Zoot Suit was created by African-American’s in order to have their own voice in their particular culture, entertainment, and politics in the twentieth century. Their particular style of clothing was helpful to fight against the prejudice in their surroundings. Zoot Suit connotes African-American’s wish and hope. Zoot Suit was especially popular for the African-American men in the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s. Notwithstanding the positive meanings of Zoot suit, some people hide their crime behind the Zoot Suit. However, the Zoot Suit, as one of the first articles of clothing, it conveyed the statements of not only African-American but also Hispanic-American, European, and Canadian whites. The Zoot Suit was deeply related to the racism and influenced the society of the United States and Canada.
Throughout the twentieth century, African-American men had been, discriminated against and stereotyped, but relied on one thing that set them apart from others, and that is the clothing they chose to wear. Living in a society where it is difficult to have a voice,’ African-American men found self-expression through their style. For African- American men, clothing signifies where they are and more importantly where they want to be (Boston 1998: 15). This is quite evident in the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s when young African-American males were trying to make a cultural identification statement through a suit known as the Zoot Suit. Besides cultural identification, young men wore the suit as a part of a dance cult, to make a political statement, and unfortunately, for some, to disguise themselves from criminal activity. The zoot suit’s influence was so great that it would have an effect on men’s fashion in the future, and it would become one of the first articles of clothing to cause a spontaneous youth movement among African-American, Hispanic- American, and eventually European and Canadian whites. It would have a social and political effect on Fashion in the 1940s, and it was to be the first article of clothing to cause race rioting throughout the United States and Canada.
The exact origin of the suit is unknown. There are several different myths as to how the suit originated. Some believe it began with a Georgia busboy by the name of Clyde Duncan who ordered the exaggerated style suit in 1940. Others believe it originated in a Filipino colony in Los Angeles, who then discarded it, to later have the African-Americans and Mexicans pick it up (White and White 1998: 250). Many say it was Hal Fox, a Chicago clothier and jazz bandleader, who invented the suit and who accessorized the suit with the famous chain that he got off of a toilet. He is also credited with its rhyming: “thereat pleat, reave sleeve, ripe stripe, and drape shape,” and calling the suit “the end to end all ends” referring to the letter Z. However, he admits being inspired by the fashions of slum-dwelling teenagers (Eig 1996). Some sources credit two famous white men for the zoot suit: Clark Gable, who wore a version of it in Gone with the Wind, and Edward VIII who, in his youth, wore an exaggerated style suit that resembled the zoot suit (White and White 1998: 251). Although African-American in origin, many Hispanics, especially Mexican-Americans, or Chicanos, believed it to be a way of dressing by Mexicans that caught on with other ethnicities. In an interview for the PBS special The Zoot Suit Riots (Tovares 2001), George Sanchez States: The zoot suit was also worn by a black youth. So there was a sense that the zoot suit was not just a Mexican dress; it was also a connection with other minority youth.
Whatever its origins, there are two things that are for certain: first, mainly Mexican-Americans wore the suit in the western part of the United States and mainly African-Americans in the eastern part of the United States; second, most of these young men were socially and culturally disadvantaged, trying to let people know who they were through their clothing. For these young men, the suit became “an emblem of ethnicity and a way of negotiating an identity” (Z: Zoot Suit 1994). Later, the suit was a refusal or gesture to submit to the norm of not only white society but of the older generation and black middle-class society who saw the suit as an embarrassment (White and White 1998: 256). They saw the suit as outrageous, and many parents forbade their sons to wear the suit. Many young zoot suit wearers had to sneak around wearing their suit. In the PBS special The Zoot Suit Riots (Tovares, 2001), Carlos Espinoza talks about how his friends would change at a neighbor’s house before going to dance.
Zoot suit had three different effects as a fashion statement. First of all, it expressed minority groups of people’s opinions and thoughts in the early 1900s. Holly Alford mentioned in her article, The Zoot Suit: Its History and Influence, “Throughout the twentieth century, African-American men had been discriminated against and stereotyped, but relied on one thing that set them apart from others, and that is the clothing they chose to wear.” Fashion can be a good medium to show one’s thoughts, and African-American people needed a breakthrough in their unfair situations. The society where they lived was not fair, and African-American hoped the community would be better. Second, the zoot suit became popular because it deeply relates to the culture, such as dance and music. According to the article, between the 1930s and the 1940s was a swing era, and African-American men would like to wear the zoot suit when they were dancing. The last effect of the zoot suit was that, regrettably, some people hide their illegal activity behind the zoot suit.
The zoot suit was booming in the big cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and Atlanta. The style was, not only for the clothing, but also hairstyle, speaking,
and gestures. Those were embraced by specific ethnic groups, like African-American people, and this social phenomenon set them apart from others. It might have brought community solidarity to them. The style of the zoot suit was noticeable; therefore, people must have found some people who have the same or similar background and values.
Bibliography
Alford, Holly. 2004. The zoot suit: Its history and influence. Fashion Theory 8 (2) (06/01): 225-36.
Research
- The exhibition “Items: Is Fashion Modern?” at MoMA
The Zoot Suit
The Music & Dance
Between the 1930s and the 1940s was a swing era, and African-American men would like to wear the zoot suit when they were dancing.
The Region
In The Early 1900s, New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta.
the Zoot Suit and Crime
Some people hide their illegal activity behind the zoot suit.
The Hair Styles of The Zoot Suiters
The Specific terms of the Zoot Suit fashion
The Reinterpretation of the Zoot Suit
The PDF File
Sketches
Fabrics & Trimmings
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- Final Choices
Collection
Fashion Product: Hats, NeckTies, ETC.
Fabric Manipulations
The Process of creating Fashion Product
The Half-Size Prototype
The Full-size Zoot Suit Pants & The Hat
Me, as an immigrant, I used myself as a platform of the zoot suit.
The Process of The Full-size Pants
The Platform Inspired by Ai Wei Wei’s Fence
The Final Presentation
This is a group project, and we have worked together and put everything together for the presentation. We have focused on Collection, Fashion Product, and Materiality.
The Process of the Group Work
The PDF File
