Jul-2024
Were these shoes worn with a zoot suit?
Object #2, or the 1940s men’s dancing shoes, served as an initial source of inspiration for the Just Dance! exhibition. The claim that they were believed to be worn with a zoot suit is fascinating. Genuine zoot suits are highly coveted and difficult to come by in museum collections. I knew verifying this claim without further accession paperwork would be difficult, but I still had hope. Having a verified piece of a zoot suit ensemble could be beneficial to the Wenham Museum and to museums across America. Before I delve deeper into this claim, lets establish the history and significance of the zoot suit
The zoot suit can be considered a subcultural fashion craze for a group of men and is still worn by some Mexican-Americans for special occasions. The term zoot suit came out of African American slang or African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The style itself originated from “drape” suits worn in 1930s Harlem dance halls. Excess fabric that tapered in at the ankle allowed for dancing without tripping. Many musicians claim to have invented the look; however, it was unbranded and could not be purchased in a department store. Men bought regular suits two sizes larger and had it tailored to the zoot suit silhouette. By the 1940s many working class and minority men wore the zoot suit. (Gregory, 2016; Takeda, 2016).
The zoot suit was more than just a fashion craze, it served as a political statement. The physical space these suits occupied allowed minority men to demand to be seen. As historian Kathy Peiss put it, “For those without other forms of cultural capital, fashion can be a way of claiming space for yourself” (Gregory, 2016). While it became an important symbol of resistance and identity for the wearers, it communicated something else to non-wearers. During WWII, fabric rations were enacted to reserve materials for the military. The excess use of fabric on zoot suits indicated disobedience and disrespect to many non-wearers. However, we must remember what life was like for minorities in America in the 1940s. The men wearing zoot suits were underserved and mistreated by the U.S. government and by many fellow Americans. It is understandable that these men did not want to give up the zoot suits (that had become an important part of their identity) for a country that did not respect them or treat them equally to white men. This tension bubbled over in June of 1943 with the Zoot Suit Riots. United States soldiers and sailors beat up Mexican American men in Los Angeles, claiming that they were “unpatriotic” (Gregory, 2016).
The craze of the zoot suit, like many fashion crazes, cycled out by the next decade. Yet, why is it so difficult to find a historically authentic zoot suit? Many were repurposed into new garments due to the excessive amounts of fabric. It is also possible many were destroyed in the riots or while dancing. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art searched for a genuine zoot suit for nearly a decade until one appeared on an East Coast auction catalogue in 2011. After an aggressive bidding war and $80,000, LACMA finally had their hands on zoot suit and a new record for 20th century menswear auctions (Takeda, 2016).
Now that we have established enough background information, lets revisit the pair of shoes at the Wenham Museum. As we know, genuine zoot suit ensembles are scarce, so I was skeptical that I would find a perfect match for the shoes. These shoes are unique due to their color, diagonal laces, and materials. Historical photographs of zoot suits and the LACMA’s ensemble show them paired with parti-colored spectator wingtip oxfords. While this was a popular choice, zoot suits are also photographed with shoes like the silhouette of the collection’s shoes. This includes a rounded and wider toe box with a slight upward curve, and a slightly curved shank (or “under belly”) of the shoe. The fact that the collection’s shoes are parti-colored supports the zoot suit claim, however, white, brown, and black were the most popular colors. It is possible that these were worn with a zoot suit, made to a specific person’s taste and style rather than the prevailing style.
References
Gregory, A. (2016). A Brief History of the Zoot Suit. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/brief-history-zoot-suit-180958507/
Takeda, S. S., & Esguerra, C. M. (2016, January 26). The Search for an Authentic Zoot Suit. LACMA Unframed. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://unframed.lacma.org/2016/01/26/search-authentic-zoot-suit