Seersucker

[2] During the American Civil War, this cheap but durable material was used to make haversacks and even the famous baggy pants of Confederate Zouaves such as the Louisiana Tigers.

[3] From the mid-Victorian era until the early 20th century, seersucker was also known as bed ticking due to its widespread use in mattresses, pillow cases and nightshirts during the hot summers in the Southern US[4] and Britain's overseas colonies.

[6] Seersucker's comfort and easy laundering made it the choice of Captain Anne A. Lentz for the summer service uniforms of the first female United States Marines.

In the days of the Old West, a type of heavyweight indigo or navy blue seersucker known as hickory stripe was used to make the overalls, work jackets and peaked caps of train engineers and railroad workers such as George "Stormy" Kromer and Casey Jones.

[2] Even today, the uniforms of American Union Pacific[12] train drivers include "railroad stripe" caps based on those from the steam age.

[15] College professors were known to favor full suits with red bow ties, although 1950s Ivy League and 21st century preppy[16] students usually restricted themselves to a single seersucker garment[17] such as a blazer paired with khaki chino trousers.

[18] Menswear brands famous for manufacturing seersucker at this time included Brooks Brothers, Macy's, Sears, and Joseph Haspel of New Orleans.

[23] From 2012 onwards, seersucker blazers and trousers made a comeback among American men[24] due to a resurgence of interest in preppy clothing[25] and the 1920s fashion showcased in the 2013 film version of The Great Gatsby.

[33] At the same time, seersucker pants, skirts, espadrilles, blouses, and even bikinis were worn as casual attire by many fashion conscious young women in America.