What Is Seersucker?
Seersucker is a popular fashion choice in summer clothing. A lightweight and easily identifiable fabric, seersucker fabric is generally associated with men's clothing, specifically men's suits. Seersucker is extremely cool and breathable, which is why it's often associated with summer and warm weather wear. The crinkled look of seersucker makes it highly recognizable. Does this Spark an idea?
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Origin
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According to World Wide Words. the word seersucker originally comes from the Persian phrase shir o shakar, which means "milk and sugar." The name is a reference to the nature of the fabric's texture, both smooth and rough at the same time. The smooth texture of milk and the rougher texture of sugar are apt descriptors of the fabric, originally made in a striped pattern of Indian silk.
History
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New Orleans clothier Joseph Haspel introduced the first seersucker suit in 1907, marketed largely for American workers of the south. Because seersucker fabric is lightweight and cool against the skin, Haspel designed the suits with light pastel stripes and sold them as summer clothing, according to Kauffman Mercantile. Haspel's seersucker suits were touted for their wash-and-wear nature. The low-maintenance seersucker fabric needed no ironing even after washing. As part of an ad campaign, notes Citizen Arcane, Haspel wore one of his seersucker suits in the ocean, let it air dry, and wore it to a party that night.
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Manufacture
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Seersucker is made of cotton fibers, or of cotton blended with fibers such as linen, rayon or silk. The lightweight nature of the fabric and the rumpled or puckered appearance of the material makes it identifiable as seersucker, says NY Fashion Center. Seersucker is created with an alternating weave in which some of the threads are pulled tight and some are left loose. The tight-slack pattern creates the crinkled quality of seersucker fabric. The rumpled nature of the fabric keeps it off the wearer's skin, creating cooling air pockets.
Significance
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Seersucker has been worn by U.S. government workers and officials for decades. Navy and Army nurse uniforms were made of seersucker fabric during World War II because the material is so easy to wash and comfortable to wear. Seersucker has also become a tradition in the United States Senate, which holds "Seersucker Thursday" once every June. Male and female senators alike wear suits of seersucker, both for their cooling comfort and as a nod to the clothing traditions of the past. Actor Gregory Peck wore a seersucker suit in the acclaimed 1962 movie "To Kill a Mockingbird," which centered on a southern lawyer.
Uses
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Seersucker fabric was first introduced to America and to popular culture in men's fashion, but the material is not restricted to men's suits. Top designers use seersucker to create lightweight jackets, pants, shirts and other warm-weather clothing items for men, women and children. Seersucker is also used in curtains and other household fabric items. Modern-day manufacturers may use chemical treatments to create a crinkled seersucker look, though true seersucker fabric is made with the alternating weave design that forms the puckered texture naturally.
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