Louisiana summers are one thing: hot.
Joseph Haspel Sr. realized this in 1909 and created his brand, Haspel, to design clothing to withstand the New Orleans heat. He learned about a fabric from India called seersucker and used it as the material for his suits.
The idea clicked, and soon Haspel suits were not only all over the French Quarter, but also found coast to coast because of their lightweight fabric and easy maintenance.
Years later, Laurie Haspel Aronson, Joseph Haspel Sr.’s great granddaughter, has taken the brand back under family control and is reigniting the brand for today’s man.
“Haspel is our family’s brand – our name. As a young child, I saw the pride that my grandparents took in our brand, and today, I feel that same emotion,” Aronson said.
Aronson brought in Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos, designers of Shipley and Halmos, to help update the classic design.
“Taking control of Haspel has enabled us to do so many things that have not been done in many decades,” she said. “For one, our clothing is now tailored in the U.S. Consumers were begging for top-quality products made in the USA, so we listened.”
Aronson said Haspel has updated the seersucker suit by making stripes available in a variety of colors, no longer just the basic blue.
Bobby Berthelot, manager at Perlis’ Baton Rouge store, said Haspel has also updated the fit of the suit. He said they’ve changed the pants to a plain front and trimmed the body of the jacket while also raising the arm hole. Berthelot said the suit now has an overall slimmer silhouette, making it more modern for today’s man.
“They don’t want to wear one that fits like their grandfathers,” Berthelot said.
Aronson said Shipley and Halmos are very aware of the suit’s fit.
“While today’s Haspel is perhaps more fitted than designs of the past, the high-quality cottons are soft and easy to wear,” Aronson said. “They have also incorporated incredible details to the trim, outlining a super silhouette, worthy of showing off to your friends.”
Berthelot said this attention to detail, along with bringing the construction of the suit back to the U.S., has made the Haspel suit better.
Haspel doesn’t limit its customers to just a two-piece seersucker suit, however. The brand encourages the items to be worn as separates and have also expanded to a sportswear collection.
“Throw on a seersucker jacket with jeans, shorts or let it substitute for an outerwear piece. The pants can be worn with one of our new seersucker pocket tees or a knit shirt too,” Aronson said.
Berthelot said he’s also seen a seersucker jacket with distressed jeans worn on the streets of New York City.
Berthelot also shows off the collection of Haspel’s sportswear that Perlis has in stock. He said the button-up shirts are made in preppy fabrics with smaller collars and trimmer fits. He also shows a plain white Haspel T-shirt with a round neck and a side pocket made out of white seersucker.
“Haspel owns seersucker, but we’ve been able to create a lifestyle brand that goes way beyond seersucker,” Aronson said. “Our tradition of top quality, fun, wearable clothes began in 1909. Who else can say that?”
Berthelot agrees. He said seersucker is “taking over the industry,” and at his Perlis store, the seersucker suits have been outselling any solid cotton suit.
“Seersucker is king right now for summer suits,” Berthelot said.
Aronson said there’s nothing more important than being confident in the clothes someone puts on.
“In order to look good, you must feel good. A suit should not be oversized. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a different color or fit than you are used to,” she said.
After years of changing ownership and production, the Haspel brand is back under the family name and designing what they design best with a modern twist.
“I feel certain that my grandparents are having their 5 o’clock cocktails and smiling upon us, as they continue to see the brand and the lifestyle that they created put some fun into the lives of so many people,” Aronson said.
Pull Quote: “Throw on a seersucker jacket with jeans, shorts, or let it substitute for an outerwear piece. The pants can be worn with one of our new seersucker pocket tees or a knit shirt too.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Richard Redmann

Haspel, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, has moderned the classic seersucker suit by having a more form fitting jacket and pants.