Nearly 40 years after creating the Original Seersucker Suit, Joseph Haspel Sr. made history. In June of 1946 while attending a trade show in Boca Raton, FL, he wanted to demonstrate to his colleagues the endurance of his "wash-and-wear" seersucker suit. 

Wearing the seersucker suit, he dove into the Atlantic Ocean, splashed around and then hung it on a fence to dry. Later that evening he famously wore it unscathed to a cocktail party. 

His gamble paid off. His friends and eventually the world agreed with the popularization and durability of his lightweight, warm-weather suits.

Over the last 116 years, the evolution of Haspel has grown from Joseph Sr.'s cornerstone suit into a wide array of men's attire.

Today, we continue to revolutionize the style and wearability of seersucker with darker colors, innovative fabrics, and bolder patterns, all while keeping the thread of our New Orleans heritage sewn into all that we create.