Zoot suits and lowriders took center stage at the OC Fair on Sunday, Aug. 9, in a pair of fashion afternoon shows put on by El Pachuco Zoot Suits, a Fullerton-based tailor shop founded in 1978.
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Long-time customers of the store strutted down the Plaza Pacifica Stage in thigh-length jackets and high-waisted trousers—a style made iconic by a generation of Mexican American and Black youths in the 1930s and 1940s.
Ernie Gonzalez walks with swagger during a zoot suit fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, Aug. 9. The event was part of a Chicano heritage celebration. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Models wear iconic black-and-white wing-tipped shoes that were worn with zoot suits in the 1940s. They were at a fashion show at the OC Fair on Sunday, August 9, 2026. The event was also part of a Chicano heritage celebration. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mark Martinez glances over his shoulder while he models his 1940s-era zoot suit during a fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, Aug. 9. The event was part of a Chicano heritage celebration.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Peter Barajas explains why he enjoys wearing a zoot suit during a fashion show at the OC Fair on Sunday, August 9, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Hector Arellano shows off his 1940s-era zoot suit during a fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, Aug. 9. The event was part of a Chicano heritage celebration. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Hector Arellano, left, shares the stage and a laugh with Stacey Barajas, right, during a soot suit fashion show at the OC Fair on Sunday, Aug. 9. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Alejandro Rivera pays homage to his grandfather with a classic-style hat that accessorizes his zoot suit. He was at a fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, August 9, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Frankie Veles gets ready to take the stage during a zoot suit fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, August 9, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Long vertical lines accentuate Anthony Garcia’s zoot suit, which he shows off during a fashion show at the OC Fair on Sunday, Aug. 9. The event highlighted the outfits that were most popular in the 1040s.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Long vertical lines accentuate Anthony Garcia’s zoot suit, which he shows off during a fashion show at the OC Fair on Sunday, Aug. 9. The event highlighted the outfits that were most popular in the 1040s.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Zoot suit models gather for an end-of-fashion-show photo-op at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, Aug. 9.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ernie Gonzalez dances with Amy De Los Reyes following the zoot suit fashion show at the OC Fair on Sunday, August 9, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Classic lowrider cars add to the 1940s-era ambience during a zoot suit fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, August 9, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Classic lowrider cars add to the 1940s-era ambience during a zoot suit fashion show at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, August 9, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Live music, dancing and storytelling were woven into the program celebrating Chicano Heritage Month, teaching fairgoers the history and cultural significance of the zoot suit, which has become a symbol of Chicano identity and resilience.
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“It’s amazing to watch a style of clothing that once carried a stigma now literally be celebrated,” said Vanesa Estrella, the second-generation owner of El Pachuco who organized the fashion shows. “A style that once lived mostly in the lowrider world has grown into something much bigger.”
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The fair enters its final days on Wednesday, Aug 12, and closes Sunday, Aug. 16.