WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every summer, U.S. senators wear seersucker as part of a longstanding Senate tradition. But few people may know that the fabric at the center of the annual observance traces its origins to India.
This week, U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana led the Senate’s observance of National Seersucker Day, celebrating a fabric that has become synonymous with Southern style and summer attire in Washington.
The lawmakers introduced a resolution designating June 11 as National Seersucker Day and encouraging Americans to participate in the observance. The resolution also designates every Thursday through the last Thursday in August as “Seersucker Thursday” and declares June 2026 as “Seersucker Appreciation Month.”
While seersucker is closely associated with the American South, its story begins much farther away. According to the Senate resolution, the lightweight fabric originated in India before making its way to the United States in the mid-19th century, where it gained popularity as a practical response to summer heat.
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