The 1940s marked a significant shift in men’s fashion, influenced by wartime rationing and social change. While many men relied on existing suits or military uniforms (Fig. 19), the decade saw the rise and fall of the controversial “zoot suit” and the emergence of new postwar styles.
The zoot suit, born from the Harlem “drape” suits of the 1930s, became a symbol of rebellion for minority working-class men in the early 1940s. Characterized by oversized jackets, voluminous trousers tapered at the ankles, and wide ties, the zoot suit defied wartime fabric restrictions. This extravagance led to the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles, where American servicemen attacked Mexican-American men wearing the distinctive attire. Despite the controversy, the zoot suit, often tailored from oversized suits to achieve varying degrees of bagginess, influenced men’s fashion with its wide shoulders, high waists, and wide legs, as seen on figures like Rayfield McGhee (Fig. 21) and musicians like Jonah Jones and Cab Calloway (Fig. 22). Though notorious, the zoot suit trend persisted into the 1950s before fading.
In postwar Britain, “demob” suits (Fig. 20), issued to ease veterans back into civilian life, initially proved unpopular due to their adherence to pre-war 1930s styles. By the late 1940s, Savile Row’s sharply tailored “Edwardian” styles gained traction with young men. Meanwhile, a more relaxed American aesthetic, influenced by returning servicemen, gained popularity in both the US and Europe. This casual trend brought forth the widespread adoption of brightly colored Hawaiian shirts, first popularized in Hawaii during the 1930s, but reaching new heights in the postwar era and into the 1950s. The 1940s ultimately set the stage for significant changes in men’s fashion in the following decades.
