The "S" Word In Fashion: Seersucker!

"shleykes"
"sheytl"/"shaytl"
"spodik"
"sveter"
"shponkes"
"shikh"/"shukh"
"sandalen"
"shmate"
and
"seersucker."

(suspenders)
(wig)
(fur hat)
(sweater)
(cuff links)
(shoe)
(sandals)
(rag...or the dress worn by your ex-husband's new wife)

(thin cotton fabric)

So, you think that seersucker is a lackluster "shtof" (fabric) donned by stuffy southern elite and "raykh" (wealthy) beachcomers? You're wrong!

The seersucker was first introduced in the U. S. in the early 19th century and we're seeing a major resurgence. On June 18, we celebrate U. S. Senate Seersucker Day.

Yes, every June, the Senate picks a day to encourage all U. S. Senators to wear the time-honored "shtof," seersucker, reminding them of a "sezon" of renewal and rejoice. (The Yiddish word meaning to rejoice is "freyen zikh.")

Senators agree on "eyns" (one) thing: Sporting seersucker makes a classic fashion statement in the spirit of unity.

Washington and Hollywood loved the seersucker "kostyum" (suit). Presidents FDR and Harry Truman sported them. When Truman wore them in June 1945, reporters called him confident and "optimistish" (optimistic). Nobody looked "beser" (better) than Gregory Peck as Attious Finch in a three-piece seersucker in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Bogie wore Haspel seersuckers and so did Cary Grant in "Charade" (1963). Grant wore one in "der shprits" (the shower).

eHow.com ("How to Pull Off a Seersucker Suit") says, "Choose a color that won't make everyone stop, look at you, and throw on a pair of sunglasses ("zunbriln"). Men's seersucker suits come in a variety of colors striped with white such as red, peach, aqua, and pink. Pick those colors only if you have a deep desire to attract attention, no matter the kind. The best colors are blue-and-white, cream, gray-and-white, or brown-and-white." BTW, Bruce Feirstein ("Real Men Don't Eat Quiche") said, "Two colors that do not appear in the Real Man's wardrobe are Puce and mauve."

"Men ken handlen mit trantes un zich, klaiden in samet." (You may deal in rags and dress in velvet.)

"Men bagrist noch di klaider, men baglait nochen saichel." (When you enter, you are greeted according to your dress; when you leave, you are bade farewell according to your wisdom.)

What does an "advocat" (lawyer) feel about seersucker suits? Bill Haltom, partner in the Memphis firm of Thomason, Hendrix, Harvey, Johnson & Mitchell, wrote, "I personally strongly favor a dress code for lawyers. For example, I believe that the seersucker suits should not only be permissable but actually mandatory for lawyers making a court appearance between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I also strongly oppose the practice of so-called 'casual days,' in which lawyers show up for work or even depositions dressed down in, at best, golf shirts and khakis, and at worst, tank tops and speedos. I say that if a suit fits, a lawyer should wear it. And if it doesn't fit, the lawyer should find a better tailor ("shnayder," in Yiddish)."

Bill Halton continues, "Before you know it, the bar association will tell me that I can't appear in court wearing my seersucker suit and white bucks. Well, that's never gonna' happen. I'll give up my seersucker when they pry my cold, dead hands off my cotton jacket."
--------------------------------------
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe wants to know
where clothing stores get those tricky mirrors
that make old suits look so shabby?