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#1 2017-05-12 06:45:20

Ian Lawton
Member
Posts: 27

Solid Seersucker?

White on white is usual. Landsend have done it. Usually 'sucker is differently coloured striped. I have recently seen some blue on blue seersucker fabric in a couple of shades. In both cases the smooth stripe and the puckered stripe in the weave of the fabric were the same colour and I was quite interested. Is there any long standing precedent for any of this? Does anybody know? 'Sucker is striped in my book. Is solid 'sucker something new or at least recent?
Thank you.

 

#2 2017-05-12 10:45:50

An Unseen Scene
Member
From: Nottingham, UK
Posts: 1173

Re: Solid Seersucker?

For a long time I assumed Seersucker meant the stripe not the fabric.

 

#3 2017-05-12 11:31:18

Berkeley_Breathes
Member
From: Crabapple Cove, ME
Posts: 4519

Re: Solid Seersucker?

Seersucker is traditionally striped. In fact, this gave the fabric its name:

"Originally, seersucker fabric was rooted in India. At the time the country was ruled by the Mughal, Persian was the official language at court. Consequently, Persian was integrated into the local languages and shaped both the Urdu and Hindi languages. The term seersucker derives from these languages, referring to the dual tonality of the colors. In fact, 'sheer'  means 'milk' and 'shukkar' means 'lesser refined brown cane sugar.' Over time, the word evolved into 'seersucker,' and it was first imported to Europe in the 18th century."

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/seersucker-fabric-suits-origins/


"The only comment a gentleman’s outfit should generate is that he is properly dressed for the occasion" - Calvin Trillin

 

#4 2017-05-12 12:34:27

An Unseen Scene
Member
From: Nottingham, UK
Posts: 1173

Re: Solid Seersucker?

Thanks, I will not feel as retrospectively dim now.

 

#5 2017-05-15 06:19:40

Ian Lawton
Member
Posts: 27

Re: Solid Seersucker?

The fabric has a woven stripe built in. Further research on my behalf finds no rule that they should be stripes of different colours. Seersucker really is in origin a texture if I'm not wrong. I asked the question here to find out more.
Love striped 'sucker. Was interested in the solid variant. Research!
Thank you to all.

 

#6 2017-05-15 09:01:00

An Unseen Scene
Member
From: Nottingham, UK
Posts: 1173

Re: Solid Seersucker?

I do not get seersucker shirts, just me I think.

 

#7 2017-05-15 18:28:00

Berkeley_Breathes
Member
From: Crabapple Cove, ME
Posts: 4519

Re: Solid Seersucker?

I love a seersucker short sleeved button-down in the summer. Great tucked or untucked...


"The only comment a gentleman’s outfit should generate is that he is properly dressed for the occasion" - Calvin Trillin

 

#8 2017-05-16 05:55:39

chatsworth osborne jr.
Member
Posts: 738

Re: Solid Seersucker?

I know that I've seen seersucker done in plaids, but I am unsure whether both the warp and weft had the alternating tight and loose weave.  A solid colored fabric with a gingham textural plaid would be interesting to me.

 

#9 2017-05-16 11:12:14

Acton_Baby
Member
From: West London
Posts: 3848

Re: Solid Seersucker?

It's origins are actually North African via France and then onto the USA.
There is a UK version of the fabric ( produced mainly in Yorkshire and Lancashire ) from the mid-Victorian era but it very different much heavier version of the fabric ( more akin to curtain fabric than clothing).
The name has it routes in Persian language 'sheer-shakar' or 'milk and sugar' a description of the 'smooth/rough' self-striped texture of the original North African fabric ( the name isn't related to it's colours, as the fabric initially was solid colours only).
French fabric manufacturers copied/appropriated the 'loose weave' technique of the original material into their industrial weaving methods and it's this that produces the texture of the cloth we know today (they also added the contrast colours to the stripe).
Initially used for making summer shirts and dresses, enterprising tailors in the South of France started making more formal clothes in the fabric for well-heeled locals to wear in the summer months.
It's route into the USA was very much via this French cultural influence on the Southern States.

The Haspel company bought some of it's weaving machines in the early 1900's from the French, initially to duplicate the fabric in the US to meet a local demand in the southern states they had previously filled with imported fabric.
The arrival of Haspel's cotton/Orlon mix in the early 1940s introduced the wash and wear aspect of the fabric
and that leads to the story of Joe Haspel Sr. in 1946...

Haspel Sr. was attending a convention in Boca Raton, Florida, when he took his a dip into the sea in his seersucker suit. Afterwards he hung his suit over his hotel room tub to drip dry. Later that evening, those who had seen him in his unrthodox bathing attire were equally surprised to see him wearing the same suit, and his act was the hit of the Middle South Utilities Inc. banquet.


"I have about 100 pairs of pyjamas. I like to see people dressed comfortably."
Hugh Hefner

 

#10 2017-05-16 11:16:34

Acton_Baby
Member
From: West London
Posts: 3848

Re: Solid Seersucker?

Oh and Colombo's suit in the original TV series ( first three seasons) is an over-dyed ( by the wardrobe department) off-white plain seersucker.
They lost the original solid tan seersucker suit from the pilot and had to improvise for the series when it was commissioned.


"I have about 100 pairs of pyjamas. I like to see people dressed comfortably."
Hugh Hefner

 

#11 2017-05-18 05:29:48

Ian Lawton
Member
Posts: 27

Re: Solid Seersucker?

Brilliant stuff Acton Baby. I've also noticed that for differently striped seersucker there is no consistency as to if the "milk" or the "sugar" stripes should be the coloured ones. Both produce a different effect. I think I like the most common one that the sugar stripe is coloured best.

 

#12 2017-06-17 21:40:23

ste
Member
From: San Francisco
Posts: 136

Re: Solid Seersucker?

Gene Hackman wore an amazing tan/beige/grey/olive seersucker suit in Mississippi Burning (I'm color blind and saw it at low resolution on YouTube). I'd love a suit like that.

 

#13 2017-06-23 01:29:43

Horace
Member
Posts: 6432

Re: Solid Seersucker?


""This is probably the last Deb season...because of the stock market, the economy, Everything..." - W. Stillman.

 

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