18. The Fashionable Suits That Rubbed the Old and the Racist the Wrong Way
Zoot suits were all the rage among America’s hip and fashionable in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The outsized zoots had a distinctive look, with a long coat featuring wide lapels and broad shoulder pads, and pegged trousers that were high-waisted, wide-legged, and tight cuffed. Pointy French-style shoes, plus a watch chain dangling from the belt to the knees, then back to a side pocket, were de rigueur. Finally, a pork pie hat or fedora, color-coordinated and sometimes with a long feather, completed the getup. Zoots were first associated with African-Americans in Harlem, Chicago, and Detroit, then crossed over after they were popularized by Jazz singers and entertainers.
Zoots also became hugely popular among Italian-Americans, Latinos, and Filipinos. While also worn by many whites, the zoot suit’s “ethnic” origins and aura did not sit well with many of the straitlaced and traditional, or just plain racist. They were luxury items, whose making required a lot of materials and significant tailoring effort. That became problematic when America entered World War II. The US War Production Board criticized zoots for wasting materials and production time better used in the war effort. All those factors combined to create a moral panic centered on the flashy outfits.