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zoot suit

/ˌzut ˈsut/
IPA guide

Other forms: zoot suits

A zoot suit is an old fashioned men's suit of exaggerated proportions. You will definitely get attention if you wear a zoot suit to a school dance.

Zoot suits were at the height of popularity in the 1940's, especially among fashionable Italian, Chicano, and African American men. The suits were cut with very high waists, padded shoulders, wide lapels, and details like watch chains, velvet accents, and tapered pants. Men in zoot suits often also wore fedora hats and pointed shoes. Experts' best guess about the origin of zoot is simply that it rhymes with suit and the two words sounded good together.

Definitions of zoot suit
  1. noun
    a flashy suit of extreme cut
    see moresee less
    type of:
    suit, suit of clothes
    a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color
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