Seersucker Thursdays: Now With Less Seersucker
Jun 23, 2010
When I started working on the Hill, many eons ago, I was deeply disturbed by something known as Seersucker Thursdays. It seemed that a group of staffers had gotten together and in a drunken haze, decided that on the fifth day of every week, they would come to work dressed like soda jerks on the lam from Pleasantville.
Despite its abundance on Capitol Hill and its keg full of preppy glory, I have never warmed to seersucker. But if you are going to wear it to work, you should at least wear it like a grown up with a professional job. In my opinion, the best way to accomplish this feat is to skip the full suit and break up the pieces.
I’m sure this post will generate comments from those of you who hope to buried in a seersucker suit, in a seersucker lined coffin, on a Seersucker Thursday. But please be aware, that while some of my best friends wear seersucker, you will NEVER, EVER convert me. Choose a life of stripes if you must, but leave me to my solids.
Seersucker Fiance Blazer (Searle, $188)
Black Halo Mercedes Sheath (Singer22, $375)
Beige Perforated Belt (Rachel Roy, $38)
Dooney & Bourke Lulu Satchel (Zappos, $188)
I am so glad you made this post. I saw a guy walk on to the metro one morning last week and wanted to burst out laughing. I can’t stand seersucker and can’t understand why so many people love it. I’m glad theres somebody else in D.C. who opposes the style as much as me! I do love the outfit you created in your post. You truly do have the best fashion blog. Keep up the good work
That’s actually a very cute outfit! I never thought I’d like another Dooney and Bourke bag, but I love that one!
I love this outfit, Belle! You really have some mad skillz. I don’t actually live in D.C., but I hear from friends that Seersucker Thursdays are the worst! This outfit is absolutely fabulous, and I totally agree that a touch of seersucker here and there is all a hott woman needs to wear on Thursdays in D.C. That, or no seersucker at all, that is!
I have to agree with GvZ, you have the best fashion blog out there – you have amazing style sense. I also hate seersucker, but the way you styled it above… I’d wear that.
It was actually started by Former Senator Trent Lott. You are so obviously a Midwesterner.
That dress is gorgeous. I like the outfit, but I would rather wear it without the seersucker!
LC-
It was a joke, not a treatise on the history of seersucker. Also, I’m a Westerner, not a Midwesterner.
I love seersucker and the tradition, and this outfit is a great way to show it off. And as a true Southerner, even I have a hard time with a full seersucker suit.
I see where you’re coming from with breaking up the pieces, but a guy in my office used to put his own twist on seersucker by wearing seersucker pants with a short-sleeved shirt during recess. It was even worse than a full seersucker suit.
I never thought I’d like seersucker, but I actually really like this outfit. How ironic that you should open someone’s eyes to seersucker 🙂
I am a true southerner who just moved to DC. I understand where the seersucker thursday guys are coming from (light and breezy fabric is great on a hot day), but I truely believe full seersucker is way to much… I mean did they look in the mirror? Maybe they are just bad at picking things out that match so they like to stick to whats easy, maybe you should give them a lesson at the next briefing.
I think it looks much better on women than men. It looks feminine. (I believe the fabric started as men’s wear — for outdoor laborers in the Southern heat — but as a suit, in air conditioning, I think is more attractive on women.)
I love that jacket with the dress.
I think seersucker looks a lot more polished than linen, which looks messed up almost immediately after leaving the dry cleaning bag.
I do have a gripe with rolled up jacket sleeves. It always looks to me like someone is making do with a jacket that doesn’t fit. It’s not hard to find someone to shorten sleeves and usually it’s less than $20.