The warmer months are fast approaching and this means two things: summer Fridays, of course, and summer wardrobes. The latter is somewhat trickier to navigate. Ever since business casual became a thing, men have been under pressure to look not just smart but relaxed-smart – and during the warmer months that’s enough to make anyone break out in a sweat, whether you have to endure sweltering public transport or not.

Yes, nailing the summer look can be a minefield, but adding a few key pieces in breathable fabrics to your wardrobe will ensure you transition seamlessly from office to sun-soaked pub gardens in style. And the definitive functional summer fabric is seersucker. The lightweight, puckered cloth is comfortable, versatile and breezy in every sense of the word – perfect for all your warm-weather looks, no matter the dress code.

What Is Seersucker?

Look closely at the traditionally stripy gathered fabric and you’ll notice the different textures of the two stripes: one smooth (usually the lighter stripe) and one coarser in texture (often a pale blue). Invented in India, the durable cloth became known by its Persian sobriquet, shir o shekar, meaning ‘milk and sugar’, in reference to its crease-free combination of smooth and rough pinstripes.

The effect was originally produced using alternating silk and cotton warps, says Simone Ubertino Rosso, from Italy’s biggest clothmaker, Vitale Barberis Canonico. “When washed, the cotton shrank while the silk remained as before, thus creating the characteristic wrinkles. Nowadays, instead of silk, cottons are commonly used, and a skilful alternation of tighter and looser warps are utilised.” This is a technique known as a slack tension-weave, where one of the stripes of cotton is woven more tightly than the other, causing it to pucker.