Seersucker

Seersucker fabric from a men's suit

Seersucker is a thin, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped, used to make clothing for summer wear. Seersucker is woven in such a way that some threads bunch together, giving the fabric a wrinkled appearance in places. This feature causes the fabric to be mostly held away from the skin when worn, facilitating improved heat dissipation and air circulation. The wrinkled look also ensures that seersucker clothing will look good even when worn by people working in hot weather. It also means that ironing is not necessary. Seersucker was first used in the United States by the working class but was later adopted by the upper classes and became a staple of attire for the Southern gentleman, who only wear seersucker between Easter and Labor Day.

Common items of clothing made from seersucker include suits, shorts and shirts. The most common colors for it are white and blue, however it is produced in a wide variety of colors, usually alternating colored stripes and puckered white stripes.

Seersucker is made by slack-tension weave. The yarns are wound onto the two warp beams in groups of 10 to 16 for a narrow stripe. The crinkle stripe may have slightly larger yarns to enhance the crinkle. The stripes are always in the warp direction and ongrain. Today, seersucker is produced by a limited number of manufacturers. It is a low-profit, high-cost item because of its slow weaving speed. Seersuckers are made in plain colors, stripes, plaids, checks and prints. Seersucker is used in curtains and summer suiting, dresses and sportswear.

Seersucker was originally developed in India. The word originates from the Hindi, Urdu, and Persian words "shir o shakar" meaning "milk and sugar."