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Seersucker: Permission Granted

tom wolfe.jpgIt's that time of year again.

After you honor our fallen troops, it is appropriate to honor style icons: Mark Twain, Col. Sanders, Harry Truman, Jay Gatsby, P. Diddy and Tom Wolfe.

I give you permission to wear seersucker until labor day.

I've recently obtained a seersucker coat on the cheap. And I've been in search of appropriate white bucks for some time now - much to the protestation of my ladyfriend. I ordered a pair from Zappos, but remain dissatisfied with them and will return them for another. I would really recommend the shoes pictured in this post - but they are expensive jobs from an outfit in Charleston, that sells English shoes (better than those tiny Italian jobs  in my estimation).

There are other catches- despite the habits of Tom Wolfe and Mark Twain, one is not supposed to wear white shoes after five p.m. Gauche! So you ought to not wear your seersucker after that time either - (unless you are a cunning dash of a dandy, and then all rules are meant to be broken in the higher path of cunning dash dandyism - a way I intend to disciple myself for years after I obtain a suitable wage.) Also, the damned things get dirty- another reason you will ditch the suit by five - or like Tom Wolfe, change into another one. (Cunning dash.) Also, you are never to wear a white suit to church - unless it is a black Baptist Church and you are preaching. Catholic liturgy and white suits go together like nuns and disco. Not pleasant.

fancywhiteshoes.jpgWhite suits are more difficult to pull off in days of studied slouchiness and the professional casual - but they are worth the attempt - at least they are at home or for a fancy brunch on a warm Saturday. I personally would recommend wool. Wool!?! you say. Yes, wool. If you can obtain a bespoke white suit, look for a Super 130+ count. The higher the number the lighter the fabric. A high count wool will be lighter and more durable than cotton. But if you get up to 180, you might as well go for linen - which I do not recommend for a suit jacket anyway.

Just Dandy: The Eternal Mystique of a White Suit
The Summer Stock Thread at Dandyism.net
The shoes pictured to the left of your screen.  (if you see me wearing these you know I've "made it".
Haspel- Maker of affordable classic southern and Miami Vice looking white suits.

Posted on 6/3/2005 09:04 PM by Registered CommenterMichael Brendan Dougherty in | Comments3 Comments
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Reader Comments (3)

And yet you fail to realize that the reason we're in Iraq is to defend your ability, and right, to wear seersucker--even at inappropriate hours if you are so (foolishly) inclined. In Saddam's Iraq, you had that stuff on at 5.01 pm you were stuffed down the industrial shredder no questions asked.

Anyway I certainly join you, even as a lowly Canadian, in saluting American troops overseas. I'm not quite so sure about the seersucker though.
5/29/2005 11:00 PM | Unregistered CommenterAndrew Cunningham
If I believed this war was about seersucker suits, I would have supported it. Instead of that lofty cause they say it's about spreading that vulgarian arrangement called democracy.

Have the Quebecois seceeded yet?
5/29/2005 11:34 PM | Unregistered CommenterMichael Brendan Dougherty
Not quite, but when they do, do you promise to invade Canada? I'm hoping some GI will attempt to buy my support by giving me an Xbox, or a new dining room suite.
5/30/2005 07:02 AM | Unregistered CommenterAndrew Cunningham

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