BHM Fashion Tribute: Malcolm X
While Malcolm X is remembered for his fight for the rights of African Americans, he was also a trend setter then and now when it comes to fashion.
Before he became an idolized historical figure, Malcolm was up to no good as a hustler in the streets of Boston and New York.
As Spike Lee depicted in his 1992 Malcolm X film, he was known to rock the “zoot suit”, which Malcolm himself described as “a killer-diller coat with a drape shape, reet pleats and shoulders padded like a lunatic’s cell.”
Cab Calloway in a tradional “zoot suit”
Later in his life, when he became a Muslim Minister and Activist, he adopted the 60s mod menswear trend of tailored suits with skinny ties and “stingy brim” fedoras.
Eyewear brands to this day pay homage to the stylish “browline” specs he wore in during this time.
“Malcolm X . . . had a clean look, but there was something about his glasses and his goatee that was interesting”, stated rapper Common, who sites Malcolm as one of his personal style icons.
Check out this video of Malcolm X from 1963, when he appeared on a show called “City Desk” in Chicago, discussing how black history was destroyed by slavery:
Source: LA Times
