I am having a brain lapse, but I know there is a word used to describe the kind of suits you usually picture gangsters wearing...I need to know for my description of someone in a fic I am working on...I'm hoping someone on the boards can help me out by knowing what I am talking about.
Thanks,
Marcy

Zoot suit?

Well the hat would be a fedora, the coat would probably be a duster. I don't know any other term for the suit besides zoot suit, like Sue said.

I think the shoes are called spats. But I'm not positive.

Sara

Spats are worn with shoes.

Obligatory wikipedia link

Thanks so much, everyone. I believe that zoot suit was the word I was thinking of. Of course, if anyone else thinks of any other words to describe a gangster suit, please post a reply as well and I'll check back later.
Thanks,
Marcy

I've heard them referred to as "pin striped suits", too

Snarla2

a bit of trivia

when you can't think of the word you are looking for you are in a state of:

lexilogia

that is something i experience more frequently then i would like

I think zoot suits are more 1940s. Yes, Wikipedia says 30s-40s, so a bit late for the gangsters in Prof. Hamilton's experiment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_suit