Shirt
1994 (made), 1943 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This white cotton shirt formed part of a ‘zoot suit’ outfit recreated for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of a pale green wool two-piece suit, the shirt and a wool bow tie by Chris Ruocco Tailors; a satin handkerchief, leather and elastic braces, and leather shoes. It reflected a style of dress worn by young black and Hispanic men in early 1940s America.
‘Zoot’ meant something worn or performed in an extravagant style, and since many young black and Hispanic men wore suits with outrageously padded shoulders and trousers sharply tapered at the ankles, the term ‘zoot suit’ passed into everyday usage. At a time when black Americans were expected to assume a subservient attitude to whites, the ostentatious zoot suit was a direct challenge to the social order. Its extravagant use of fabric also made wearers unpopular in wartime America.
The outfit was based upon the colourful and flamboyant suits worn by Cab Calloway in the 1943 film ‘Stormy Weather’.
‘Zoot’ meant something worn or performed in an extravagant style, and since many young black and Hispanic men wore suits with outrageously padded shoulders and trousers sharply tapered at the ankles, the term ‘zoot suit’ passed into everyday usage. At a time when black Americans were expected to assume a subservient attitude to whites, the ostentatious zoot suit was a direct challenge to the social order. Its extravagant use of fabric also made wearers unpopular in wartime America.
The outfit was based upon the colourful and flamboyant suits worn by Cab Calloway in the 1943 film ‘Stormy Weather’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cotton |
| Brief description | Shirt, white cotton, Chris Ruocco Tailors (from 1943 design), London, Great Britain, 1994 |
| Physical description | White cotton shirt, with an exaggerated tab collar. |
| Object history | Registered File number 1994/2223, Streetstyle exhibition 1994-1995, in the exhibition it was part of an outfit called 'Zoot Suiter USA (1994 replica)' : includes the shoes T.351-1984, the suit: jacket T.864-1994, trousers T.865:1-1994 and braces T.865:2-1994, the bow-tie T.962-1994 and the handkerchief T.963-1994. |
| Historical context | 'Pale green wool two-piece suit, cotton shirt, wool bow-tie, Chris Ruocco Tailors; satin handkerchief, leather and elastic braces, leather shoes, 1940s. This outfit reveals the extremely long jacket and high cut, baggy, trousers favoured by Zoot Suiters in early 1940s America. Unable to find an original zoot suit, this replica was commissioned. It was based upon the colourful and flamboyant suits worn by Cab Calloway in the 1943 film ‘Stormy Weather’. The zoot suit was revived in the early 1980s by musicians such as Chris Sullivan’s band Blue Rondo à la Turk and Kid Creole.' |
| Production | Made by Chris Ruocco Tailors reflecting a 1943 design. |
| Summary | This white cotton shirt formed part of a ‘zoot suit’ outfit recreated for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of a pale green wool two-piece suit, the shirt and a wool bow tie by Chris Ruocco Tailors; a satin handkerchief, leather and elastic braces, and leather shoes. It reflected a style of dress worn by young black and Hispanic men in early 1940s America. ‘Zoot’ meant something worn or performed in an extravagant style, and since many young black and Hispanic men wore suits with outrageously padded shoulders and trousers sharply tapered at the ankles, the term ‘zoot suit’ passed into everyday usage. At a time when black Americans were expected to assume a subservient attitude to whites, the ostentatious zoot suit was a direct challenge to the social order. Its extravagant use of fabric also made wearers unpopular in wartime America. The outfit was based upon the colourful and flamboyant suits worn by Cab Calloway in the 1943 film ‘Stormy Weather’. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.961-1994 |
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| Record created | August 7, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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