A 1940s Los Angeles youth subculture that “rejected both traditional Mexican and mainstream American culture” (Escobedo, 2007, 134) pachuca girls were rebels with style that “subvert[ed] mainstream consumer culture and visibly express[ed] discontent with the dominant society…pachucas created a racialized, collective identity that helped many Mexican American women to escape their feelings as outsiders in the United States by claiming an affirming identity as outsiders in the United States” (Escobedo, 2007, 150).

“As the pachuca was the female counterpart to the pachuco, they too took up a distinctive style. The standard uniform for a pachuca was above knee tailored-made gabardine skirt, sweater or the standard zoot suit finger-tip jacket, and huarache sandals. Some wore the masculine version of the zoot suit that was also tailored. Their hair would be teased or ratted into high bouffants or coifs that was styled with hair grease. Finally, the make-up was heavy, particularly the lipstick which was usually a dark color.” (from Museum of the City)

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http://www.museumofthecity.org/project/la-pachuca-mexican-subculture-in-1940s-los-angeles/