A Brief History of Seersucker Day
Now that the unofficial start of the summer has begun to take its course, many gear themselves up in suits, dresses, and other fashion choices to go about their day, ready to tackle the rising temperatures in the humid climate of Washington DC. Little in which some in political life may know about clothing altogether, the following piece of southern fabric can be your best friend if you play it right, for it’s always best in a pinch on hot days. It’s seersucker - also used as a bipartisan get-together for those serving in Congress.
Before the era of air conditioning, prominent senators had to be aware of what type of light linen and other fabric shirts to wear, let alone suits, knowing the heat could swelter their clothes throughout the day in sweat, let alone constant runs to clean their clothes.
The revolutionary fabric of choice was made by a clothier named Joseph Haspel from New Orleans, Louisiana in 1907, who aimed to design a lightweight cotton suit in a pale color, alongside thin blue and white stripes. The term was coined seersucker, after the Persian words meaning, “milk and sugar.” Such a design became a big hit gaining popularity in DC in the early 20th century, not just because of its ease of fashion, but because it didn’t have to be washed frequently like other materials. But as the decades progressed with the soaring installation of air conditioning, by the 1950s the classic style of the bygone day was no longer in use.
This was until the late 1990’s Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) introduced the tradition back to the Senate, whereas a designated day, a “nice and warm” one to be exact, would take place on the second or third week of June, to be called “Seersucker Thursday.” In doing so, Lott said his goal in creating this was to show that the Senate was just more than folks wearing dark suits and ties.
The annual tradition for the breathable suit-wearing ice cream social, would abruptly come to a halt in June 2012 when the staff of the Senate cloakroom’s office notified members on the Hill that the custom was being discontinued due to the political hostility of the day. As a small note at the time, it was during a presidential election year, and the Senate body was controlled by Democrats with the late-Harry Reid (D-NV) presiding as majority leader. Members thought the annual bipartisan event, “would be politically unwise to be seen doing something so frivolous when there’s so much conflict over major issues.”
Dana Milbank for the Washington Post covered the topic at the time, alongside her run-in with Trent Lott who was working as a lobbyist, said it was an irony of its own accord, and that those who canceled the Seersucker Thursday event, “have got it exactly backwards.” By taking out the bipartisan fashion gathering, Milbank described that it showed leaders are not able to agree on important political issues all because they are, “missing this kind of social lubricant.” When speaking to Lott about the issue, he said, “My view is you can’t get serious things done because you don’t have events where you can enjoy others’ company.”
In retrospect, this may be the harsh reality for those constantly consumed in DC political culture at times. Many lawmakers in Washington only show up for three days of the week, making it difficult to create a development for lasting personal bonds. When in the past Democrats and Republicans would join together socializing over card games or salons, making the demonization of each other less likely to occur, and more likely to come to a mutual agreement.
Lott recalled at the time when he was a congressional staffer in the 1960s how his job was to light cigars and mix the bourbon at bipartisan card game events held by the lawmakers. Now it seemed as if, “they don’t really know each other the way we did. They don’t spend much time up here, their families aren’t here, and there aren’t many opportunities to get together.”
Given the doom-and-gloom about the short end of the tradition, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) showed up to work that month with a seersucker suit anyway and understood the importance of having such social get-togethers. “There is potentially much to be gained by participating in these traditions that can help forge friendships in the Senate,” he said.
Despite a brief hiccup, Bill Cassidy (R-LA) who at the time was a House member in 2014, called to have the Seersucker tradition back, with Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) tagging along thereafter. The proclamation he submitted to the Congressional Record designated Wednesday, instead of the original Thursday, to be “National Seersucker Day.” In a statement, Cassidy said, “Seersucker is more than fabric - it’s a symbol of American-made products that create manufacturing, shipping, and sales jobs across the country. It’s also the melding of fashion with comfort. Seersucker was invented in Louisiana but now belongs to all Americans. I am proud to further a Congressional tradition.”
Although the tradition originally began as an all-men affair, Feinstein decided to join the club in 2004 with the inclusion of her female colleagues. Although they may have not had a hold of getting seersucker suits, the senior senator from California went out of her way to get their measurements and had suits given to them later as gifts. Susan Collins (R-ME) said how seersucker material was breathable, cool, and didn’t wrinkle easily like other fabrics, noting how it was great for the South. Something she would have a difficult time taking into account wearing in her home state of Maine.
As for the ambiance of the tradition, Sen Cassidy said to ABC News, “It’s kinda fun, it’s bipartisan, it’s something that people can participate in and kind of see each other and smile and thumbs up - it doesn’t matter anything else that’s going on.”
Despite a worldwide pandemic in 2020, even that wasn’t enough to stop the Seersucker again, for Sen. Cassidy handed out face masks to his Republican colleagues instead this time, given the mood of things. The manufacturer of the face masks came from Haspel, a Louisiana-based company that makes suits, which switched its operations to produce face masks once the Covid-19 hit.
It’s not members of Congress who have become Seersucker fans, it’s staff too! Devin Mogler, a former aide to Sen. Jodi Ernst (R-IA) said how he loved wearing a seersucker suit, for it was more bearable than if he were to wear a normal suit. Another aide in the Senate was said not to only wear a bow tie, but “you can do it wrong very easily.” Noting that it all comes about finding the right style. Lott would have agreed with this aide because Lott himself noted how one’s bow tie or necktie should match the color of one’s socks.
Overall the best description of the Seersucker ought to go to Chris Cioffi, who wrote the unofficial notice for the Hill’s beginning of summer creates a temporary transformation, whereas the legislative branch finds itself, “into a cross between a Jazz Age lawn party, the Kentucky Derby and the olden days of Washington.”
Hopefully, more lawmakers will grow to love the classic fashion of the seersucker, and even get to create new friendships with colleagues on the other aisle. As Sen. Cassidy put it, “Drop your wool suit in the summertime, and look as if you’ve adapted to the environment. But also look as if you’re enjoying life - and that’s the point of the seersucker.”