Seersucker

[Deborah Hyland]

I ran a search and only came up with general references to seersucker frock coats w/o an specifics as to color and width of stripes. What kinds of seersucker were available and what were their uses?

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Seersucker

I ran a search and only came up with general references to seersucker frock coats w/o an specifics as to color and width of stripes. What kinds of seersucker were available and what were their uses?

I found the following in Scissors and Yardstick by C. M. Brown and C. L. Gate (1872).
"Seersucker Gingham. A fine cotton fabric, woven in narrow stripes, which are usually blue and white, or brown and white. The fabric, altough not very heavy, is fine and well woven. In the best qualities, linen is used in its manufacture. Single fold. Width, about 3-4."

[Carolann Schmitt]

Re: Seersucker

In addition to the blue-and-white and brown-and-white color combinations, I have a few primary source quotes that refer to green-and-white seersucker. I also have a few primary source references to checked seersucker in the same color combinations. Last year I had the opportunity to examine an original man's vest that was made from plaid seersucker. The provenance was unknown, but it had all of the construction characteristics of a garment from the third quarter of the 19th century. Of these color combinations and patterns, the blue-and-white or brown-and-white stripe is by far the most common, and the plaid an "only one I've seen so far" example.

Of the few original striped seersucker garments I've seen, the stripes are 1/8" or less wide, with checks being a corresponding size. The original garments have been limited to unlined frock coats, men's paletots, and summer vests.

The Making of America websites (Cornell and UMich) have a number of references to seersucker garments. The period spelling can be 'creative'; vary your searches accordingly. :-)

[Deborah Hyland]

Re: Seersucker

Thanks for the suggestions. I had tried several variant spellings in my searches. Today, there are basically two main types of seersucker--pinstripe and the regular width (say 1/8"). Am I right to infer that period seersucker was of the latter width?

[Carolann Schmitt]

Re: Seersucker

The 1/8" width (or just under 1/8") seams to be more common in the examples I've found to date. I've seen one original garment made from the 1/16" width stripe. I don't have enough data to determine whether the examples I've found so far are truly representative of what was available during the period.