Zoot Suits

From LoveToKnow Men's Fashion

Learning about the fascinating history of zoot suits, from their creation, controversy and height of popularity, is a must for anyone interested in a complete timeline of men’s fashion.

A Brief Zoot Suits History

Reportedly, these flashy suits were created during the 1930s in Harlem, New York, during a time when jazz music was a large part of Harlem culture. There’s some debate about who was actually the suit's first tailor. Because African-Americans were the primary dwellers in this part of New York, the suit came to be closely associated with African-Americans and later Hispanics, especially in the Los Angeles area.

Men who were considered fashion-forward were more likely to wear these suits than men who were interested in presenting a classic appearance. As with many fads, professional men may not take part in sporting flashy attire, but men who pride themselves on setting trends and standing out are usually the ones who wear styles that are made to be noticed. Due to the faddish nature of this attire, younger men connected to the “hip” style pulse of the day were the usual wearers.

During World War II, race riots broke out in Los Angeles between Hispanics and American servicemen. Because Latinos favored flashy suit fashion, these events are also known as The Zoot Suit Riots.

Components

What makes a suit a zoot suit? After all, it still has a blazer and slacks. However, a few fundamental differences take this piece of men’s attire and make it into something beyond a plain suit.

Blazer: The main characteristics of the blazer are the wide, padded shoulders, wide lapels and long tail. The length of the jacket is considerably longer than a regular man’s blazer -- they can fall to the knees in extreme cases. The fit is also very loose.
Slacks: Like the jacket, the slacks are very wide, but taper down to tight-fitting cuffs. The waist is high as well. In lieu of belt loops for some slacks, suspenders were worn to hold the pants up.
Accessories: A typical man’s suit may have a pocket square as a sole accessory; during the 1930s and 1940s when these suits were very popular, a man also wore a hat. Zoot suit wearers’ hats were as ostentatious and flashy as the suit. Felt hats with long feathers were great toppers. Long watch chains on display were also common.

Due to the extra fabric used to make zoot suits, these were seen as luxury items, not necessarily everyday wear. Men who favored them typically wore them to celebratory events such as birthday parties or dances.

The Suit Today

Whether you want to relive a particular era in men’s fashion history by sporting one of these suits or you’re looking to dress up for a costume party, they can still be found today. While finding a vintage outfit in good condition would be a prize, you can also buy brand new suits from retailers such as:

At any of these sites, you’ll find suits in colors that are made to be noticed, which is what they're all about. Instead of the typical businessman’s staid choices of navy blue, grey and brown, you’ll see these suits in colors like:

Aqua
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow

However, if traditional suit colors are more your style, you’ll also find them in more common shades.

Not for the Timid

While you won’t see anyone on Wall Street wearing one of these suits, you may still see it in certain cultural circles. Even during the height of the suit's popularity, it was considered very faddish attire and that hasn’t changed. The men of the 1930s and 1940s who wore them were the fashion risk takers; any man wearing one today is the same. In bygone eras or even today, the man who sports a zoot suit isn’t style-shy at all.

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