Zoot Suit | Vibepedia

The zoot suit was a distinctive men's fashion characterized by its exaggerated silhouette, featuring high-waisted, wide-legged, pegged trousers and a long coat with wide lapels and padded shoulders. Originating in African American communities in the 1930s, it became a potent symbol of cultural identity and defiance, particularly for Mexican Americans, and played a significant role in the social and racial tensions of the 1940s, culminating in the infamous Zoot Suit Riots.