Seersucker Thursday is an annual tradition in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

in which senators wear clothing made of seersucker on National Seersucker Day, traditionally observed on a "'nice and warm day' in the second or third week of June'".Seersucker Thursday
US Senate. Accessed July 17, 2009. This light, cotton-based material is associated with the warm and humid climate of the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Seersucker Thursday was initiated by

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Senator

Trent Lott Chester Trent Lott Sr. (born October 9, 1941) is an American lawyer, author, and politician. A former United States Senator from Mississippi, Lott served in numerous leadership positions in both the United States House of Representatives and the ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

in 1996 who wanted to "bring a little Southern charm to the Capitol" to remind the Senate of how senators dressed before the advent of

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

in the 1950s. The practice was temporarily suspended in 2012 amid congressional gridlock but began again in 2015. While National Seersucker Thursday occurs only once per year, it is not uncommon to see congressional staffers don seersucker suits on Thursdays throughout the summer.

History of the seersucker suit

Seersucker weave was introduced to the American South probably through

British colonial The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

trade, sometime in the second half of the 19th century. The cotton weave, which originated in western India, became a signature look of the United States in the early 20th century because its light weight and pre-rumpled surface made it ideal for the intense humidity of summer.

Joseph Haspel Joseph Haspel (February 18, 1884 – December 29, 1959) was an American haberdasher in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the inventor of the seersucker suit, first worn by Southern businessmen, followed by Ivy League students and Northern businessme ...

, a New Orleans haberdasher, is credited with inventing the seersucker business suit. The wearing of seersucker suits declined with the advent of

. By the 1950s, air conditioning reached the Capitol, ending the necessity of seersucker suits there.

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

famously wore a seersucker suit in the movie ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'', creating a cliché of how small town Southern lawyers dressed invoked by later actors such as

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...

History of Seersucker Thursday

In 1996 Senator Trent Lott declared the first National Seersucker Day to be on a Thursday that June. His goal was to show that "the Senate isn't just a bunch of dour folks wearing dark suits and — in the case of men — red or blue ties". In 2004, Senator

Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she was ...

decided to increase participation by encouraging women senators to follow the tradition. The following year 11 of the 14 women senators appeared on Seersucker Thursday in outfits received as gifts from Feinstein. In 2012 Seersucker Thursday was cancelled at the last moment by Senate leaders concerned how they might appear. National Seersucker Day remained cancelled until May 27, 2015 when Senator

Bill Cassidy William Morgan Cassidy (born September 28, 1957) is an American physician and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Louisiana, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Louisian ...

successfully advocated for the return of Seersucker Thursday, appearances notwithstanding. Cassidy remarked, "This uniquely American fashion has a storied history dating back to 1909 ... Mr. Haspel said it best, 'hot is hot, no matter what you do for a living.

References

{{reflist Fashion-related occasions United States Senate June observances 1996 establishments in the United States Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month) Thursday