TIMELESS FASHION: At El Pachuco Zoot Suits in Fullerton, the Estrella family has been keeping the zoot suit a la mode for the past 45 years. #shorts #fashion #Pachuco #ZootSuits
The zoot suit originated in African American comedy shows in the 1920s. Comedians such as Pigmeat Markham, Stepin Fetchit, and others would dress in rags or in baggy suits for their comedic routines. This style of baggy suits would later become more stylish over time in urban ghettos. Many tap and Lindy hop dancers would wear loose fitting suits to the clubs and ballrooms. These suits made it much easier to navigate through the dance floor while dancing. Jazz and Jump Blues singers helped popularize the style in the 1930s and 40s. Cab Calloway called them "totally and truly American". The suits were worn mainly by men of color, including a young Malcolm X.[6] During the rationing of World War II, they were criticized as a wasteful use of cloth, wool being rationed then. In 1942, the War Production Board issued restrictions aimed at stopping the sale of zoot suitsThe suits were first associated with African-Americans in communities such as Harlem,[15] Chicago, and Detroit in the 1930s,[15] but were made popular nationwide by Jazz and Jump Blues musicians in the 1940s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "zoot" probably comes from African American Vernacular English and reduplication of suit. The creation of the zoot suit have been variously attributed to Harold C. Fox, a Chicago clothier and big-band trumpeter;[16] Charles Klein and Vito Bagnato of New York City;[17] Louis Lettes, a Memphis tailor;[18] and Nathan (Toddy) Elkus, a Detroit retailer.
I think they should do theme dressing at the awards shows like zoot suits and different era's. It would make for a lively show and change up the same old.
It was a mixture of African and european inspired wear. Started in Harlem but Mexicans amplified it in the west coast with the pachuco style (zoot suit) and the riots.
I would love to see this style come back!! The current style for men with the tight jeans and legs or the pants slipping off the backside, are just awful!!
