Zoot Zoot!

The Zoot suit was one of the few standout fashions during the war - it was coined by Black musicians and consisted of high waisted, tight cuffed, peg-legged trousers. The coat was long with wide lapels and the shoulders were heavily padded to give  a strong silhouette.

(Source: kcet.org) This speckled zoot suit is amazing - the trousers shape the body in a whole new way

It was a real influence on menswear, and I think this is great because it shows people were willing to actually take on board what the black community were doing and let it infiltrate fashion, so they were starting to be seen as equals. This was around the time of the racial struggles in America and just proved that people really could get along.

(Source: wikimedia) I love how different this look is from past times and has such a fresh sense to it; it would've been refreshing in a time of war and heavy hearts.