A few of my friends are into the “swing dancing:” thing, and apparently, they like the whole ambience of that era (1940’s). To do so, the men wear something called a “zoot” suit…it consists of long trousers (wide at the waist, veryt narrow at the ankles), a very long jacket (usually double breasted), wingtip shoes, and a dbig broad brimmed fedora hat. You top of this ensemble with a gaudy wide tie, and a long key chain.
I kindof like the retro look of this style…any chance that it will catch on among the general public? Maybe those "Harley Earl " ads for Buick are starting to catch on!
I saw a kid wearing one at a wedding a couple years ago. It looked great, but I don’t expect to see it in office-wear. Strictly for painting the town.
Gawd! That comeback is so over! Good riddance, too; it sucked. the 40’s weren’t the era of swing, the 30’s were. And this new-swing thing just turned the repetetive slough of the 40’s into blaring, ear-bleeding noise as gaudy and embarrassing as the ridiculous zoot-suits they wore.
**Pizzabrat ** is only saying that because he has two left feet.
I want a zoot suit, with a reet pleat, and a rare square, and a stuff cuff, to look sharp enough to meet my Sunday gal!
No.
Siegel’s has all your zoot suit needs in one handy website. And they are so office wear, since they have nice muted solids and stripes and the shirts to go with it.
Me? I’m getting some for my summer wardrobe this year, if I scrape up enough dough. Aw yeah!
“The only way to make this nation ZOOT SUIT CONSCIOUS is to create a great national hero who performs incredible deeds of valor – always dressed in a zoot suit!!”
“So, naturally, every red-blooded young man in America will want to emulate this hero. We’ll sell MILLIONS of zoot suits!”
“But – where can we find someone STUPID enough to continually risk his life to advertise our product?”
“Hm! – it’d have to be someone with a VERY LOW I.Q.!!”
“RIGHT!! FIND ME THE MAN WITH THE LOWEST I.Q. IN AMERICA!!”
– from “Zoot Suit Yokum,” Al Capp, copyright 1947
The style’s had several years to go mainstream. It was never mainstream to begin with (it was worn mainly by certain ethnic groups and it sparked actual brawls and riots NOT sung about by Brian Setzer because of the waste of fabric involved in making them, during WWII’s rationing). It’s not going to go mainstream now.
'50s-style clothing is coming back into style, although not in a major way - bowling shirts, etc. are all readily available. But I don’t think zoot suits have a real chance.
Fedoras do, though! Maybe not the pimpy, broad-brimmed ones that go with zoot suits, but fedoras are coming back into style as appropriate businesswear accessories for men.
A lot of other things from the “swing dancing” era have made comebacks: the Martini, the expression “Big time,” syphyllis.
The swing craze was wellead about 2 years ago. Zoot suits aren’t coming back.
I want one, but I know that it will not help me in any quest to look fashionable.
I don’t think the gov’t will allow it. What with all the rioting associated with the things.
Amen! Preach it, sistah! Fedoras are classic, and should be de rigueur wardrobe accessories.
Ever heard of the zootsuit riots? They were real (not just a song) and it makes me think that they wont come back…
The swing revival went from about 1997 to 2000. People wearing zoot suits now are about 3 years behind.
The 50’s came back in the early 80’s.
The 60’s came back in the late 80’s.
The '70’s came back somewhere in the late 90’s after grunge died out.
Next up… the 80’s! YES! Parachute pants! Acid wash! Break dancing! Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto!
one question bearflag70
what will happen in 2010?70’s again?
Woohoo! I don’t even like hats but anything that makes me look more like Indiana Jones… 
WHOOO HOOO, I hope so, I just put everything into International Spats!
Discussing prom outfits with my students a couple of years ago, I was surprised to hear a few of my students were enthusiastic about wearing Zoot suits. This year they wouldn’t be caught dead in 'em.
Reassuringly, they seem to think the styles of the eighties were stupid. Give 'em a minute and I’m sure we’ll start seeing little ‘Like a Virgin’ Madonna clones. Og help us.
I know a guy who actually wears zootsuits. (well, I don’t know him, I see him around). At first I giggled to myself at him. Later I thought “Ya know, that looks kinda cool”.
I give him points for doing his own thing.