Zoot Suit: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style
By Kathy Peiss
Paperback
$24.95
By Kathy Peiss
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ZOOT SUIT (n.): the ultimate in clothes. The only totally and truly American civilian suit.
—Cab Calloway, The Hepster's Dictionary, 1944
Before the fashion statements of hippies, punks, or hiphop, there was the zoot suit, a striking urban look of the World War II era that captivated the imagination. Created by poor African American men and obscure tailors, the "drape shape" was embraced by Mexican American pachucos, workingclass youth, entertainers, and swing dancers, yet condemned by the ...
—Cab Calloway, The Hepster's Dictionary, 1944
Before the fashion statements of hippies, punks, or hiphop, there was the zoot suit, a striking urban look of the World War II era that captivated the imagination. Created by poor African American men and obscure tailors, the "drape shape" was embraced by Mexican American pachucos, workingclass youth, entertainers, and swing dancers, yet condemned by the ...


