Seersucker Styles For The Mint Julep Set And More (PHOTOS)

As a native Floridian, I consider myself to be Southern. But despite spending much of my life in the sunny South, I didn't grow up wearing seersucker. In fact, when I asked my mother what she thought of the thin, puckered material she said, "Old men in light suits, on their way to a golf game." I, on the other hand, consider it a more youthful fabric, and always picture little kids in smocked rompers. Its unusual name comes from the Persian words for milk and sugar and their smooth-to-rough contrasting appearance.

No matter where you live or where you're from, the style is back. We are seeing the fabric pop up on everything from bikinis to shorts to dresses. Consider seersucker the cousin to linen; if you would wear the light, airy fabric to a lunch, why not go for seersucker instead?

Don't worry about looking too preppy. Stripes and gingham are de rigueur, and this is just another way to show them off. Balance the sweet fabric with a tailored jacket or boyfriend jeans for a little edge. Bonus: The fabric is supposed to look wrinkled, so no need to iron.

Herewith, 10 seersucker items for under $100 … mint juleps not included.

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