{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O138266"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138266/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LC2202/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LC2202/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LC2202","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LC2185","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT5477","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LC2225","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O138266","accessionNumber":"T.864, 865:1, 2-1994","objectType":"Suit","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This pale green wool two-piece suit formed part of a ‘zoot suit’ outfit recreated for the exhibition <i>Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow</i> held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of the suit, a cotton 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.\r\n\r\n‘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. \r\n\r\nThe outfit was based upon the colourful and flamboyant suits worn by Cab Calloway in the 1943 film ‘Stormy Weather’.","physicalDescription":"Pale green two-piece wool suit, with cream, maroon and green braces.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Chris Ruocco Tailors","id":"A19943"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wool (textile)","id":"AAT243430"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wool","categories":[{"text":"African Diaspora","id":"THES48873"},{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Men's clothes","id":"THES49043"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Gender and Sexuality","id":"THES48940"},{"text":"Streetstyle exhibition 1994","id":"THES282706"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2018LC2202","2018LC2185","2006AT5477","2018LC2225"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"011","id":"THES312358"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"011","id":"THES312358"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES307100"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Trousers","id":""}],[{"text":"Jacket","id":""}],[{"text":"Braces","id":"AAT209996"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1994","earliest":"1994-01-01","latest":"1994-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1943","earliest":"1943-01-01","latest":"1943-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"1600","unit":"mm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mounted","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"700","unit":"mm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mounted","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"550","unit":"mm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mounted","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Registered File number 1994/852, Streetstyle exhibition 1994-1995, int the exhibition it was part of an outfit called 'Zoot Suiter USA (1994 replica)' : includes the shoes T.351-1984, the shirt T.961-1994, the bow-tie T.962-1994 and the handkerchief T.963-1994.","historicalContext":"'Pale green wool two-piece suit, cotton shirt, wool bow-tie, Chris Ruocco Tailors; satin handkerchief, leather and elastic braces, leather shoes, 1940s.\r\nThis 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.'","briefDescription":"Suit, jacket, trousers and braces, pale green wool, Chris Ruocco Tailors, London, Great Britain, 1994","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Surfers, Soulies, Skinheads & Skaters : Subcultural Style from the Forties to the Nineties","id":"AUTH352425"},"details":"","free":"Described in the exhibition publication, part of an outfit called 'Zoot Suiter USA (1994 replica)'."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Suit featured in V&A web theme, 'Powerdressing: Zoot Suits':\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230112104637/http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/periods_styles/hiddenhistories/zootsuits/index.html"}],"production":"Made by Chris Ruocco Tailors reflecting a 1943 design.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.865:1-1994","T.864-1994","T.865:2-1994"],"accessionNumberNum":"865","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1994,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Trousers","Jacket"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2007-08-07","availableToBook":true}}