The Zoot suit became common in the 1930s and 1940s, with many African American and Latino youth making it the costume of choice. During the same period, the zoot suit gained even more popularity, but this time for the wrong reason; they were associated with delinquent criminal activity and violence. The zoot suit is a men's suit consisting of an oversized, double-breasted, wide-shouldered jacket, high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, ankle-length pants. The coat is often striped or checked and features large lapel pins. The Zoot suit look was completed with a colorful tie and pocket square, an endless watch chain, and a fedora (a wide-brimmed hat). As the suit became a favorite item of clothing for minorities in the United States - African-Americans, Latinos and Italian-Americans - it came to be associated with crime, violence and gang affiliation, many innocent minority youth getting into trouble with state and federal authorities. wearing a zoot suit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayThe Zoot suit was a popular style in dance halls in areas like Harlem, Detroit, and Chicago. Their popularity increased further when popular musicians, particularly jazz musicians, began wearing and performing in zoot suits. In dance halls, the costume was valued for its ability to allow for the radical and frenetic movement involved in dancing, while remaining elegant and beautiful to impress others, especially women. The suit became an ethnically and racially diverse youth culture in many cities, but the ethnic and racial backgrounds of the young people who popularized zoot suits quickly became an issue. Many minority youth wearing zoot suits were affiliated with gangs in their communities or engaged in crimes on their own. Additionally, at the time zoot suits became popular, the United States was preparing for and getting involved in World War II. The extravagance of fabrics and accessories was seen as unnecessary and unpatriotic, and the crackdown on zoot suits by the military and police led to widespread riots in the country. During the period of widespread rioting, crime and repression, the country's media portrayed zoot chases as a minority and gang crime problem. Several newspapers published articles describing criminal and violent gang activities carried out by zoot followers. The uniqueness of each incident has been ignored and the problem of crime perpetrated by individuals in zoot suits has been generalized and oversimplified as a problem of gangs in communities of color. Although it is true that some gang members wore zoot suits and committed violent crimes, the media failed to acknowledge or thoroughly investigate each incident and instead propagated the stereotype of crime, violence and gang activity among communities of color. The zoot suit became a symbol of rebellion during the country's widespread zootsuit riots. The Zoot costume extravagance was seen as a waste of resources that would have otherwise been diverted to the United States' war efforts. This belief, combined with the violence and crime associated with Zoot suits on the streets, has led to a widespread crackdown by government agencies and the military on Zoot suits.., 1993.