Discover the Zoot suit: 1940s fashion icon and rebellious style, still inspiring music, art, streetwear, and contemporary designers today
This article is part of our special editorial series celebrating the 90th anniversary of Istituto Marangoni. In this chapter, we explore the cultural heritage of the Zoot suit, a staple outfit that originated in the 1940s and remains relevant today, carrying a meaningful message.
When thinking of 1940s fashion, Dior’s New Look comes to mind, and it has a lot in common with a polarising ensemble that defined the decade: the Zoot suit.
Originating in the Latino communities of the United States, the Zoot suit qualifies as both an American icon and an anti-American statement, continuing to convey its message even today.
View this post on Instagram
Rihanna wearing a Zoot suit at 2025 Met Gala
This year, the Zoot suit experienced a renaissance during the 2025 Met Gala, which refreshed interest in this dandyish dress code with the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, bringing the most amazing variations of “the Zoot” to the white carpet.
View this post on Instagram
Dapper Dan at 2025 Met Gala in a black and white Zoot suit
“My introduction to this historical Met Gala event this year will be the history of the Zoot suit. It is when the intersection of fashion and music comes together during the black intellectual period known as the Harlem Renaissance. The age of Dandyism to the age of Logoism. Just as music and fashion defined a period in culture in the Harlem Renaissance, it has been redefined when Hip Hop music and logo fashion came together in Harlem” – Dapper Dan, American fashion designer and haberdasher from Harlem
View this post on Instagram
Dapper Dan explained on his social media the relationship between the Zoot Suit and Black Intellectual during XX centuries in the light of his partecipation at Met Gala
What Are the Origins of the Zoot Suit in 1940s Men’s Fashion?
Recently, stylist and designer Keyla Marquez, founder of the L.A.-based Lujo Depot and fashion director for The Times’ Image magazine, reinterpreted this iconic dandyish dress along with eight other designers, stating that this look “It’s never gone out of style”. And she’s right.
The Zoot suit, which originated in the U.S., has strong Latino roots. In the late 1930s, Pachucos dominated the counterculture scene in El Paso, Texas, representing a movement that challenged conventional notions of American culture.
Then Hollywood popularised the draped pants and oversized jackets, creating a connection from exaggerated suits seen in gangster movies to the long frocks worn by characters in historical films, such as Clark Gable in “Gone with the Wind”.
Real “Zooters” didn’t need a tailor to design their suits. During the race riots in the mid-1940s that erupted in major American cities like Detroit, New York and Los Angeles, a young Malcolm X wore baggy trousers. Today, you can admire the rare Zoot suit on display at the LACMA’s permanent collection and in the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans.
Jazz culture also amplified the link between this exaggerated garment and the arts, making it a comfortable yet stylish choice for performers who embraced an exuberant style of music. Iconic artists such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie often wore Zoot suits on stage, and contemporary musicians like Kid Creole & The Coconuts have continued that legacy.
View this post on Instagram
Art, fashion and values have been seamlessly intertwined in this iconic garment for a couple of decades; then, something shifted.
The Zoot Suit and Street Style Exploitation in Fashion
Media, especially social media, play a significant role in highlighting emerging stylistic movements. Luxury fashion brands are increasingly drawing on heritage references in their designs, creating a continuous cycle in which trendsetters, media and designers collaborate to reinvent and rework what already exists.
A notable figure from the Zoot Suit era is Dapper Dan, who drew from his Harlem roots to become a pioneering streetwear guru for hip-hop artists, skillfully incorporating bold tailoring inspired by 1940s styles.
“Today big brands that seek to sew the golden thread of authenticity into their creations without their designers having to relinquish their exalted positions and return to the clubs, bars, coffee shops and streets of Altadena, Greenpoint, Shoreditch and Kreutzberg,” explains Nick Clements, tutor in Fashion Writing and Photographic Theory and Practice at Istituto Marangoni London.
How the Zoot Suit Became a Symbol of Rebellion
The exaggerated wide shoulders, knee-length jackets and high-waisted baggy pants of the Zoot suit have evolved, losing their original rebellious intent.
In 1942, during World War II, Zoot Suits became controversial due to the substantial amount of fabric required to make them. This was problematic during times of great restrictions, making the act of wearing one a powerful form of rebellion with strong political implications.
Today, wearing (or designing) a Zoot suit–inspired garment walks a fine line between homage, resistance, and cultural appreciation—and, at times, unfortunately, appropriation.
In the legendary "The Mask" movie, Jim Carrey is rocking a Zoot suit with some color block attitude
Currently, the deep cultural significance of the Zoot suit is often overshadowed by its prevalence in pop culture. For example, the Toon Patrol weasels in “Roger Rabbit” donned Zoot suits, delivering classic gangster vibes. Jim Carrey in “The Mask” infused the Zoot suit with some colour block attitude and made it legendary with the iconic Coco Bongo Dance, though it remained more of a flashy costume than a symbol with depth.
In 2018, actress and activist Yara Shahidi made a powerful statement on the MTV red carpet by wearing a Zoot suit, highlighting its cultural significance. In an interview with W magazine, she commented, “If you look at the history of art and fashion, it’s always been political. It’s always been pushing boundaries.”
Zoot Suit References in 1940s and Contemporary Fashion
It’s easier to name a designer who has never referenced a Zoot suit in their work than to find one who has. Designers ranging from Schiaparelli to Gucci, and Saint Laurent to Louis Vuitton have all incorporated an oversized suit into their collections at some point, referencing the iconic Zoot suit.
During the 1980s, the business suit craze provided Japanese avant-garde fashion designers like Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Kenzo Takada an opportunity to draw from the Zoot suit’s influence through their extravagant silhouettes, baggy pants and oversized jackets.
View this post on Instagram
Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck, an activist and member of the Antwerp Six, is working hard to make business suits more inclusive, drawing inspiration from the Zoot suit style and its subversive spirit.
View this post on Instagram
Meanwhile, artist Troy Montes-Michie explores the heritage of the Zoot suit through textile-based installations, sparking contemporary conversations about culture and identity.
In these controversial times, fashion often serves as a platform for political expression. At Spring-Summer 2026 Paris Men’s Fashion Week, where dandyism and tailoring took centre stage, designer Willy Chavarria teamed up with the American Civil Liberties Union to deliver a powerful message of resistance. Pastel and floral Zoot suits strutted down the catwalk, carrying a profound meaning that required no further explanation.
View this post on Instagram
In his SS26, Willy Chavarria proposed Zoot Suits in pastel and floral tones
I wear zoot suit jacket with side vents five inches long,
I have two-tone ????? yeah you know this is wrong.
But the main thing is unless you’re a fool,
Ah you know you gotta know, yeah you know, yeah you gotta be cool.
Zoot Suit (The High Numbers, 1964)
The Ultimate Zoot Suit–Themed Playlist
Fancy some jazz and the visual evolution of the Zoot suit? Here are eight essential titles that made this iconic look legendary:
- Dorothy Dandridge & Paul White - A Zoot Suit (with a A Reet Pleat) (1942)
- Kay Kyser (Sully Mason & quartet, vocal) - A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday gal) (1942)
- Unknown artist - Zoot Suit Song (1947)
- The High Numbers - Zoot Suit (1964)
- Tierra - Zoot Suit Boogie (1980)
- Daniel Valdez - Zoot Suit Boogie Woogie from the movie Zoot Suit (1981)
- Cherry Poppin’ Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot (1997)
- The Flying Neutrinos Mr. Zoot Suit (1999) from the movie Blast from the Past
Gaia Giordani
Editor, Generative AI Explorer and New Media Communication Expert