Seersucker

[jamespowers]

How about a white or blue linen shirt? My son (1 1/2) and I both have seersucker suits we wear. I use a normal dress shirt with a bowtie and a panama. Shoes? Black and white spectators---with socks.

 

[Flitcraft]

One point to consider, tho: Howard Hughes would never have worn seersucker. It is so lightweight, and rumples so easily, that it was very much a "poor man's" suiting in that era. Even spectators would be a little dressy for it - best stick with the bucks.

Dashiell Hammet used to wear it...

 

[DerMann]

All of the books on style that I have read tend to agree that even though it began as a "poor man's" fabric, the rich loved it.

 

[Tomasso]

Wrinkles aside, I'd love to know how you had those suits cut, though, and how it made up.

The khaki is a three button notch with side vents and the grey is a two button notch with side vents, both are quarter lined with pleated trousers. Oxxford is the maker. On the whole, the fabric makes up wonderfully although it's a touch heavier than most SS and therefore wears a bit warmer.

 

[Tomasso]

it was very much a "poor man's" suiting in that era.

While SS is a relatively inexpensive suiting it would be unlikely for a "poor man" to choose it for his one and only suit of clothes. SS was a favorite Summer fabric of the middle and upper class, those with a bit more extensive wardrobe.

 

[Mr. Rover]

The khaki is a three button notch with side vents and the grey is a two button notch with side vents, both are quarter lined with pleated trousers. Oxxford is the maker. On the whole, the fabric makes up wonderfully although it's a touch heavier than most SS and therefore wears a bit warmer.

Are you sure that is actually a seersucker, as opposed to a pincord?
The stripes look rather thin, and I can't tell if there is puckering from the picture.

 

[scotrace]

Great cut for this one.

I wouldn't wear it to the Friday night fights, but an all-day summer picnic, yes.

Mr. Rover... are you asking Tomasso if he can identify seersucker? Rather like asking Thomas Keller if he knows what foie gras is.

 

[Orgetorix]

That's seersucker. No doubt about it. Pincord has much smaller stripes.

 

[dhermann1]

While we're on the subject, here's another question: Cuffs or no cuffs? The Senate picture seems to show most trousers with cuffs.

 

[Fletch]

Again I've spoken intemperately, it seems...Looking back, I recall the pronouncement against seersucker being a pre WW2 thing, and more pointedly an East Coast thing. It was probably déclassé in the East because it was so associated with the South.

I have no cites, just a rough memory of reading. Maybe there was something in the old Esquire Encyclopedia.

The Senate tradition would tend to back me up. Washington used to be regarded as an unambiguously Southern town, and for decades Congress was effectively controlled by the Southern states.

 

[CharlestonBows]

That's seersucker. No doubt about it. Pincord has much smaller stripes.

I agree. It just looks like a tighter SS stripe.

While we're on the subject, here's another question: Cuffs or no cuffs? The Senate picture seems to show most trousers with cuffs.

In our shop, I always advocate that you cuff 'em. Simply because it's more practical to have the extra weight on the bottom of the trouser leg when you're wearing a light fabric. At least in my opinion. [huh] But then again, I advocate cuffs on pretty much everything except formal wear and flat fronts, soo...

 

[Mr. Rover]

Great cut for this one.

I wouldn't wear it to the Friday night fights, but an all-day summer picnic, yes.

Mr. Rover... are you asking Tomasso if he can identify seersucker? Rather like asking Thomas Keller if he knows what foie gras is.

Just curious, because the picture is ambiguous to me and I would like to find a seersucker with stripes that narrow, and is not a reflection upon Tomasso's extreme depth of knowledge in the subject.

 

[Tomasso]

I would like to find a seersucker with stripes that narrow.

So would I. I've since inquired at Oxxford, who owns H&S, and they advised to give up the chase as the fabric no longer intrigues them (read: it didn't sell).[huh]

 

[Tomasso]

Tomasso's extreme depth of knowledge in the subject.

Whenever I think that I may just have a bit of knowledge, I recall the ghost of Marc Chevalier.

 

[Boodles]

Tan and creme seersucker - advice on bowtie?

I'm hoping to get some advice from Mr Charlestonbows and the others on a suitable bowtie for my tan and creme seersucker suit, which I usually wear with a white shirt. I've tried taking the jacket into a couple of good stores here in Charlotte, i.e., Brooks Brothers, where the staff has good taste but just don't have a lot of inventory. I'm expecting that mail order or a trip to Charleston may be my best bet. Any advice on a bowtie, pocket square, suspenders(this suit has the buttons) or alternative shirt colors is solicited. By the way I have both white bucks and bourbon and bone McClain spectators to wear with this suit.

 

[Fletch]

Shirts eh? Let me think...
...écru? With a bright enough tie it could blend tastefully with the cream-color stripes and not look too uniform.
...very soft mint or moss green?
...getting a little Out There: peach? taupe? rust? deep moss green? gunmetal grey?

Pick ties that combine some tan or brown notes with bolder colors (greens for the soft green shirt; blues for the peach shirt; lots of options with the écru or white). Pick festive patterns (bold foulards, paisleys, plaids). It's a fun outfit, and the tie should reflect that.

Squares: stick to white or solid colors based off the shirt or tie.

I think yellow is a great suspender color for summer, but you'd have to be wearing a tie with some yellow in to make it work.

Seersucker is just informal enough that you would want to choose between a square OR suspenders, not wear both. Save the susp. for when you're likely to take off your coat.

 

[Boodles]

Mr Fletch

Thanks for the ideas Mr. Fletch. Many of these ideas I have not thought about. The ties with brown or tan I have considered but cannot find anything like that around where I live in Charlotte. Peach shirt...I like the sound of that. What about the idea of all those colors, tan, creme, peach and blues? Then there is moss green. Interesting. Square or suspenders but not both. Interesting. Thanks again for your advice.

Shirts eh? Let me think...
...écru? With a bright enough tie it could blend tastefully with the cream-color stripes and not look too uniform.
...very soft mint or moss green?
...getting a little Out There: peach? taupe? rust? deep moss green? gunmetal grey?

Pick ties that combine some tan or brown notes with bolder colors (greens for the soft green shirt; blues for the peach shirt; lots of options with the écru or white). Pick festive patterns (bold foulards, paisleys, plaids). It's a fun outfit, and the tie should reflect that.

Squares: stick to white or solid colors based off the shirt or tie.

I think yellow is a great suspender color for summer, but you'd have to be wearing a tie with some yellow in to make it work.

Seersucker is just informal enough that you would want to choose between a square OR suspenders, not wear both. Save the susp. for when you're likely to take off your coat.

 

[Fletch]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Mr. Boodles.

May I humbly recommend you check out J. Press' bowtie selection. I see 5 or 6 things right off that would work for your suit - all on sale too.

As to shirts, check out Jos.A.Bank. Wide range of colors, also on sale.

 

[Fletch]

Just for fun, I did it myself

Here are 6 shirt/bowtie pairings I came up with for the tan seersucker.
I don't think I'll be getting such a suit this year myself, but these may be of value to Boodles or other curious lookers-in.

écru shirt, blue/red madras tie. Shoes: white buck. Square: red or blue.

écru shirt, brown plaid tie. Shoes: spectator. Square: blue or yellow.

peach shirt, blue foulard tie. Shoes: white buck. Square: blue or peach.

mint green shirt, red foulard tie. Shoes: white buck. Square: red or turquoise.

moss green shirt, brown polkadot tie. Shoes: spectator. Square: brown or moss green.

moss green shirt, black/tan paisley tie. Shoes: either. Square: red or moss green.

 

[CharlestonBows]

^^^ -- I really like 1, 2 & 5. The others, I think the small pattern might get lost in the stripe. [huh]