When we hear the term “Zoot Suit,” we might flash to the music of “Cherry Poppin’ Daddies” from the 90s.

You may not know that song was based on a real 1943 Los Angeles riot. Yes, only in Los Angeles, right?

Yes, sailors and marines duked it out with the minorities who shunned war-time laws against the making and wearing of the extravagant suits. The long jacket featured overly-padded shoulders and the pants that were severely tapered down to the ankle.

This look was the height of fashion during the rise of the jazz era in the 1940s and was favored by young men in minority groups such as Mexican-Americans and African-Americans. Some of the most famous who wore zoot suits include Malcolm X and Cesar Chavez. During that time period, the zoot suit became a symbol of disobedient youth to the rest of the country.

In 1942, President Roosevelt created the War Production Board, the purpose of which was to limit the nationwide consumption of certain goods due to war needs. This included many “luxury” goods.

The zoot suit fell into the category of a luxury item because they required a lot of cloth to make. Cloth that could be used for military uniforms instead. For this reason, the War Production Board banned the manufacturing of zoot suits.

This did not stop tailors from accepting money to manufacture the suits illegally. This led to many zoot suit “crackdowns.” Many people saw those who still wore zoot suits as unpatriotic and this would lead to a lot of tension over the next year.

In Los Angeles, the popularity of the zoot suit grew. In 1943, Los Angeles was a place where many young military men came together to have fun and relax as they awaited their time to go overseas. There were many conflicts between drunken military men and zoot-suit wearers.

These conflicts brought a lot of tension to the area, leading to what is known as the Zoot Suit Riots that started in June 1943. Hundreds of servicemen began to beat up anyone they saw wearing a zoot suit and would rip the offending garments off of the wearers and burn the suits in the streets.

The riots lasted for two weeks and as a result soldiers, sailors and marines were banned from coming into Los Angeles once the rioting was under control. The city shortly thereafter ordered the ban of zoot suits being worn on the streets. Doing so would result in a 30-day visit to Los Angeles County Jail.

The zoot suit has long since fallen out of popularity and it is unlikely that there will be any arrests for wearing one. This period in our history paints a picture of the racial tensions that were plaguing our country during the war and a time when a few pieces of clothing could spark off heated confrontations.