You'll see it here, you'll see it there, from the end of May, you'll see it everywhere. Seersucker has become ubiquitous, a staple of the summer months. And with good reason; the lightweight fabric, delicately woven from cotton (but for some connoisseurs, silk), adopts a waffled texture, with air circulating between the layers. The weaving process lends itself to versatility; woven threads can be comprised of different colours, offering a plethora of patterns, whilst the speed at which the warped threads are 'fed' changes the texture of the fabric.
The history of seersucker is as varied as the colours and patterns it can take. The word "seersucker" originates from the Persian "shir o shakka", or "milk and sugar", gesturing to both its texture and the popularity of the material for British soldiers in India. At the same time, the fabric gained popularity in Spain. In America, the fabric found favour with everyone, from railroad workers who opted for deep indigo hues, to preppy Princeton students, who paired seersucker blazers with chinos to distinguish themselves from college professors, who were identifiable in full suits of the fabric, accessorised with a red bow tie.
In recent years, the fashion forward have looked backward. Inspired by coffee table classics such as Take Ivy and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, brighter colours started to be showcased on the traditional fabric, which was cut into contemporary styles. In 2016, even the Australian Olympic Team got in on the action, opting for green and white seersucker blazers — talk about an Old Sport!
Today, SIRPLUS are proud to add to seersucker's rich, textured history. In a classic navy, we pair our suit with a textured cream polo, in honour of the fabric's milk and sugar origin story. When this classic look feels a bit too sweet, a subtle sage variant gets thrown on with an ecru Cuban shirt, accessorised with a contrasting bandana and sunglasses. For when we want to party like Gatsby, a smooth silk tie complements our gently textured blazer and trousers in a deep teal, with a classic Oxford offering a preppy, yet, practical, undertone.
You can shop our full seersucker range online and in stores now.