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Holly has a B.A. from the University of Virginia in Drama; Associate of Applied Science degree from Fashion Institute of Technology in Fashion Design; and a Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University in Costume Design.
In 1939, young African-American and Hispanic American males began wearing a very colorful suit known as the 'Zoot Suit'. The word "Zoot" which means something worn or performed in an extravagant style, was a product of the Jazz era, and the streets of Harlem, New York in the mid thirties. Some say the suit may have been derived from Britian. The suit consisted of a long, full three-quarter-length jacket and full deeply pleated pants, which were tapered at the ankle. The Zoot suit came in colorful fabrics, with a large brimmed hat, eye catching tie, pointed shoes, and long watch chain. This suit would have an enormous effect on these young men and create a social trend that will eventually dictate fashion, not only in the United States, but in France and Britian as well.
For many Zoot suit wearers in the United States, this suit gave young African-American and Hispanic-American males a way of standing out in a society that did not want to hear or see them. This example of self-expression would continue even through the restrictions placed on fabric during the war, and eventually the suit will have a huge impact on men's fashions of the 1950's.
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