1940s: The Zoot Suit Riots
Zoot suits were a powerful symbol of social nonconformity in the late 1930s and early 1940s, with its racial and social tensions culminating the in 1943 Zoot Suit Riots. Created from dance hall and jazz fashion, these suits quickly evolved from a fashion trend to a "uniform of resistance" (O'Shaughnessy, 2017) against the dominator culture of affluent, white, suit-and-tie culture and the all-American values this represented: to be obedient, successful, and accepted.
