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The History of the Lowrider/Chicano Graphic Art T-Shirt |
Intro
Since the 1930s the Mexican-American identity has relied on style to express what words and actions can't. There is no exact point in time that can be addressed as the start of a style or subculture but in this case the first names that pop up in Mexican-American communities are pachucos & zoot-suiters.
Chuco Style
The pachuco becomes the first type of style, its origins say to have started somewhere in El Paso around the 1930s-40s, perhaps even earlier. The type of clothes typical to this style started with the shiniest shoes money could get, at the waist the skinniest belt and crispiest creased up high waisted drop loop pants, at the torso, a well ironed button up gabardine or rayon shirt, on the face, a clean shave, and at the head, either a fedora (tandito) or a well combed slick back or pomp to really tie the look together. The look would then slowly evolve with the introduction of the Zoot Suit.
Zoot Suit
The origins of the zoot suit date to the 30s from the style that was coming out of African American communities in Harlem, NY. It is said that it was a popular outfit among Jazz musicians. This detail could definitely explain how it made its way south, those musicians would tour down south wearing these outfits which must have sparked the interest of someone in the Mexican-American community to try and recreate or acquire a zoot suit of their own. The zoot suit would eventually make its way to the west coast, going from Texas to Arizona to New Mexico to Nevada to eventually California, specifically, Los Angeles.
Los Angeles
When the zoot suit arrives there, everything changes. Around that time pachucos in LA were just getting started on another extension of their identity known as the Lowrider. During this time (late 40s) some of the very first car clubs began forming. A car club introduced a uniform for a pachuco, typically consisting of an embroidered jacket with the car clubs name, logo, and area. Car club jackets became the first type of graphic piece of clothing a pachuco could wear to feel like they were truly a part of something.
Gangas
During this time delinquency began to take a shift to become an association to the identity of a pachuco. Due to this, society then would stereotype what a pachuco was. Gang culture began to go hand in hand with car clubs and social clubs, uniforms served as visual aid showing where someone was from and who they were associated with.
Rolas
During the 50s several towns around the US had emerging music scenes that created another layer to the identity. Various Chicano Group Harmony/Doo Wop groups start forming and recording covers and original barrio ballads. This music style becomes a quintessential part of the Pachuco/Zoot Suit outfit. You have the Clothes, Cars & now Rolas, which create the ultimate package to becoming a PACHUCO!
Chicanismo
As things get more political in the 60s particularly from the Vietnam War the style starts to change. We no longer see as much zoot suiters, or the mention of Pachucos, instead the culture shifts to the label "Chicano". The word "Chicano" can mean so many things, at its roots it was originally a word with a negative connotation. It was reclaimed during the 60s through the Chicano movement, Mexican-American youth start to reclaim the word an make it a part of their identity. The shift in style goes into more looser fitting clothes, still well presented but more casual. Graphic T-Shirts start becoming a part of the everyday wardrobe. The graphics on the T-shirts typically display some kinda of text or imagery that represents the pride, movement and unity that was seeked among the Mexican-American mass.
Lowrider Magazine
Lowrider culture had already been booming as it had various communities in thousands of cities across the US. It wasn't until the late 70s when lowrider magazine began that a lot of this culture began to get documented on paper. From pictures, to drawings, to advertisements, the magazine became a nationwide facet that gave access to Chicano Youth to indulge on what was happening around them. The first editions of lowrider magazine started highlighting the artistic side of Chicano culture, specifically with their collaborations with David Gonzales who was involved with some of Lowrider magazines first illustrations.
David Gonzales
Before the late 70s there wasn't really any kind of graphic T-shirts or other art that displayed Chicano imagery like we know it today. T shirts typically involved a simple image and old english text that was applied to a shirt as an iron on. Lowrider shows were a common occurance around those times and flyers announcing those events typically were just text based and very basic. It wasn't until David Gonzales began his venture with Five Star Productions to start creating very intricate and artistic for Lowrider events in his area up in Northern California. He would then get picked up by Lowrider Magazine to begin drawing for them. During that time he developed a very unique signature style of his, creating unique pieces that included anything form lowriders, characters & signage that became a true expression of Chicanismo. It took nearly a decade for him to start implementing his artistic talent onto T-Shirts which he began selling at his local Pulga (Swap Meet). When 1990 hits, the style changes drastically.
90s Chicano, Lowrider, Raza or whatever Art Shirts
Chicano, Lowrider, Raza or whatever you'd like to call them shirts began to mesh into the fashion of 90s Chicano wear. Around this time you start seeing spinoffs and original drawings on graphic shirts from not only David Gonzales but other artists in the California area. David Gonzales Tees became one among many other lines of graphic shirts. Other lines of shirts to mention would include Lowrider Magazine, Barrio Street Wear, La Farga Graphics, Aztlan Graphics, Rolling Hard, and Garra Mas Fina.
All of these shirts contained everything it meant to be 'Chicano' as they were a direct influence from the cutlure both in out of the streets.
To be continued....
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