Joseph Haspel (1884-1959) was an American haberdasher in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the inventor of the seersucker suit, a welcomed attire for Southern businessmen. With his brother Harry, he co-founded Haspel Brothers in 1909. The word seersucker is derived from the Persian words “sheer” and “shakkar,” meaning milk and sugar. What makes the fabric so light and airy is the combination of smooth and bumpy (milk and sugar) texture that allows the fabric to lift away from the skin to breathe. Originally, sometimes perceived as lower-end, unpressed suits, with today's wide variety of styles and colors, it is now a fashion symbol for the elite.
Gregory Peck was the first to wear a seersucker suit in a Hollywood film, in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
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