Seersucker Suit Question

[Gray Ghost]

I am taking my wife on a Disney Cruise in November. We have one day that we need to dress up. I was wondering if it would be okay to wear a Seersucker suit down in the Bahamas during the month of November? I know that this suit is mainly a summer suit but would love to wear one while I am crusing about the islands. I would wear a nice Panama with it. I am a Southern boy and am a big sucker for anything that has a Southern flair to it. Thanks for all of your help in this matter. If no on wearing one during that time, what would you recommend that would have a classic look?

 

[David Conwill]

I guess to me it would depend on what the weather is like down there at that time. If things resemble spring or summer in the northern latitudes, absolutely I'd wear seersucker.

-Dave

 

[Tomasso]

We have one day that we need to dress up.

Could you elaborate?

 

[Gray Ghost]

Could you elaborate?

We are attending the Captain's Dinner. I understand that it can be dressy casual or suit, but I have always been one that prefered to dress up for dinners like this.

 

[Tomasso]

We are attending the Captain's Dinner. .

Back in the day the Captain's Table meant evening wear but today I would have no qualms about wearing a seersucker suit. And BTW, the BS are warm in November.

 

[Yeps]

We are attending the Captain's Dinner. I understand that it can be dressy casual or suit, but I have always been one that prefered to dress up for dinners like this.

I would take it as an opportunity for something even more fun

*scan credit: Feraud

However, if you want to, I see nothing wrong with seersucker as a tropical suit. It is a little casual, but that is fine.

 

[SteveAS]

I would take it as an opportunity for something even more fun

However, if you want to, I see nothing wrong with seersucker as a tropical suit. It is a little casual, but that is fine.

I'm of the same mind as Yeps. I went on a cruise to Mexico in February and wore a tuxedo on both dress up nights. I wasn't the only man in a tuxedo, but, at 43 years old, I was the youngest. If I'd had my act together, I'd have gotten a white dinner jacket . . .

 

[DocMustang]

I am sure the other loungers will pounce on me if I am wrong but I always think of Seersucker as more of an American thing, particularly Southern America. It would certainly be cool in a tropical climate but it would seem to me to be out of place in the tropics. I might consider a nice linen suit or as others have suggested a white dinner jacket.

 

[David Conwill]

I am sure the other loungers will pounce on me if I am wrong but I always think of Seersucker as more of an American thing, particularly Southern America. It would certainly be cool in a tropical climate but it would seem to me to be out of place in the tropics. I might consider a nice linen suit or as others have suggested a white dinner jacket.

I think the fact that it was somewhat out of place would be the exact reason I would choose it. I don’t mind people picking me out as an American and a Midwesterner. It’s certainly better than a hooded sweatshirt that says “USA” on it.

I was very proud that my younger brother took his WWII surplus gas-mask bag with him on his year-long trip to Ireland. What a subtle way to show off your nationality.

I miss our regional and national distinctions, they provide spice and color to life.

-Dave

 

[Tomasso]

It would certainly be cool in a tropical climate but it would seem to me to be out of place in the tropics.

The OP is taking a Florida/Bahamas cruise. Have you any idea how many seersucker suits have preceded him in the last century.

 

[avedwards]

I think the fact that it was somewhat out of place would be the exact reason I would choose it. I don’t mind people picking me out as an American and a Midwesterner. It’s certainly better than a hooded sweatshirt that says “USA” on it.

I was very proud that my younger brother took his WWII surplus gas-mask bag with him on his year-long trip to Ireland. What a subtle way to show off your nationality.

I miss our regional and national distinctions, they provide spice and color to life.

-Dave

Unless I'm mistaken the same gas mask bags were issued in the US as in the UK, so a gas mask bag wouldn't necessarily show one off to be an American. However I think it's a nice touch wearing a seersucker suit to show your national identity in a subtle way. In the same way I would try to wear a three piece wool suit or black dinner jacket whenever possible without dying of heat stroke to show off my traditional national identity (linen is not a British thing to wear except in the tropics and even then it probably wouldn't be unusual for a Brit to opt for a wool suit).

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I'd really suggest contacting the cruise line for a few ideas. From what I've been told over the years, the Captain's Dinner has deteriorated from the tropical tuxedo to the same sleeveless t-shirt, cut offs, and flip flops seen at the bars on the beach. I'm not saying that you SHOULDN'T wear a tux anyway, but you should know what you're getting into before hand.

Later and have fun.

 

[David Conwill]

Unless I'm mistaken the same gas mask bags were issued in the US as in the UK, so a gas mask bag wouldn't necessarily show one off to be an American.

I'm not sure on that point, but unless UK gas-mask bags were stamped "US" and bore our Chemical Corps insignia, his will still be pretty distinct (like this but faded to tan).

And an Englishman in tweeds is definitely a traditional cultural icon. I probably would not have picked up on the black dinner jacket, however.

-Dave

 

[Yeps]

Hi

I'd really suggest contacting the cruise line for a few ideas. From what I've been told over the years, the Captain's Dinner has deteriorated from the tropical tuxedo to the same sleeveless t-shirt, cut offs, and flip flops seen at the bars on the beach. I'm not saying that you SHOULDN'T wear a tux anyway, but you should know what you're getting into before hand.

Later and have fun.

On the two cruises I have been on, which were very casual, the Captain's Dinner was a great place to wear a tux, even if it was the only time a jacket was worn during the entire cruise.

 

[dhermann1]

I would guess that you'll be fine. However I tend to think of a seersucker suit as more of a day wear item. If you could pull off the white dinner jacket thing, it would be a real coup.

 

[Gray Ghost]

I am sure the other loungers will pounce on me if I am wrong but I always think of Seersucker as more of an American thing, particularly Southern America. It would certainly be cool in a tropical climate but it would seem to me to be out of place in the tropics. I might consider a nice linen suit or as others have suggested a white dinner jacket.

It works for me, since I am from the glorious South. I also like the idea of a white dinner jacket. I am a big fan of Bogey and love how he looked in Casablanca. I also like showing off that I am from the South and a Seersucker Suit is the epitome of Southern fashion. I am 42 and was raised by parents that were old enough to be my grandparents. My dad served in the South Pacific in the 13th Air Force. I was raised with a sense of proper clothing. My dad worked for the Rail Road and he would come home, get a bath and put on a suit to go to the pharmacy or the bank. A lot of his friends would go straight from work. I was never allowed to wear jeans to Church. It really iritates me to see how my generation is dressing. I saw an article that it was okay to wear sandels with a Seersucker suit. I don't know how anybody else feels about it but to me that is sacrilegious. Thanks to everyone for the info and the ideas. That is why I come here. To commune with folks like me.

 

[avedwards]

I'm not sure on that point, but unless UK gas-mask bags were stamped "US" and bore our Chemical Corps insignia, his will still be pretty distinct (like this but faded to tan).

And an Englishman in tweeds is definitely a traditional cultural icon. I probably would not have picked up on the black dinner jacket, however.

-Dave

I must have made a mistake then. The English gas mask bags are the type of bag Indiana Jones carries with him. I mistakenly assumed the same bags were issued in the US as well.

The black dinner jacket would look more "British" than a white one, though not be as obvious a cultural icon as a tweed suit. A tweed suit would be extremely uncomfortable in the tropics though. I was referring to something more like the suit in my avatar which is still reasonably "British" looking.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

I also like the idea of a white dinner jacket. I am a big fan of Bogey and love how he looked in Casablanca.

White dinner jacket; go for it GG! Let the rubes show up in sandals and T shirts.

 

[Gray Ghost]

I checked the website and it advises that Monday night's dinner is formal. With that being said, I have decided to go with the white dinner jacket. I hope to make Bogey proud. I do have a question, did he wear a vest or a cumberbund under the jacket. I assume that the vest would be white but if he wore the cumberbund would it have been black to go with the pants or white for the jacket? I can't seem to be able to tell exactly from the photos.

=GG=

 

[Tomasso]

did he wear a vest or a cumberbund under the jacket.

Neither, the DJ was double breasted which precludes the use of vest or cummerbund.