3. A Fashion Choice That Was Frowned Upon in World War II
Zoot suits were luxury items that required many materials and significant tailoring to make. When America joined WWII, the US War Production Board criticized zoots for wasting materials and production time better used in the war effort. The outfits were seen by their young wearers as declarations of individuality, freedom, or even rebelliousness. They were seen by others as self-indulgent and unpatriotic extravagances during wartime. Life magazine did a feature on youths sporting zoots in 1942, and concluded that “they were solid arguments for lowering the Army draft age to include 18-year-olds“. The rest of the media joined in with sensational accounts, often wildly exaggerating the suits’ costs and price tags. That kicked off a backlash against zoot suits. Those clad in the outfits were often berated and verbally assailed in public, and sometimes physically attacked. Cops sometimes stopped and hassled zoot wearers, ruining their suits by slashing them.
