Skip to main content

Learn How to Wear a Seersucker Suit for National Seersucker Day

Haspel-Feature, how to wear a seersucker suit
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sweating is not a pre-requisite for wearing dress casual or formal attire in the warmer months. It’s plenty possible to have your style game on point while maintaining a comfortable homeostasis. Just ask Southerners, the folks who realized long ago that seersucker — the puckered cotton fabric so underutilized by everyone else — is a great style for suits

Seersucker: You can almost feel a cool breeze on your skin just by thinking the word. And you’ll need to feel cool June 7th, which happens to be National Seersucker Day.

Recommended Videos

Though originally from India, the fabric was first made into suits by New Orleans-based Haspel, which has been going strong since 1909. The pioneers have updated their line this year, with some new options to keep you looking cool and feeling, well, cool. To learn more, we asked Laurie Haspel, president and fourth-generation owner of Haspel, to provide some tips on how to wear the South’s favorite fabric. But first, an update on Haspel’s latest duds.

The New Looks

Among other things, Haspel now has a bolder, wide-striped pattern that comes on blazers and, because men should be able to bear our legs, too, shorts. Alongside those offerings, they’ve added a couple 100-percent cotton short-sleeved shirts that are sure to pop. The ocean stripe saenger seersucker sports a breezy look, while the saenger raspberry seersucker plaid shirt updates a classic plaid look.

It’s All About the Fit

Laurie Haspel gives us the rundown on form and fit: “A seersucker suit must fit right. Even more than most suits. Those famous stripes are like runway lights for a bad fit. If your jacket is too bulky or your pants are too long, people will surely notice. First, invest in a suit that suits your body type. At Haspel, our suits are trim but not skinny so it fits lots of different guys well. We’re proud of that. Each brand’s suit has its own personality. Ours has a shorter jacket and higher armhole and is a bit tapered through the chest. Basically, that means it’s got shape. Then, invest in a tailor. Actually, make friends with a tailor, someone who knows how to perfect clothes on your body. They will make an already good suit look great.”

What to Wear with Seersucker?

“I love tradition, but I’m equally as fond of a twist. I see guys rockin’ a seersucker suit with a crisp white or pink shirt, bucks, a boater and bow tie. That is the full look. It’s participating in a legacy that I love and my family helped create. If you dress your seersucker in that way I promise you will always be as cool as the underside of the pillow.”

“But a seersucker suit is really a great canvas. You can wear it with lots of things. It looks relaxed and sharp with a great navy blue polo and loafers. I also love it with a perfect white T-shirt and trainers or even Chuck Taylors if you are young enough or young at heart. An open shirt and white pocket square is fresh too. I like having no break on the pants so you show a little ankle. Beyond bucks, a chukka boot or Chelsea boot can work, too. Just look for a lighter color in suede or leather.”

Beyond the Suit

“Think separates! Seersucker doesn’t need to be worn as a suit. Break up the jacket and pants for more versatility. I love a seersucker coat with white pants or jeans; a beat-up denim jacket, crisp white shirt, and seersucker pants also looks killer. You don’t need to wear seersucker head to toe. Repeat, you don’t need to wear seersucker head to toe.

“We all know the seersucker suit. It’s classic and everyone should own one (at least one!). But seersucker, like cotton or wool, is really just a fabric that can be used in lots of different types of clothing. It’s great for lots of things because it is lightweight, breathable and has that iconic pucker. We make seersucker into great button-down shirts — we even use it on details on our tees.”

Article originally published by Chase Scheinbaum on May 06, 2017. Last update by Chase McPeak on June 5, 2018.

Amanda DePerro
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Amanda DePerro is a Midwest-based freelance writer and journalist who loves video games, gardening, and true crime. She is a…
Fall’s secret weapon: How to wear a flannel
Wear the manliest of garments well
Man on steps in a flannel

There are men we grew up watching on TV, either in our favorite shows or the ones everyone watched, that rocked a flannel shirt. Every time Tim "The Toolman" Taylor destroyed something on Tool Time, we always laughed when the flannel-clad Al showed up to fix it for him. When Lorelai came into Luke's Diner to beg him for coffee, we watched the girls swoon over his open flannel and backward cap. Now, we are the guys fixing messes and rocking the open flannel. Maybe you get the same reaction as Luke, or perhaps you don't, but we will do all we can to ensure you have the best chance by teaching you how to wear a flannel correctly. The flannel is one of the best men's wardrobe staples, and we will show you how to wear it to maximize its effectiveness.
What is a flannel

We all know what flannel is, right? You would be surprised how often it is misnamed. For instance, flannel is a fabric, not a pattern. So frequently, people call a shirt a flannel simply because it is a plaid pattern. While flannel is traditionally seen in a plaid pattern, it absolutely doesn't need to be. As a matter of fact, you may start to see flannel bed sheets that are a solid color. However, they are considered flannel thanks to the process the fabric goes through to achieve a soft and cozy feel.

Read more
What to wear to a wedding: How to be the second-best dressed man
How to look great in all areas
Wedding toast

Picture this: You walk out to your mailbox (an inexplicable venture in the year 2024, and yet, our habits are our habits), and you find something addressed to you in a small envelope. Inside, you find a "Save the Date" from a friend. Maybe you have seen them recently, maybe not, but either way, you now have a wedding to attend.

You aren't a big fan of weddings. Receptions, absolutely. But the wedding part can't get over fast enough. Besides, what to wear to a wedding is the next thing you'll have to figure out. You don't want to be overdressed, and you definitely don't want to be underdressed. The problem is, you never know until you get there.

Read more
Cold weather game day outfits: What to wear to a football game when it’s freezing
These cold weather game day outfits will keep you warm all football season
A group of tailgaters enjoying the party.

As the summer begins to fade away into fall, we start getting hyped for the baseball playoffs and the start of the college football and NFL seasons. While you may be excited to watch your favorite teams in person, tailgating with friends and screaming at the referees, the weather doesn't always cooperate. Just a few weeks into the season, some stadiums experience downright frigid fall weather and only get colder as the winter settles in. By halfway through the season, fans in many stadiums are battling icy conditions and struggling to stay warm for the whole game. That is why ensuring you have only the best and most effective cold-weather game-day outfits is important.

Here is the trick to nailing the right outfit: mastering the art of layering. While you will be extremely cold sometimes, you are around upwards of 50,000 people, and the temps could elevate with all that body heat. Therefore, once you get the base layer set up with the all-powerful henley and jeans, it is on to the outer layer. Here is what you should be wearing at the stadium this fall.
Essential cold-weather game-day clothing
The mid-vest

Read more