While many down South have been wearing various articles of clothing made of the lightweight and extremely fashionable fabric known as seersucker since Easter Sunday, those of you up North (as of Memorial Day) are now officially allowed to don clothing made from the ever so comfortable, light and airy, all-cotton fabric. Society tells us that it is proper only to wear seersucker from Memorial Day to Labor Day – that’s a short 101 days!
After doing a little bit of research on the history of seersucker, one will discover that the thin, striped fabric used to make clothing for spring and summer wear originally came from the Middle Eastern region of the world. The name is derived from two Persian words shir-o-shakar, which literally means milk and sugar. This was probably figuratively used as the fabric is marked by both smooth and rough stripes; thus allowing the fabric to be held away from the skin, creating better air circulation.
Now the rules or societal laws regarding when one can or cannot wear seersucker are a farce in my book. Though you would probably never catch me wearing seersucker during winter, or perhaps even Lent, I would wear it without batting an eye through the end of September. After all, the fabric was not intended to have a set period of time for when it could or could not be worn. If it’s hot out, then by all means wear seersucker.
My view of the Law is quite similar to how we determine when it is proper to wear seersucker. You see, when it was created, it had good intentions and served a purpose. But humankind started to mess with it and tried to put limitations around it in order to curtail it to their own liking. As a result of the corrupt nature of our human existence, we took something that was good and pure, and turned it into something that is so far removed from its original intention, that it became a curse rather than a blessing.
We as a society do everything in our power to try and control every single aspect of our being by manipulating the law to our liking, including something as silly and mindless as to when we should or should not wear seersucker. Thank God, through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection, that we are no longer held captive to the law (Romans 7).
By way of postscript, I am getting married on September 26 (a whole 19 days after Labor Day), and I absolutely plan on wearing my seersucker suit…
COMMENTS
13 responses to “The Law of Seersucker…101 Days and Counting”
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Lovely Charles, but what I really want to know is, what are your thoughts on the boating blazer?
Charles, as much I love seersucker (I have a suit of my own), I have to take issue with the part of your post. You said: “You see, when it was created, it had good intentions and served a purpose. But humankind started to mess with it and tried to put limitations around it in order to curtail it to their own liking. As a result of the corrupt nature of our human existence, we took something that was good and pure, and turned it into something that is so far removed from its original intention, that it became a curse rather than a blessing.”
I would say that God’s intention regarding the Law has never changed. He never meant for the Law to save us or to sanctify us. From its inception it has had a first and second use– this is why, along with the Law, God instituted a priestly and sacrificial system to make atonement for sin.
We have to remember that the Law was given way after the Fall, and, as Paul tells us in Galatians, was meant to be a taskmaster to lead us to Christ. It was meant to be a temporary master from the start! The Law shows us our sin and forces us to our knees in repentance, begging for forgiveness and looking outside ourselves for salvation. This is where we must be to accept Christ’s gift of salvation.
I do agree with you that humans have a tendency to hide the Law and to soften its demands. (Isn’t it in Nehemiah when the Hebrew people rediscover the Law after many years of neglect?) But it’s intent and purpose have always been the same, as has its fundamental purity. It was a curse from the get-go, a cruel taskmaster and heavy weight upon the people. If you don’t believe me, go back and look at how the Israelites acted during and just after Moses receives the Law from Mt. Sinai.
love the post boss hog!
Colton, thanks for your comments. Discussion is always helpful in my book. I guess what it kind of boils down to is how we interpret/see God’s intention of the law. If we go by Romans 7.10, “The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me,” then I interpret that as St. Paul saying the law has been thought of in a way as something that offers salvation. I think we are on the same page, just coming about it in a different way.
Captain Dylan Potter-onia, I have no clue. Perhaps we should get into a discussion of sports coat vs. blazer?
I think that you guys may be coming at the same idea from two different directions. The Romans 7:10 quote illustrates perfectly how the “promise” of the Law itself–like that of the Apple in the Garden (or the Apple in the Mac store:)–actually was death and continues to kill.
In this respect,our appropriation and “use” of the Law, I think you’re spot on, Chuck–the Law continues to beckon with its shiny smooth interface and ultra-modern, hip-by-association styling and we abuse it.
However, what remains is the question that Colton pointed out as to the original intent of the law.
Is the misuse of the law our problem? Have we misunderstood its original intent? (cf. Barth)
Or, is one of the more tragic and insidious aspects of the Law that it is, in fact, a beautiful and alluring curse? Is the Law so holy and good that we have no choice but to substitute it for God and worship–and sacrifice for that matter–at the altar of Morality?
Well, its probably clear what side of that question I fall on!
At any rate Father Jenkins, I think that your theological interpretation of seasonal fashion rules is inspired! I can see your book now, “Justification of a Southern Gentleman: Blazers, Bourbon and the Cross” Instant classic!
For the record–you can never go wrong with a blazer.
Actually, the Memorial Day rule still applies in the South (at least in some minds).
Last year in mid-May, which here on the Florida Gulf Coast is at times 90 degrees with near-100% humidity, it was my turn to usher, and as I did not want to become a sweaty mess out there on the pavement in front of the church I naturally pulled out my seersucker suit.
It was still horribly hot out in front of the church even in seersucker, and we ushers were all just miserable. And yet, an older woman leaned over to me on her way in the door and made sure to remind me that I was not supposed to wear seersucker until Memorial Day! It was all I could do to keep from telling her, “Well, Ma’am, you’re supposed to be wearing a hat!”.
I agree that fashion can be “law”, in as much as we conform to it ourselves (even when the “law” tells me that I can’t wear a summer suit even when it feels like summer outside) as well as when we wield it against others.
Since that incident, I’ve started wearing seersucker whenever I want to. (Sweet freedom)…
Hey Jeff. You can if you like direct your parishioner’s attention to the authoritative Wikipedia article on Seersucker:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seersucker
… which clearly states that:
“In the South, the genteel rule of thumb is that it is appropriate to wear between Easter and Labor Day.”
I also found confirming evidence at a number of other websites. The hammer of the web takes that woman DOWN!
Thanks to Colton for a helpful post. Even when we get the content of the Law completely right, and make no attempt to limit it or curtail it to our liking, it’s still a curse for us: the burden of it is intolerable. (In fact it is only then that we fully appreciate the terror of the Law.)
I love this post. Well done, Charles.
Silly “rules” are ignorable
It is eighty degrees today in Mebane, NC, and yes I am wearing seersucker. I dress for comfort not opinions.🙂
It is eighty degrees today in Mebane, NC, and yes I am wearing seersucker. I dress for comfort not opinions.🙂 November 07, 2022
The gentleman usher who had a senior lady tell him Seersucker was only from Memorial Day to Labor Day could have given the reply about ladies and hats, yes, but he could also have whispered, “ma’m those are Yankee rules,” or he could have whispered, “check 1st Corinthians 14:34!!!”
Being from Kentucky, it has always been said that the national rule-of-thumb was that white/Searsucker was to worn after Memorial Day, but in the South, Kentucky Derby Day was the earliest date for warmer climes.
Hence, Searsucker and every imaginable use of clothing is on display at Churchill Downs (even the Friday before the Derby, at The Oaks!!).