tension.

In time, more stylized and exaggerated versions of the zoot were worn by performers such as Dizzy Gillespie and Cab Calloway. For performers, the zoot suit was a way to secure the audience gaze, while for the young men it was a way to claim space for themselves in a society that often overlooked them.

The navy blue pinstripe suit on display in this exhibit is a good example of a zoot suit style of suit, while not going to the extremes of that style. It features a long jacket and wide high-waisted pleated trousers, while still appearing more tailored than most zoot suits. It is interesting to note that this suit was made in Gorinchem, Netherlands. This may explain how such an oversized, but tailored suit came to be made, as it would not have violated the aforementioned rationing statutes.