17. The Fashion Fad That Produced Mayhem
In an ever-changing world, there are some constants, such as death, taxes… and teenage fashion fads that tick off their elders and the rest of society. Whether neon spiked hair, colored Mohawks, body piercings, Goth getups, or sagging pants, teenagers seldom have trouble annoying older generations – who had forgotten how annoying they had been in their teens.
However, few backlashes against teen style were as extreme – or violent – as that which occurred during WWII. Known as the Zoot Suit Riots, they combined negative fashion feedback with a huge dollop of racism and led to hundreds of assaults and acts of violence in cities as far apart as LA and NYC.