July 7, 2025 • 26 mins
The Zoot Suit represents a powerful intersection of fashion, cultural identity, and political resistance in American history. From its origins in Harlem to its role in the 1943 riots, this distinctive garment tells a complex story of self-expression, racial tension, and the criminalization of style.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
hey divas, and welcome to magnafic, your
favorite podcast for all thingsfashion and fashion history.
Today we talk about the zootsuit and I'll admit I have sat
on this topic for a long timejust because I've been sick the
entire month of june.
But now's as good a time as any, because I feel like it's more
(00:24):
topical now, which isunfortunate in the grand scheme
of things, but really good forme because I am covering a
topical issue.
Yay, today's.
It's not funny.
Today's topic is inspired by mynewfound love of reading,
specifically reading my fashionencyclopedia, and I feel like I
(00:48):
know what you're thinking.
Why on earth are you reading anencyclopedia?
And, girl, I'll tell you, orI'll tell you if you want me to
tell you.
Well, I said to myself if Ireally want to know everything
about fashion, I fear I have toread everything about fashion.
I fear I do, and I'm not gonnalie to you.
My favorite time of day freshout the shower, I have my sleepy
(01:12):
time tea ready to go, and I'mcracking open my iPad, opening
GoodNotes to my PDF version ofmy fashion encyclopedia and
guess what?
I'm reading a few chapterswhile I sip my tea, until my tea
makes me so sleepy that Icannot physically keep my eyes
open anymore.
And where was I going with that?
(01:33):
Oh yeah.
So I've been reading a lot andI'll be honest with you, at
first my reading comprehensionskills were not comprehending.
There are so many technicalwords in this encyclopedia that
I have had to Google.
I'll be honest with you, I'lleven fold your hand when I say
it.
I had to Google a lot of words,but that's okay, because now I
(01:56):
know the words and off rip.
I can't tell you a single wordthat I've had to Google, but I'm
sure I have.
I'm sure I have.
Anyway, and as you know, I'vebeen trying to adopt a
superiority complex by deletingall my social media apps and
like I still have the accounts,like if you go, look me up, I'm
still going to be there.
So I'm not lying in that regard.
(02:16):
Like I just don't have the appson my phone, although I did
have TikTok, like two days ago,because I'm a fiend and I'm
fiending right now.
Actually, I'm kind of in abratty mood and I do think it's
because I'm going through TikTokwithdrawals.
It'd be like that.
Also hope again.
I'm not falling for it, becauseit's just all over TikTok right
now, everyone being pregnant.
I'm not falling for thatpropaganda, especially not in
(02:39):
this day and age.
No, thank you.
I hope your pregnancy isawesome, but don't wish that on
me.
Not here, not now.
Anyway, how did we get here?
My superiority complex has ledme down so many new hobbies and
(03:02):
just I've been deeper divinginto my passion for fashion.
So I started reading theEncyclopedia of Clothing and
Fashion and initially I had noplans.
I thought I was just going withvibes, I was just going to see
what I could learn.
Oh, also, I've been, like Isaid, sick the entire month of
June and I don't understand whatit is, but I have just been
calling it a head cold and Idon't care if that's
(03:22):
irresponsible of me.
I don't want to know if it'sanything else.
So anyway, I had no plans whenI started my encyclopedia, but I
was just going through eachletter every night, kind of just
picking which articles lookedinteresting to me.
And then I saw a roadmap in theback of the book and it told me
(03:42):
exactly which pages to read ifI wanted to get a deeper
understanding in specific topics, and that ignited my world.
It changed my brain chemistry.
So now I'm back in school andI'm reading each night and
checking off my sections andtaking notes and highlighting it
(04:04):
might feel amazing.
So, that being said, I foundmyself in the z's one night and
I ran up on the zoot suit andjust immediately I needed to
know everything about it as fastas humanly possible.
So I did and disclosure I putthis next paragraph in AI to see
(04:26):
what it would make me, becausethe future is AI.
I don't know.
I'm pretty neutral about AI,even though I am learning it at
work.
We're not talking about workright now.
Anyway, the zoot suits and Itold me to give you this right
(04:47):
now this initial spark ignited afervent quest for knowledge and
immediately upon reading that,I said banking.
Fervent is a word that I needto pull out much more often.
So please indulge me in thisfervent quest for knowledge as I
info-dump on all things ZootSuits, from the Jazz Age to the
(05:10):
modern-day homages.
My journey into the world ofZoot Suits has not only expanded
my understanding of fashionhistory, but has also
highlighted the timeless powerof style to reflect and shape
cultural narratives acrossgenerations.
Power of style to reflect andshape cultural narratives across
generations.
So let's talk about theconception of zoot suits.
It's actually quite crazy,crazy alert.
(05:32):
The zoot suit is an iconic anduniquely American style of dress
.
It emerged in the late 1930swithin the Black youth culture
of Harlem, new York.
From its Harlem origins itquickly spread popularity
amongst working-class minorityyouth in California, finding
adopters in the Mexican-Americancrowd, filipinos and even a
(05:52):
small subset ofJapanese-Americans, including
those who experienced World WarII-era internment camps Not to
be confused with 2025-erainternment camps.
The Z suit's origins can betraced back to the drape suit,
which is a more relaxed andstylish men's suit that gained
popularity in the 1930s, mostnotably by the Duke of Windsor,
(06:16):
Edward VIII.
London was a key center formenswear design during both the
19th and 20th century andFrederick Schulte, the Duke of
Windsor's personal tailor, isoften credited with pioneering
the drapesuit in the mid-1930s.
So the drapesuit itself wasfashioned out of the light V
(06:37):
silhouette created by armyjacket uniforms army uniform
jacket and it was designedpurposely with more room in the
chest and shoulders of thejacket and then more room in the
trousers, and then the jacketitself kind of softly clung to
the bottom, creating a drape-isheffect.
(06:57):
One fashion writer observed thedesign emphasized male
athleticism and virality.
The looser pants created adrape around the leg, which
contributed to the zoots.
The zoots yeah, we're callingit a zoot To the suit's
distinctive flair, the Englishdrape became one of the
(07:18):
favorites of the Duke of Windsorand, as Julius J Adams of the
New York Amsterdam News noted,many of the more daring of our
Americans studied his garmentsbefore seeing their tailors so
clearly.
The zoot suit evolved from thedrape suit.
However, it distinguisheditself primarily in its
silhouette.
(07:38):
The drape suit was a stylishadaptation.
The zoot suit took on a moreexaggerated form, particularly
in the American Southwest.
Often those who popularized thezoot suit, particularly Black
and Latino youth, did not haveeasy access to professional
tailors and they often alteredtheir oversized suits themselves
(08:00):
, adding their own eccentricchanges to drape suits to the
ride themselves.
Adding their own eccentricchanges to drape suits to the
ride.
So this diy tailoring born ofnecessity and creative ingenuity
created the zoot suit signaturefeatures a jacket with
oversized padded shoulders and along leg coat reaching to just
about or at the knee, and thenhigh waist trousers that were
(08:22):
cinched at the waist, the kneeand the ankle.
The extra fabric and addedpadding, broadened jacket
shoulders and extended jacketlength, while cinched trouser
waist, created a distinctive anddramatic look I need you to
bear with me even though I soundso sick.
(08:43):
I swear to god, I've been sicksince June 3rd.
It's June 23rd, break me out ofhere.
The zoot suit, with itsexaggerated silhouette that
challenged traditional fashionnorms, became a powerful symbol
of self-expression and oftenpolitical protest, representing
(09:03):
a desire to be seen and heard,particularly among marginalized
communities.
The Zoot suit offered a primeexample of fashion's
democratization.
As this bold new style gainedvast popular appeal, wearers
embraced and enhanced their ownsuits, making it a custom form
of personal expression.
So as the style becameincreasingly popular in the Jazz
(09:25):
Age, with figures like CountCalloway or Count Bossy
frequently wearing the zoot suitin the late 30s into the 40s,
it continued to gain nationalrecognition.
The lighter arms and theroomier trousers not only
contributed to the suit'sdistinctive look, but also
allowed performers to move morefreely while performing, further
cementing its association witha dynamic and expressive
(09:48):
cultural movement.
Throughout the first half ofthe 20th century, black and
Brown communities would continueto create fashion that spoke to
the desire to be viewed ontheir own terms and in their own
style.
So, from Harlem, new York, toLos Angeles, california, let's
talk about the Zoot Suit riots.
The Zoot Suit's history is alsomarked by an instance of social
(10:10):
injustice.
Clarissa Esquiera of LosAngeles County Museum of Art
described it.
It is considered the firstuniquely American suit.
She says Black and brown youthswere often criminalized for the
look they adopted.
Suit she says Black and brownyouths were often criminalized
for the look they adopted andthis was tragically evident in
(10:31):
the summer of 1943.
During this period, the presssensationalized the killing of a
young Latino man in Los Angeles.
The instance known as theSleepy Lagoon murder, given its
location, would go on to arousefear among white and Angelinas
and make Mexican-Americans thetarget of law enforcement.
As we know, in this country inparticular, there is nothing
more dangerous than white fear,aka racism.
(10:54):
And this racially chargedatmosphere, combined with other
factors, set the stage for aperiod of intense conflict
Police racially profiledindividuals wearing the suit,
unjustly beating them andapprehending hundreds of young
men, including Black andFilipino Americans.
The summer of 1943 sawescalating racial tensions,
(11:16):
culminating in the infamous ZootSuit riots, fueled by
sensationalized media coverage,particularly in Los Angeles,
which often labeled zoot suitsas freak suits.
Land servicemen engaged in afive-day period in June 1943
where they stalked the streetsof Los Angeles, attacking
(11:37):
Mexican-American zoot suiters.
As the Los Angeles HeraldExpress infamously put.
Quote grab a suitor, take offhis pants and his coat and tear
them up or burn them.
End quote.
The atmosphere was thick withthe threat of violence.
These riots were not anisolated incident.
They occurred amidst a summerof violent upheaval, including
(12:01):
race riots in Detroit and NewYork.
However, as historians note, itwas only in Los Angeles that a
style of dress became a focalpoint of unrest and figured so
prominently in the response.
For the wearer, the Zootzurepresents a freedom over the
body, a powerful statement ofself-worth.
(12:21):
If you think about braceros orthe descendants of enslaved
African Americans, they wereseen as workers observed by one
commentator.
When you wear this garment,it's saying I'm valuable, I'm
more than a worker, I value mybody.
Several factors contributed tothe racial tensions that
preceded the riots.
Workers needed in theagricultural and service sectors
(12:43):
to fill jobs vacated by thoseserving in the military.
An agreement was reached withMexico to bring in temporary
workers from Mexico.
However, the influx of Mexicanworkers was not particularly
welcomed by all white Americans.
Additionally, the USgovernment's war effort had, by
March 1942, begun rationing itsvarious resources.
(13:06):
There were restrictions on wool, which had a direct effect on
the manufacturing of wool suitsand other clothing.
These regulations, whicheffectively prohibited the
manufacturing of suit suits,were seen by some as being
deliberately ignored byMexican-American youth wearing
the Zoot Suits, which furtherescalated the racial tension.
(13:28):
Even though a network ofblue-legged tailors continued to
manufacture Zoot Suits, theperception of the suit wearer
were un-American anddeliberately ignoring the ration
regulations and fueledresentment.
The Zoot Suit riots are commonlyassociated with the Sleepy
Lagoon murders, murder singularwhich occurred in August 1942.
(13:50):
The Sleepy Lagoon was the nameof a large revs of war outside
the city of Los Angeles.
On August 1st 1942, zootSuiters were involved in a fight
near the Sleepy Lagoon.
The next morning, a partygoer,jose Diaz, was found dead.
There was a public outcryagainst the Zoot suiters, fueled
by local tabloids exploitingconcerns about juvenile
(14:13):
delinquency.
California Governor ColbertOlson used Diaz's death to
justify a mouse roundup by theLos Angeles Police Department of
600 men and women, the majorityof whom were Mexican-American.
The Zoot Suiters who werearrested were tried and in
January 1943, 17 were convictedof murder and assault.
(14:36):
Despite devious evidence, theseconvictions of the
Mexican-American youth werelater reversed and appealed in
October 1944.
From 1942 to 1943, media outletscontinued to portray zoot
suiters as dangerous gangmembers capable of murder.
Based on these news reports,more and more people began to
(14:58):
believe that Mexican-Americanyouth, the zoot suiters, were
predisposed to committing crimes.
Youth, the Zoot Suiters, werepredisposed to committing crimes
.
It was within this raciallycharged atmosphere that the
conflict between predominantlywhite servicemen and
Mexican-American youth in thearea began.
Initially these were minoraltercations, but they later
(15:19):
escalated significantly.
Within months of the SleepyLagoon case, the zoot suit riots
erupted.
The riots began on June 3, 1943, after a group of sailors
claimed they had been attackedby a group of Mexican-American
zoot suiters.
On June 4, uniformed sailorsparted cabs and headed into the
(15:40):
Mexican-American communitiesseeking out zoot suiters.
This marked the beginning of aseries of conflicts, primarily
between servicemen and zootsuiters.
Zoot suiters were often beatenby servicemen and stripped of
their suits, which weresometimes urinated on or burned
in the street.
(16:00):
A local paper even published anarticle on how to zoot a zoot
suitor, which includedinstructions on how zoot suits
should be burned.
Servicemen were frequentlyportrayed as heroes fighting
against a supposed Mexican crimewave.
(16:22):
The worst of the riotinghappened on the night of June
7th, when thousands ofservicemen and citizens prowled
downtown Los Angeles, attackingnot only zoot suiters but also
members of other minority groupswho were not even wearing zoot
suits.
They just wanted to cause aruckus.
(16:43):
So the Los Angeles police oftenstood by as the violence
unfolded, instead of intervening.
They frequently arrested thevictims of the attacks, claiming
that the assailants were actingin self-defense.
And, as Alex Waxman, editor ofthe East Los Angeles newspaper,
(17:08):
the East Side Journal, witnessedat the scene, witnessed at the
scene and pleaded with theofficers to step in, but he was
told it was a matter for themilitary police and they refused
to get involved.
The violence escalated over twodays and the mobs swelled with
civilians, sailors, soldiers andmarines.
(17:28):
Taxi drivers even willinglydrove sailors downtown so they
could indiscriminately attackany Mexican-American, even if
they weren't wearing a zoot suit.
Meanwhile, newspapers oftenpraised the attackers and on
June 4th the Oakland Tribunedescribed the vigilante mob as a
(17:49):
vengeance squad when declaredquote we are out to do what the
police have failed to do, endquote.
Quote we are out to do what thepolice have failed to do, end
quote.
On June 6th and 7th the mob metresistance when they moved to
East Los Angeles and pushed intopredominantly Black
neighborhoods of Watts in thesearch of zoot suiters.
Rudy Lavis, a teenager at thetime, remembered setting traps
(18:15):
with his friends Quote.
Toward evening we startedhiding in alleys and we sent
about 20 guys right out into themiddle of the street as decoys.
They started coming after thedecoys.
Then we came out.
We were surprised.
It was the first time anybodywas organized to fight them.
End of quote.
I'm like I had a breath, oh mygod.
(18:36):
The violence and targeting ofyoung men created widespread
fear.
One mother pleaded with thepolice quote, end quote Only to
be hit in the face with anofficer's nightstick.
In a desperate attempt forprotection, groups of boys even
turned themselves into thepolice, saying things like
(18:58):
charge me with vagrancy oranything, but don't send me out
there.
And finally, on June 8th, riotssubsided with military
officials, with the southernsector of the Western Defense
Command declared Los Angelesoff-limits to soldiers, sailors
and Marines and ordered militarypolice to arrest disorderly
(19:19):
servicemen.
Because the local police werecompletely unable or unwilling
to handle the situation,military police were ordered to
patrol the parts of the city andarrest disorderly military
personnel.
The Los Angeles City Councilalso passed a resolution that
banned the wearing of suits onLos Angeles streets, a
(19:40):
proclamation that was declared avictory by many residents.
During the aftermath of theriots, many had offered
explanation for the violence.
Los Angeles Mayor FletcherBowren blamed lawlessness and
juvenile delinquency amongMexican-American teenagers.
Senator Jack Heaney of theCalifornia Senate in fact
fighting subcommittee onun-American activities bizarrely
(20:03):
claimed that the riots were thework of communist agents and
ex-spies stirring up racialtroubles.
Some Mexican-American leaders,like Eduardo Quevedo, argued
that the city needed a policeforce that was more prompt and
equitable in its response to thecommunity.
California-based journalistKerry McWilliams offered a stark
(20:25):
assessment.
On Monday, june 7, 1943, hereported thousands of Angelenos
turned out for a mass lynching,described how a mob of several
thousand soldiers, sailors andcivilians hunted down every
single zoot suitor they couldfind.
So that was dark.
I'll admit it, that was alittle crazy.
(20:49):
I'm so sorry, but that isfactual history.
So yeah, fashion is inherentlypolitical.
Well, let's talk about thelegacy that the zoot suits carry
.
The riots resulted in manyinjuries but remarkably no
deaths.
However, considerably moreMexican-Americans than
(21:10):
servicemen were arrested,upwards of 600 of the former,
fueling widespread criticism ofthe Los Angeles Police
Department's response.
California Governor Earl Warrencreated a citizens committee to
investigate the cause of theZoot Suit riots.
The committee's reportindicated several factors
contributed that racism was acentral cause, exacerbated by
(21:33):
the bias and inflammatory mediacoverage and the actions or
inactions of the LAPD.
Los Angeles Mayor FletcherBowron, perhaps concerned about
the riots' negative impact onthe city's image, offered his
own conclusion, claiming thatracial prejudice actually wasn't
a factor at all and that theriots were caused by juvenile
(21:56):
delinquents.
The suit suits beyond itsinstinctive style, represents
youthful masculinity and a boldchallenge to racial
discrimination.
Its popularity extended beyondMexican-Americans, finding
adherence among Black,italian-american,
jewish-american,filipino-american and
Japanese-American.
(22:16):
Even Mexican-American womenknown as Pachuca's adopted the
elements of this style.
While older generations oftendidn't quite understand the zoot
suit, attributing it to usefulexpression.
The war production boardsbanned on wearing and
manufacturing of zoot suits dueto their excessive use of
rationed cloth furtherpoliticized the garment.
(22:38):
The ban made it clear that tosome, the zoot suit was more
than just a fashion statement.
It was a symbol of defiance.
The zoot suit riots in LosAngeles stand as a stark example
of the demonization of blackand brown.
Americans through theirsartorial choices, americans
(22:59):
through their sartorial choices.
There's also a movie calledZoot Suit.
I didn't read it, I didn'twatch it.
I did not watch it and I'm sosorry that I did not watch it.
That's on me, but most recentlywe saw iterations of the Zoot
Suit at the 2025 McGow.
The theme was superfinetailoring Black style Dandyism,
if you will.
Zoot suits are integral to theblack American style.
(23:19):
There looked to be about 10renditions of the Zoot suit at
the Met Gala.
Well, I thought Wabi Lame.
Wabi Lame and Chance the Rapperhad the best versions, imo,
though Zendaya always lookedfabulous.
That wasn't even a furconsideration, but I felt like
Chance the Rapper and Khabi Lame.
(23:41):
I googled this pronunciation.
Khabi Lame were suits felt themost authentic to what the
original Zoot suit looked like,though that could be argued,
since each suit was custom tothe wearer.
Also, did you know that JekabiIlane was actually just deported
(24:02):
by ICE due to an expired visaearlier this month, and by this
month I mean June, so I wouldlook into that.
I just saw an MSN article thatI read Boom, expired visa.
He got detained and sent back.
(24:22):
So it never stops, huh.
So, in conclusion, mizutsu, bornfrom Harlem's black youth
culture in the late 1930s,transcended mere fashion to
become a powerful symbol ofself-expression and cultural
identity for marginalizedcommunities all across America.
Evolving from the drape suit,its exaggerated silhouette,
(24:45):
characterized by oversizedshoulders and cinched trousers,
was often a result of creativeDIY tailoring by those who
lacked access to professionaltailors by tailoring by those
who lacked access toprofessional tailors, which
further cemented its uniqueflair and personal connection to
its wearer.
However, this iconic garment'sjourney is also marked by a
(25:06):
tragic social injustice, goingback to the Zoot Suit riots in
1943, where racial prejudice andsensationalized mediaed attacks
on the wearer.
Despite this dark chapter, theZoot Suit's legacy endures,
symbolizing defiance, pride anda timeless testament to how
style can powerfully reflect andshape cultural narratives
(25:29):
across generations, which we sawat the latest Met Gala.
Just continuous appreciation ofstyle and culture.
And also I'll say somethingcontroversial right now I don't
think white people should wearzoot suits.
I think there's too muchcultural significance from all
minority groups.
I don't think we're allowed towear them and I will judge you
(25:53):
if you wear them.
So that's my two cents.
Anyway, that's a zoot suit andI will judge you if you wear
them.
So that's my two cents.
Anyway, that's the Zoot Suitand I'm really proud of
everything I have looked at forthis episode.
I will leave all my sources inthe show notes so you guys can
read more and educate yourself.
But until next time.
(26:15):
Next time is about the GarmentDistrict, so I'm really excited.
It was a monster to research.
My notes are so long, but I'mreally excited.
I think I could trim them downto something digestible, see.
Anyway, I'm gonna go watch LoveIsland, so I will see you guys
next time.
Bye.
hey divas, and welcome to magnafic, your
favorite podcast for all thingsfashion and fashion history.
Today we talk about the zootsuit and I'll admit I have sat
on this topic for a long timejust because I've been sick the
entire month of june.
But now's as good a time as any, because I feel like it's more
(00:24):
topical now, which isunfortunate in the grand scheme
of things, but really good forme because I am covering a
topical issue.
Yay, today's.
It's not funny.
Today's topic is inspired by mynewfound love of reading,
specifically reading my fashionencyclopedia, and I feel like I
(00:48):
know what you're thinking.
Why on earth are you reading anencyclopedia?
And, girl, I'll tell you, orI'll tell you if you want me to
tell you.
Well, I said to myself if Ireally want to know everything
about fashion, I fear I have toread everything about fashion.
I fear I do, and I'm not gonnalie to you.
My favorite time of day freshout the shower, I have my sleepy
(01:12):
time tea ready to go, and I'mcracking open my iPad, opening
GoodNotes to my PDF version ofmy fashion encyclopedia and
guess what?
I'm reading a few chapterswhile I sip my tea, until my tea
makes me so sleepy that Icannot physically keep my eyes
open anymore.
And where was I going with that?
(01:33):
Oh yeah.
So I've been reading a lot andI'll be honest with you, at
first my reading comprehensionskills were not comprehending.
There are so many technicalwords in this encyclopedia that
I have had to Google.
I'll be honest with you, I'lleven fold your hand when I say
it.
I had to Google a lot of words,but that's okay, because now I
(01:56):
know the words and off rip.
I can't tell you a single wordthat I've had to Google, but I'm
sure I have.
I'm sure I have.
Anyway, and as you know, I'vebeen trying to adopt a
superiority complex by deletingall my social media apps and
like I still have the accounts,like if you go, look me up, I'm
still going to be there.
So I'm not lying in that regard.
(02:16):
Like I just don't have the appson my phone, although I did
have TikTok, like two days ago,because I'm a fiend and I'm
fiending right now.
Actually, I'm kind of in abratty mood and I do think it's
because I'm going through TikTokwithdrawals.
It'd be like that.
Also hope again.
I'm not falling for it, becauseit's just all over TikTok right
now, everyone being pregnant.
I'm not falling for thatpropaganda, especially not in
(02:39):
this day and age.
No, thank you.
I hope your pregnancy isawesome, but don't wish that on
me.
Not here, not now.
Anyway, how did we get here?
My superiority complex has ledme down so many new hobbies and
(03:02):
just I've been deeper divinginto my passion for fashion.
So I started reading theEncyclopedia of Clothing and
Fashion and initially I had noplans.
I thought I was just going withvibes, I was just going to see
what I could learn.
Oh, also, I've been, like Isaid, sick the entire month of
June and I don't understand whatit is, but I have just been
calling it a head cold and Idon't care if that's
(03:22):
irresponsible of me.
I don't want to know if it'sanything else.
So anyway, I had no plans whenI started my encyclopedia, but I
was just going through eachletter every night, kind of just
picking which articles lookedinteresting to me.
And then I saw a roadmap in theback of the book and it told me
(03:42):
exactly which pages to read ifI wanted to get a deeper
understanding in specific topics, and that ignited my world.
It changed my brain chemistry.
So now I'm back in school andI'm reading each night and
checking off my sections andtaking notes and highlighting it
(04:04):
might feel amazing.
So, that being said, I foundmyself in the z's one night and
I ran up on the zoot suit andjust immediately I needed to
know everything about it as fastas humanly possible.
So I did and disclosure I putthis next paragraph in AI to see
(04:26):
what it would make me, becausethe future is AI.
I don't know.
I'm pretty neutral about AI,even though I am learning it at
work.
We're not talking about workright now.
Anyway, the zoot suits and Itold me to give you this right
(04:47):
now this initial spark ignited afervent quest for knowledge and
immediately upon reading that,I said banking.
Fervent is a word that I needto pull out much more often.
So please indulge me in thisfervent quest for knowledge as I
info-dump on all things ZootSuits, from the Jazz Age to the
(05:10):
modern-day homages.
My journey into the world ofZoot Suits has not only expanded
my understanding of fashionhistory, but has also
highlighted the timeless powerof style to reflect and shape
cultural narratives acrossgenerations.
Power of style to reflect andshape cultural narratives across
generations.
So let's talk about theconception of zoot suits.
It's actually quite crazy,crazy alert.
(05:32):
The zoot suit is an iconic anduniquely American style of dress
.
It emerged in the late 1930swithin the Black youth culture
of Harlem, new York.
From its Harlem origins itquickly spread popularity
amongst working-class minorityyouth in California, finding
adopters in the Mexican-Americancrowd, filipinos and even a
(05:52):
small subset ofJapanese-Americans, including
those who experienced World WarII-era internment camps Not to
be confused with 2025-erainternment camps.
The Z suit's origins can betraced back to the drape suit,
which is a more relaxed andstylish men's suit that gained
popularity in the 1930s, mostnotably by the Duke of Windsor,
(06:16):
Edward VIII.
London was a key center formenswear design during both the
19th and 20th century andFrederick Schulte, the Duke of
Windsor's personal tailor, isoften credited with pioneering
the drapesuit in the mid-1930s.
So the drapesuit itself wasfashioned out of the light V
(06:37):
silhouette created by armyjacket uniforms army uniform
jacket and it was designedpurposely with more room in the
chest and shoulders of thejacket and then more room in the
trousers, and then the jacketitself kind of softly clung to
the bottom, creating a drape-isheffect.
(06:57):
One fashion writer observed thedesign emphasized male
athleticism and virality.
The looser pants created adrape around the leg, which
contributed to the zoots.
The zoots yeah, we're callingit a zoot To the suit's
distinctive flair, the Englishdrape became one of the
(07:18):
favorites of the Duke of Windsorand, as Julius J Adams of the
New York Amsterdam News noted,many of the more daring of our
Americans studied his garmentsbefore seeing their tailors so
clearly.
The zoot suit evolved from thedrape suit.
However, it distinguisheditself primarily in its
silhouette.
(07:38):
The drape suit was a stylishadaptation.
The zoot suit took on a moreexaggerated form, particularly
in the American Southwest.
Often those who popularized thezoot suit, particularly Black
and Latino youth, did not haveeasy access to professional
tailors and they often alteredtheir oversized suits themselves
(08:00):
, adding their own eccentricchanges to drape suits to the
ride themselves.
Adding their own eccentricchanges to drape suits to the
ride.
So this diy tailoring born ofnecessity and creative ingenuity
created the zoot suit signaturefeatures a jacket with
oversized padded shoulders and along leg coat reaching to just
about or at the knee, and thenhigh waist trousers that were
(08:22):
cinched at the waist, the kneeand the ankle.
The extra fabric and addedpadding, broadened jacket
shoulders and extended jacketlength, while cinched trouser
waist, created a distinctive anddramatic look I need you to
bear with me even though I soundso sick.
(08:43):
I swear to god, I've been sicksince June 3rd.
It's June 23rd, break me out ofhere.
The zoot suit, with itsexaggerated silhouette that
challenged traditional fashionnorms, became a powerful symbol
of self-expression and oftenpolitical protest, representing
(09:03):
a desire to be seen and heard,particularly among marginalized
communities.
The Zoot suit offered a primeexample of fashion's
democratization.
As this bold new style gainedvast popular appeal, wearers
embraced and enhanced their ownsuits, making it a custom form
of personal expression.
So as the style becameincreasingly popular in the Jazz
(09:25):
Age, with figures like CountCalloway or Count Bossy
frequently wearing the zoot suitin the late 30s into the 40s,
it continued to gain nationalrecognition.
The lighter arms and theroomier trousers not only
contributed to the suit'sdistinctive look, but also
allowed performers to move morefreely while performing, further
cementing its association witha dynamic and expressive
(09:48):
cultural movement.
Throughout the first half ofthe 20th century, black and
Brown communities would continueto create fashion that spoke to
the desire to be viewed ontheir own terms and in their own
style.
So, from Harlem, new York, toLos Angeles, california, let's
talk about the Zoot Suit riots.
The Zoot Suit's history is alsomarked by an instance of social
(10:10):
injustice.
Clarissa Esquiera of LosAngeles County Museum of Art
described it.
It is considered the firstuniquely American suit.
She says Black and brown youthswere often criminalized for the
look they adopted.
Suit she says Black and brownyouths were often criminalized
for the look they adopted andthis was tragically evident in
(10:31):
the summer of 1943.
During this period, the presssensationalized the killing of a
young Latino man in Los Angeles.
The instance known as theSleepy Lagoon murder, given its
location, would go on to arousefear among white and Angelinas
and make Mexican-Americans thetarget of law enforcement.
As we know, in this country inparticular, there is nothing
more dangerous than white fear,aka racism.
(10:54):
And this racially chargedatmosphere, combined with other
factors, set the stage for aperiod of intense conflict
Police racially profiledindividuals wearing the suit,
unjustly beating them andapprehending hundreds of young
men, including Black andFilipino Americans.
The summer of 1943 sawescalating racial tensions,
(11:16):
culminating in the infamous ZootSuit riots, fueled by
sensationalized media coverage,particularly in Los Angeles,
which often labeled zoot suitsas freak suits.
Land servicemen engaged in afive-day period in June 1943
where they stalked the streetsof Los Angeles, attacking
(11:37):
Mexican-American zoot suiters.
As the Los Angeles HeraldExpress infamously put.
Quote grab a suitor, take offhis pants and his coat and tear
them up or burn them.
End quote.
The atmosphere was thick withthe threat of violence.
These riots were not anisolated incident.
They occurred amidst a summerof violent upheaval, including
(12:01):
race riots in Detroit and NewYork.
However, as historians note, itwas only in Los Angeles that a
style of dress became a focalpoint of unrest and figured so
prominently in the response.
For the wearer, the Zootzurepresents a freedom over the
body, a powerful statement ofself-worth.
(12:21):
If you think about braceros orthe descendants of enslaved
African Americans, they wereseen as workers observed by one
commentator.
When you wear this garment,it's saying I'm valuable, I'm
more than a worker, I value mybody.
Several factors contributed tothe racial tensions that
preceded the riots.
Workers needed in theagricultural and service sectors
(12:43):
to fill jobs vacated by thoseserving in the military.
An agreement was reached withMexico to bring in temporary
workers from Mexico.
However, the influx of Mexicanworkers was not particularly
welcomed by all white Americans.
Additionally, the USgovernment's war effort had, by
March 1942, begun rationing itsvarious resources.
(13:06):
There were restrictions on wool, which had a direct effect on
the manufacturing of wool suitsand other clothing.
These regulations, whicheffectively prohibited the
manufacturing of suit suits,were seen by some as being
deliberately ignored byMexican-American youth wearing
the Zoot Suits, which furtherescalated the racial tension.
(13:28):
Even though a network ofblue-legged tailors continued to
manufacture Zoot Suits, theperception of the suit wearer
were un-American anddeliberately ignoring the ration
regulations and fueledresentment.
The Zoot Suit riots are commonlyassociated with the Sleepy
Lagoon murders, murder singularwhich occurred in August 1942.
(13:50):
The Sleepy Lagoon was the nameof a large revs of war outside
the city of Los Angeles.
On August 1st 1942, zootSuiters were involved in a fight
near the Sleepy Lagoon.
The next morning, a partygoer,jose Diaz, was found dead.
There was a public outcryagainst the Zoot suiters, fueled
by local tabloids exploitingconcerns about juvenile
(14:13):
delinquency.
California Governor ColbertOlson used Diaz's death to
justify a mouse roundup by theLos Angeles Police Department of
600 men and women, the majorityof whom were Mexican-American.
The Zoot Suiters who werearrested were tried and in
January 1943, 17 were convictedof murder and assault.
(14:36):
Despite devious evidence, theseconvictions of the
Mexican-American youth werelater reversed and appealed in
October 1944.
From 1942 to 1943, media outletscontinued to portray zoot
suiters as dangerous gangmembers capable of murder.
Based on these news reports,more and more people began to
(14:58):
believe that Mexican-Americanyouth, the zoot suiters, were
predisposed to committing crimes.
Youth, the Zoot Suiters, werepredisposed to committing crimes
.
It was within this raciallycharged atmosphere that the
conflict between predominantlywhite servicemen and
Mexican-American youth in thearea began.
Initially these were minoraltercations, but they later
(15:19):
escalated significantly.
Within months of the SleepyLagoon case, the zoot suit riots
erupted.
The riots began on June 3, 1943, after a group of sailors
claimed they had been attackedby a group of Mexican-American
zoot suiters.
On June 4, uniformed sailorsparted cabs and headed into the
(15:40):
Mexican-American communitiesseeking out zoot suiters.
This marked the beginning of aseries of conflicts, primarily
between servicemen and zootsuiters.
Zoot suiters were often beatenby servicemen and stripped of
their suits, which weresometimes urinated on or burned
in the street.
(16:00):
A local paper even published anarticle on how to zoot a zoot
suitor, which includedinstructions on how zoot suits
should be burned.
Servicemen were frequentlyportrayed as heroes fighting
against a supposed Mexican crimewave.
(16:22):
The worst of the riotinghappened on the night of June
7th, when thousands ofservicemen and citizens prowled
downtown Los Angeles, attackingnot only zoot suiters but also
members of other minority groupswho were not even wearing zoot
suits.
They just wanted to cause aruckus.
(16:43):
So the Los Angeles police oftenstood by as the violence
unfolded, instead of intervening.
They frequently arrested thevictims of the attacks, claiming
that the assailants were actingin self-defense.
And, as Alex Waxman, editor ofthe East Los Angeles newspaper,
(17:08):
the East Side Journal, witnessedat the scene, witnessed at the
scene and pleaded with theofficers to step in, but he was
told it was a matter for themilitary police and they refused
to get involved.
The violence escalated over twodays and the mobs swelled with
civilians, sailors, soldiers andmarines.
(17:28):
Taxi drivers even willinglydrove sailors downtown so they
could indiscriminately attackany Mexican-American, even if
they weren't wearing a zoot suit.
Meanwhile, newspapers oftenpraised the attackers and on
June 4th the Oakland Tribunedescribed the vigilante mob as a
(17:49):
vengeance squad when declaredquote we are out to do what the
police have failed to do, endquote.
Quote we are out to do what thepolice have failed to do, end
quote.
On June 6th and 7th the mob metresistance when they moved to
East Los Angeles and pushed intopredominantly Black
neighborhoods of Watts in thesearch of zoot suiters.
Rudy Lavis, a teenager at thetime, remembered setting traps
(18:15):
with his friends Quote.
Toward evening we startedhiding in alleys and we sent
about 20 guys right out into themiddle of the street as decoys.
They started coming after thedecoys.
Then we came out.
We were surprised.
It was the first time anybodywas organized to fight them.
End of quote.
I'm like I had a breath, oh mygod.
(18:36):
The violence and targeting ofyoung men created widespread
fear.
One mother pleaded with thepolice quote, end quote Only to
be hit in the face with anofficer's nightstick.
In a desperate attempt forprotection, groups of boys even
turned themselves into thepolice, saying things like
(18:58):
charge me with vagrancy oranything, but don't send me out
there.
And finally, on June 8th, riotssubsided with military
officials, with the southernsector of the Western Defense
Command declared Los Angelesoff-limits to soldiers, sailors
and Marines and ordered militarypolice to arrest disorderly
(19:19):
servicemen.
Because the local police werecompletely unable or unwilling
to handle the situation,military police were ordered to
patrol the parts of the city andarrest disorderly military
personnel.
The Los Angeles City Councilalso passed a resolution that
banned the wearing of suits onLos Angeles streets, a
(19:40):
proclamation that was declared avictory by many residents.
During the aftermath of theriots, many had offered
explanation for the violence.
Los Angeles Mayor FletcherBowren blamed lawlessness and
juvenile delinquency amongMexican-American teenagers.
Senator Jack Heaney of theCalifornia Senate in fact
fighting subcommittee onun-American activities bizarrely
(20:03):
claimed that the riots were thework of communist agents and
ex-spies stirring up racialtroubles.
Some Mexican-American leaders,like Eduardo Quevedo, argued
that the city needed a policeforce that was more prompt and
equitable in its response to thecommunity.
California-based journalistKerry McWilliams offered a stark
(20:25):
assessment.
On Monday, june 7, 1943, hereported thousands of Angelenos
turned out for a mass lynching,described how a mob of several
thousand soldiers, sailors andcivilians hunted down every
single zoot suitor they couldfind.
So that was dark.
I'll admit it, that was alittle crazy.
(20:49):
I'm so sorry, but that isfactual history.
So yeah, fashion is inherentlypolitical.
Well, let's talk about thelegacy that the zoot suits carry
.
The riots resulted in manyinjuries but remarkably no
deaths.
However, considerably moreMexican-Americans than
(21:10):
servicemen were arrested,upwards of 600 of the former,
fueling widespread criticism ofthe Los Angeles Police
Department's response.
California Governor Earl Warrencreated a citizens committee to
investigate the cause of theZoot Suit riots.
The committee's reportindicated several factors
contributed that racism was acentral cause, exacerbated by
(21:33):
the bias and inflammatory mediacoverage and the actions or
inactions of the LAPD.
Los Angeles Mayor FletcherBowron, perhaps concerned about
the riots' negative impact onthe city's image, offered his
own conclusion, claiming thatracial prejudice actually wasn't
a factor at all and that theriots were caused by juvenile
(21:56):
delinquents.
The suit suits beyond itsinstinctive style, represents
youthful masculinity and a boldchallenge to racial
discrimination.
Its popularity extended beyondMexican-Americans, finding
adherence among Black,italian-american,
jewish-american,filipino-american and
Japanese-American.
(22:16):
Even Mexican-American womenknown as Pachuca's adopted the
elements of this style.
While older generations oftendidn't quite understand the zoot
suit, attributing it to usefulexpression.
The war production boardsbanned on wearing and
manufacturing of zoot suits dueto their excessive use of
rationed cloth furtherpoliticized the garment.
(22:38):
The ban made it clear that tosome, the zoot suit was more
than just a fashion statement.
It was a symbol of defiance.
The zoot suit riots in LosAngeles stand as a stark example
of the demonization of blackand brown.
Americans through theirsartorial choices, americans
(22:59):
through their sartorial choices.
There's also a movie calledZoot Suit.
I didn't read it, I didn'twatch it.
I did not watch it and I'm sosorry that I did not watch it.
That's on me, but most recentlywe saw iterations of the Zoot
Suit at the 2025 McGow.
The theme was superfinetailoring Black style Dandyism,
if you will.
Zoot suits are integral to theblack American style.
(23:19):
There looked to be about 10renditions of the Zoot suit at
the Met Gala.
Well, I thought Wabi Lame.
Wabi Lame and Chance the Rapperhad the best versions, imo,
though Zendaya always lookedfabulous.
That wasn't even a furconsideration, but I felt like
Chance the Rapper and Khabi Lame.
(23:41):
I googled this pronunciation.
Khabi Lame were suits felt themost authentic to what the
original Zoot suit looked like,though that could be argued,
since each suit was custom tothe wearer.
Also, did you know that JekabiIlane was actually just deported
(24:02):
by ICE due to an expired visaearlier this month, and by this
month I mean June, so I wouldlook into that.
I just saw an MSN article thatI read Boom, expired visa.
He got detained and sent back.
(24:22):
So it never stops, huh.
So, in conclusion, mizutsu, bornfrom Harlem's black youth
culture in the late 1930s,transcended mere fashion to
become a powerful symbol ofself-expression and cultural
identity for marginalizedcommunities all across America.
Evolving from the drape suit,its exaggerated silhouette,
(24:45):
characterized by oversizedshoulders and cinched trousers,
was often a result of creativeDIY tailoring by those who
lacked access to professionaltailors by tailoring by those
who lacked access toprofessional tailors, which
further cemented its uniqueflair and personal connection to
its wearer.
However, this iconic garment'sjourney is also marked by a
(25:06):
tragic social injustice, goingback to the Zoot Suit riots in
1943, where racial prejudice andsensationalized mediaed attacks
on the wearer.
Despite this dark chapter, theZoot Suit's legacy endures,
symbolizing defiance, pride anda timeless testament to how
style can powerfully reflect andshape cultural narratives
(25:29):
across generations, which we sawat the latest Met Gala.
Just continuous appreciation ofstyle and culture.
And also I'll say somethingcontroversial right now I don't
think white people should wearzoot suits.
I think there's too muchcultural significance from all
minority groups.
I don't think we're allowed towear them and I will judge you
(25:53):
if you wear them.
So that's my two cents.
Anyway, that's a zoot suit andI will judge you if you wear
them.
So that's my two cents.
Anyway, that's the Zoot Suitand I'm really proud of
everything I have looked at forthis episode.
I will leave all my sources inthe show notes so you guys can
read more and educate yourself.
But until next time.
(26:15):
Next time is about the GarmentDistrict, so I'm really excited.
It was a monster to research.
My notes are so long, but I'mreally excited.
I think I could trim them downto something digestible, see.
Anyway, I'm gonna go watch LoveIsland, so I will see you guys
next time.
Bye.
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