GRGR(12) zoot

[Doug Millison]

The nearest shopping mall features a men's clothing store called "High
Prestige" (no joke) with what appear to be glow-in-the-dark zoot-style
suits in the window. I may go out on a limb and guess they are just the
thing for low-rider stylin'. Didn't have time to go in and try one on when
I was at the mall last Friday buying a birthday present for my significant
Other. I wonder if "High Prestige" is a national chain or only a West
Coast/Southwest thang.

At 9:03 AM -0400 10/18/99, Terrance F. Flaherty wrote:
>It comes from Harold Fox's Obituary. He claimed to have
>created and named the zoot?
>
>In my day, they were worn to costume parties, so what do I
>know.
>
>TF
>
>Paul Mackin wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, 18 Oct 1999, Terrance F. Flaherty wrote:
>> >
>> > GR.251.1 Zoot
>> > the zoot suit--a wide-shouldered jacket with
>> > high-waisted pants, often offset by a long-chained
>> > watch--favoured by fops of the 1940s
>>
>> Where did the info come from that zoot suiters had watches on the ends of
>> the chains. The long chain dangling down to the level of the radically
>> pegged trousers was de rigour in a zoot suit but as I recall there would
>> only be a set keys on the end. Of course  who knew what these menacing
>> pachuchos (as they were called) had in their pockets in addition to
>> the assumed switch blades. We anglo high school kids in wartime LA
>> tried not to get too close to them although we admired their life
>> style and affected modified zootdress ourselves, if not the jackets at
>> least the pegged trousers and key chains. Actually pocket watches had
>> almost passed out of existence by that time and surely weren't being
>> manufactured and didn't come back into fashion until years later. The few
>> you could steal would never have meet need.
>>
>>                         P.


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