Zoot Suit

Wear stylish purple pimp suit during functions

Suit Glossary

• Tramas- Wide-legged, tight-cuffed, or "pegged" trouser.
• Carlango- Long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders.
• Tapa or Tanda- Felt hat with long feather.
• Calcos -PointyFrench style shoes.
• Pachucos- Mexican American youths in mid-20th Century who wore flashy clothes such as zoot suit.
• Zoot dress Suit Riots- Series of riots that erupted in Los Angeles, California during World War II between sailors and soldiers stationed in the city and Mexican American youth gangs headed by Pachucos who wore suits.
• Zazous- French version of zoot dress suit worn after World War II. The French youth wore these suits to express their individuality.

Zoot dress Suits Today

In spite of the riots of 1943, zoot dress suits are still popular in today's world. After the war, the rationing of clothes was over. More and more people started wearing the suits. People feel more relaxed and comfortable in zoot dress suits than any other men's suit. The teenagers like the loose fitting trouser which is perfect for dancing and cool style with flashy look.

The popularity for mens suits increased with movies such as "Mask," "Wild, Wild West," and trilogy "Matrix," The bright yellow suit with a broad brimmed hat became worn by Jim Carrey in the movie "Mask" increased the sale of suits with vivid colors and designs. suits got stylish trendy look from the movies such as "Wild, Wild West" and "Matrix." The long stylish coat worn by Keanu Reeves in the movie "Matrix" has brought a new style in zoot dress suits.

A Zoot Suit - man's suit with wide-legged, tight-cuffed, or "pegged," trousers (called tramas); and a long coat with wide lapels, and wide, padded shoulders (called the carlango). Often zoot suiters wear a felt hat with a long feather (called a tapa or tanda) and pointy, French-style shoes (called calcos). A young Malcolm X described the suit this way: "a killer-diller coat with a drape shape, reet pleats and shoulders padded like a lunatic's cell."

Mens dress Suits first gained popularity in Harlem jazz culture in the early 1930s. The word "zoot" probably comes from the French word zut (meaning "damn!"). They were extremely popular with African-American youth and also with young Latinos, most particularly in the Los Angeles Chicano community. In March of 1942, the War Production Board banned zoot suit production - allegedly because it deemed the style wasteful of valuable suiting material during wartime, but the measure was taken in a climate of general anxiety and fear of latino youths. The fashion persisted, despite restrictions placed on the amount of fabric in the production of garments.

It has been suggested by some that zoot dress suits originated as a passive protest to measures during World War II to limit nationwide consumption of many items due to war needs, but this is unlikely, as fashionable Suit - Zuit Suit in black and Latino communities long before the imposition of such restrictions.

(1) Zoot Suit Culture

(2)Zuit Suit Origin

(3) Zuit Suit as "hepcats"

The Zoot Suit, characterized by an oversized jacket with large lapels, padded shoulders and baggy pants which were cuffed at the ankles (with a wide brimmed fedora hat generally accompanying) was first popularized by young teenage "hepcats." It popped up in the early 1940s among the "jitterbug" dancers and was popularized when entertainers such as Frank Sinatra began wearing them.

(4) History of "Zoot Suit"

The suit was first worn in Harlem, New York but the fad ended quickly when the War Production Board restricted the amount of material that could be used in men's clothing.

Zuit Suit brings to life a racially-charged trial of the 1940s, in which a group of pachucos, Mexican-American gang members, are charged and sentenced with the murder of another Mexican American. Playwright Luis Valdez depict s the trial of the Sleepy Lagoon Murder and the related Zoot Suit Riots of 1943 in a combination of docudrama, myth, and musical. This Suit was designed to reach a larger audience than those targeted by the improvisational skits, or actos, he had produced for El Teatro Campesino, a theater troupe he founded to support Hispanic labor leader Cesar Chavez's efforts to unionize California farm workers during the Delano Grape Strike of 1965. Although he reached back into history for a specific Mexican-American incident, Valdez's play concerns the problems of all ethnic minorities in America.

Opening in 1978, Zoot Suit sold out every time it played in Los Angeles, though it met with less enthusiasm from critics in New York when it debuted on Broadway. In the play, the mythical character El Pachuco Zoot Suit to resist the social injustices of an unfair trial and fight for his community; he does so, but the play ends without resolving his future. With its Brechtian-style protest against social injustice and defamiliarization techniques, such that the action is controlled and re-directed by one of the characters, Zoot Suit set a new standard for Chicano theater and Valdez was recognized as a leader in American drama. A film version produced in 1981 starring Edward James Olmos and Daniel Valdez (the playwright's brother, who had played Henry in the stage product ion as well) brought this vivid portrayal of social injustice to movie theaters.

Zoot Suits during World War II

During the World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt established War Production Board (WPB) in 1942. The War Production Board limited the consumption of many items nationwide due to war needs. Zoot suit production was banned by WPB as it was considered waste of cloth material. The amount of material and tailoring required made it a luxury item.

Being extremely popular among the Mexican Americans and African Americans, it was unlikely and the zoot suit fashion persisted. Most of the tailoring companies stopped manufacturing zoot suits. Despite restrictions for manufacturing of zoot suits, these suits were made illegally by the tailors. The illicit trading of zoot suits was cracked down.

Zoot Suit Riots
In 1943, unfortunate incident of riot occurred in the Los Angeles city, which came to be known as zoot suit riots. The refusal of Mexican American of stop using the zoot suits brought doubt and mistrust in people of Los Angeles in USA for they considered any person who wore zoot suit belonged to the gang member "Pachucos." Pachucos were street rebels in 1940s most of them dressed in zoot suits with long hairs combed into duck's tail at the back.

The media depicted the zoot suiters as hoodlums and believed that they carried out criminal activities. Many Mexican American teenagers challenged the prejudice they faced. In this tense situation, the soldiers and marines who had returned from the war were in conflict with Mexican zoot suiters. The servicemen considered the zoot suiters as bad citizens creating disturbances.

On June 3, 1943 , a group of servicemen complained of being attacked by Pachucos gang. Hundreds of marines and sailors headed towards East Los Angeles where Mexican Americans lived. They assaulted all the men who wore zoot suits, ripped their suits and burnt them in streets. To maintain peace, the Mexican Americans and the servicemen were arrested. The riots lasted for two weeks. Finally, the military authorities brought situation under control by restricting all the military personnel to enter the Los Angeles city.

Get The Fabulous Look With Yellow Zoot Suits
The scenario in the field of mens zoot suits has changed a great deal with time. Traditionally suits were the basic formal attires for men mostly in the Western countries. The suits available at that time comprised of a coat waistcoat and trousers of the same color. But in modern times, the concept of self color suits is no more in although many people wear them. But the trendy attires are manufactured mostly to suit all occasions whether formal or informal meet.

Hence the color schemes too have radically taken a different turn. You will go crazy with the innumerable shades of suits that you get today. Designers are working on every aspect of the traditional suits along with their colors introducing something new and different always. Among the different types of designer suits available today in various colors, the Yellow Zoot Suits have created quite a row in the fashion world.

It is a well known fact that every color portrays some specific meaning and has an identity of its own. As white stands for serenity and peace, the shade yellow offers a happy feeling. It speaks about hope and brilliance and is worn specially for happy events like parties and merry-making together. The persons wearing the yellow zoot suit too look bright and lively. The color instills a happy mood all around it.

These are designer suits and require special tailoring and extra amount of material for which they are known as luxury suits also. The suit has certain unique features like its high-waist that offers maximum comfort, wide legs for free movements, tight-cuffed and pegged trousers, wide-lapelled long coat with wide shoulders that are exclusively padded to give off a strong look and the fabric quality is incomparable that makes these zoot suits so special. The suit offers such comfort and happiness that you will notice that the person wearing the yellow zoot suit is always smiling and contented. These suits provide an excellent elegance to enhance the personality of the wearer.

These luxury suits are also termed as extravagant over-sized suits that declare auto-determination and freedom. These suits are just the ones for men who like to innovate and experiment with their clothing and create a style statement. They are the ideal ones for all semi-formal occasions and special evenings. When you open your wardrobes to find nothing to wear for a get-together, these Yellow Zoot Suits are just appropriate for you. Get into these amazing suits and rock the evening with your friends. You will get various designs and sizes at mensusa online store that always stores the Yellow Zoot Suits of all categories.

If you think that the bright yellow shade will not look good on you, you can pick up the lighter hues of yellow. There are many variations of this color and if you want to look outstanding, feel comfortable and just show off your style, then get the best ones today. Party time is knocking at the door. If you do not have time to check out the stores, buy online. That will save you time and also some money. You can see the color variations and sizes and choose the one that will make you look like a star. Log on to mensusa online store and place your orders.