Seersucker Day
Friday, June 22, 2007
Today was Seersucker Day on the Hill, because Sen. Trent Lott said so one day; since then it’s become somewhat of a tradition on the Hill in the middle of June. I feel like there’s something charming about naming a day to celebrate something–especially a fabric–in the name of your state; I think all other Senators should follow suit and not let Trent Lott have all the fun. Everyone bring your lover from Virginia to work next Friday!
I found some seersuckered examples in Sen. Feinstein’s office; they then joined my in disappointment that she had only just stepped out with her granddaughter (“She would have loved to have her picture taken”). Apparently they were wearing matching purple seersucker outfits. A bit later I found myself in Sen. Harkin’s office, where I was marched right up to Staff Assistant Grant Gustafson’s desk by a young staffer. I emerged at one point from an elevator and stumbled upon a young cluster of Lott interns, who dutifully praised the Senator’s outfit choice that day (blue seersucker suit, pink tie, pink socks, white shoes) but passed along the news that he would have chosen another one, but it got washed away in Katrina. Turning around, I met a guy with the best title I’d heard all day: Executive Intern, for Sen. Clinton.
Warren Ryan from Sen. Feinstein’s office in a J.Crew suit.
Brandon Jenkins from Sen. Feinstein’s office, in a Brooks Brothers suit.
Grant’s suit was from Brooks Brothers.
Grant stressed the importance of white shoes in completing the ensemble.
Lott’s interns all professed to have suits from Mississippi.
Executive Intern!
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I really like the white suit and the white shoes. I’d wear that everyday.
I am largely opposed to JCREW but the first guy looks great. Okay…everyone looks great. Oh God! Did I actually just support seersucker? Am I still a Democrat? Who am I? I’m going to drink now.
yeah, i like the tan seersucker suit, blue tie, white shoes ensemble best. he looks good enough to be gay. and seersucker is definitely a democratic fabric. if republicans are wearing it, its a ploy to get southern votes.
In your full-body photo of Grant Gustafson, it looks as though he is wearing not a seersucker suit, but a linen suit — especially because of the way his sportcoat’s sleeves are wonderfully wrinkling.
The close-up photo of Gustafson’s shoes, however, shows more clearly the fineness of the stripes of his seersucker suit’s fabric. Of all the others, he wears the seersucker suit the best. The cut of his suit, so far as I can tell from the photos, is the most flattering. (Probably helps that he’s not working on an interns budget.)
I’d give him an A-/A.
If would’ve worn a differently colored necktie or, better yet, an appropriate bowtie, and perhaps braces instead of a belt, he would’ve gotten the elusive solid “A.”
i heard that all staff and interns alike in Sen. Feinstein’s office had to SIGN an agreement that they would not participate (write for, be photographed for, edit, etc.) ANY blogs whatsoever.
hope these boys don’t land in any trouble…
Well, my bleeding-heart liberal ass will be in seersucker all summer. I love it. But I wouldn’t have on Seersucker Day just to give Lott the finger.
That grey-on-white (?) on Grant looks fantastic. Even with the white bucks which I usually abhore. Spectators all the way. And now that I look closer, are his trouser pleated? If so, he should have cuffed them. Oh well, he still looks good. More power to him.
-rdhd
There seems to be a clear consensus that Grant wore his suit (tan & white actually) best; it might then be interesting to note that he bought it off the rack and then had it tailored.
tools
Rachel,
Was there something else he would have done? It’s not bespoke.
-rdhd
rdhd–
Not sure I understand your question; maybe I’m just undercaffeinated today (quite possible). Right: his suit is not custom-made; he bought it off the rack at Brooks Brothers and then took it to a tailor for some minor adjusting.
Check out the guy’s suit in my recent posting of last night’s Capitol File party. His was custom and looked incredibly snappy.
Ah, to contrast with the other post. Got it. It wasn’t your lack of caffeine, it was my lack of any ability to draw logical conclusion (all that education not withstanding).
Gotcha now. Guys: the lesson is that just because you (like I) cannot afford bespoke doesn’t mean your OTR suit need look schlumpy. Yes, schlumpy. You have no excuse.
-rdhd
wow that brandon kid is HOT! i think you should do a full spread on him. Who knew Asians could make such an American tradition look so good?
Excellent thread comments. Just one clarification, though.
Customized, made-to-measure suits — such as Pepper Watkins’ smart suit from Pierre Mohan are not quite the same as true bespoke. Savile Row’s Thomas Mahon provides an excellent description of what differentiates bespoke. That said, Mahon also wrote an insightful entry on smart options besides (and less expensive) than bespoke.
By the way, it seems as though Grant Gustafson did, quite independently, the sorts of things that Mahon suggests for (what I would term) options-beside-bespoke or OBBs. (Golly, that acroynym looks a lot like Pentagonese.)
Anyways, Friday was a good day for men on this site, sartorially speaking.
Grant Gustafson! So fine! Love the white with blue tie and shirt…the white bucks, awesome!
Grant is the finest