Decade: 1940s America 'Zoot Suits'
Initially called drapes, zoot suits were first popularised by African-Americans during the Harlem jazz culture in the late 1930s before spreading across America.Â
Identifying features: high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed pegged trousers, and a long jacket/coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders.
 Zoot suits were often worn with a flat-crowned, wide-brimmed hat, thick-soled pointed shoes and a long watch chain.Â
In wartime America, the extravagant amount of cloth used in the creation of zoot suits was seen as a needless expense, leading to rationing regulations introduced in 1942. However, after the war ended, the zoot suit re-entered mainstream style, with a slimmed-down version of the suit marketed by the American clothing industry as a new postwar 'bold look' for the average man. The zoot suit is therefore an example of a trend that was part of the 'bottom-up' fashion movement, with the street style influencing the mainstream rather than the 'top-down' process whereby street style is determined by the mainstream.Â