Zoot Suit: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style

by Kathy Peiss

Book Overview

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 hip-hop, 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, working-class...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812223039
• ISBN13: 9780812223033
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"