Prep Essentials: Seersucker

Seersucker. The prep summer uniform. It comes in everything from shorts and pants, skirts and dresses, to suits. Non-preppies may wonder why so many preps walk around in "those thin white and blue striped stuff," but preps know. While the traditional colors of seersucker are white and blue, and its also comes in other colors: green and white, pink and white, grey and white.

The actual seersucker season start is a little debated. In the South, Easter marks the start of seersucker season. In the North, it's usually still a little chilly for seersucker at Easter, so I'd say waiting until Memorial Day Weekend is your safest bet. It's pretty well agreed upon that Labor Day marks the end of seersucker season.

Seersucker, originally from the Hindustani "shir o shekar" (milk and sugar), is a thin, all-cotton fabric, which makes it breathable and perfect for summer weather. The seersucker weaving process causes threads to bunch together, which gives the garment its wrinkled appearance.

It is a common staple of the Southern gentleman because the fabric is held away from the skin, which allows for heat dissipation and air circulation. The light fabric is great for the heat and humidity of the South in the summer. Just think how bad it would've been before air conditioning came along.

Today, seersucker is seen as a clothing article worn by the wealthy and well-to-do, but that's not how it originated. In the 1920's, the material was worn by poor citizens, but undergrad students starting rocking seersucker as a form of "reverse snobbery."

Seersucker fun fact: In June, the US Senate holds a Seersucker Thursday, in which participants dress in traditional Southern garb.