If you choose to wear seersucker during Derby season, the premier authority on how to don the staple of Southern gentleman's wear is headed to Louisville this week.

Laurie Haspel Aronson, the president of Haspel - home of the original seersucker suit — will be at Rodes for Him from 5-8 p.m. Thursday.

Aronson is the granddaughter of Joseph Haspel Sr., the company's founder who first recognized that the heavy flannel suits men wore weren't practical in the southern heat. In 1909, he swapped the flannel for a lightweight cotton dyed in the now-classic blue and white stripes, and seersucker was born.

Gregory Peck wore a Haspel seersucker suit in "To Kill a Mockingbird," Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman plus celebrities from Humphrey Bogartand Cary Grant to Jimmy Smitsand Luke Wilson have all been spotted in Haspel suits.

Aronson will bring a full selection of tailored Haspel clothing and sportswear for the Seersucker Social at Rodes for Him, 4938 Brownsboro Road, 502-753-1060. Food and drinks will be served during the event.

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.