Photo by Kirk Robert Chambers

Well Suited: Haspel celebrates 115 years

Known as the originator of the seersucker suit, Haspel is celebrating 115 years in business. The line of men’s clothes that never get in the way of a good time was founded in 1909 by John Haspel Sr., who introduced New Orleans to the power of the pucker. As the legend goes, in 1946, to prove the fabric’s endurance to colleagues, he dove into the Atlantic Ocean in his “wash-and-wear” seersucker suit and hung it on a fence to dry.

Later that evening, he arrived at a cocktail party wearing the unscathed suit. Today, the iconic fabric is available in various colors, including limited edition purple and gold and tone-on-tone, like the one pictured here. haspel.com