NEW ORLEANS — Haspel, the Baton Rouge-based company founded in New Orleans and credited with popularizing the seersucker suit in the United States, will celebrate National Seersucker Day on June 11 with events at two historic hotels: the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan and Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.
The simultaneous celebrations will include cocktail receptions and gatherings focused on the history and continued popularity of seersucker clothing. Organizers said guests are encouraged to wear seersucker attire to the events.
At the Grand Hotel, guests will gather on Mackinac Island for an evening celebrating seersucker and its longstanding association with warm-weather fashion. In New Orleans, the Hotel Monteleone event will highlight the city’s connection to Haspel founder Joseph Haspel Sr., who began manufacturing seersucker suits at a facility on Broad Street near Esplanade Avenue and helped transform the fabric from practical workwear into a widely recognized American suit style in the early 20th century.
Over the decades, Haspel suits became associated with Southern style and were worn by several U.S. presidents as well as actors including Cary Grant and Paul Rudd.
“National Seersucker Day is a celebration of style and the joy of dressing well, a tradition my great-grandfather started nearly 120 years ago,” said Laurie Haspel, fourth-generation owner of Haspel. “Partnering with two historic hotels that embody hospitality and timeless charm makes this year’s celebration especially meaningful.”
National Seersucker Day traces its modern roots to 1996, when former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi revived a Senate tradition known as “Seersucker Thursday,” encouraging lawmakers to wear the lightweight fabric during the summer months. In 2004, Sen. Dianne Feinstein helped expand participation among women in the Senate, and the observance later grew into a broader annual celebration associated with summer fashion and Senate tradition.
Today, seersucker continues to attract new generations of consumers and is no longer limited to traditional blue-and-white stripe patterns. The fabric is now used in tailored clothing, sportswear and lifestyle collections throughout the year.
Haspel – Louisiana Roots
Founded in New Orleans in 1909, Haspel is a family-owned clothing brand best known for popularizing the seersucker suit in the United States. The company was established by Joseph Haspel Sr., who adapted the lightweight puckered fabric into a suit designed for warm-weather wear.
Originally operating a manufacturing facility in New Orleans, the company became associated with Southern menswear and later expanded nationally through department stores and specialty retailers. The company was sold in 1977 and later reacquired by the Haspel family in the mid-1990s.
Today, the Baton Rouge-based company offers casual wear, formal wear, tailored clothing, sportswear and accessories and is led by fourth-generation owner Laurie Haspel.
