Why Southerners Will Never Stop Wearing Seersucker
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Rachael Burrow
Seersucker is a Southern staple that's been around for over 100 years, and for good reason. The puckered, striped fabric is as charming as it is cooling, which is important for anyone donning a full suit during the middle of a Southern summer. Humid, much?
If we're being nitpicky, the official start of seersucker season in the South is Easter Sunday, which means by the time the Kentucky Derby rolls around, the pastel striped suits are already making a strong showing. (Bourbon and breezy fabric do make for quite the good time.) Popularized beginning in 1909 by New Orleans merchant Joseph Haspel, seersucker and its seasonal tradition has stuck around in the South since as a handsome and practical style choice for spring and summer. Thanks to being lightweight and textured, seersucker is very breathable and doesn't show humidity-provoked wrinkles nearly as much as solid, smooth fabric.
However, in the past two years, we've seen less seersucker gracing Easter lunch, spring weddings, or the aisles of church on Sunday. Maybe it's due to being partially tucked away at home with nowhere to wear it, or perhaps some folks are scared that the younger generation will call the precocious pastel suits outdated. The truth is, people have forgotten a bit about seersucker, letting the puckered, cotton statement pieces gather dust in the closet. But luckily, there are tradition-keeping Southerners left to remind them.
Seersucker is a Southern staple that celebrates our families, our regional pride, and our love of the classics. It's an heirloom trend that deserves to be kept alive—and you certainly don't have to be in Charleston, Savannah, or New Orleans to wear it. In fact, we're calling to reinvigorate seersucker with a stylish vengeance in 2022 and beyond. It's got major personality and keeps you cool during the hottest days of the Southern summer? What's not to love? There's now even an annual National Seersucker Day, kick-started by a coalition of seersucker-loving politicians in Washington, D.C. This year, it lands on June 17th.
"Our clothes are meant to be worn for a good time. We want people to have fun and drink to this wonderful fabric and this wonderful company that my grandfather started back in 1909," says Laurie Haspel Aronson, who serves as president and CEO of Haspel, which is now based in Baton Rouge. (Aronson is the great-granddaughter of Joseph Haspel.)
Don't have seersucker of your own? Haspel is the original source for men's options and has recently made modern takes on the classic fabric that feels fitting for the most dapper of men, and you can find many customizable women's seersucker options on Etsy.
Here's to seersucker, the official fabric of the South. May it keep thriving, with or without a Mint Julep involved.