SPOTTED: A dozen senators sporting their best summertime stripes Thursday in what’s become — depending on who one asks — both a beloved and sometimes-grumbled-about Capitol tradition: Seersucker Day.
The day dedicated to congressional seersuckers began in 1996, when then-Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) introduced it at the Capitol. While Congress took a break from seersuckers in 2012 and 2013, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) revived the tradition in 2014 along with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
“The Senate marks National Seersucker Day every summer as an opportunity to recognize the history of the Senate and American culture,” Feinstein said in a statement.
“It’s great to see this uniquely American and beloved New Orleans invention of seersucker hit 10 years in the Senate,” Cassidy said about the bipartisan sartorial custom.
And sorry, seersucker cynics: Cassidy indicated that the day isn’t going away anytime soon.
“I look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come,” the senator said.