Seersucker and the Rise of Vineyard Vines
When searching Google for “seersucker” the first clothing suggestion is a suit from Vineyard Vines, complete with small whale appliqués. This brand, with their happy whale logo, has an abundance of seersucker clothing. From this first suit, children’s suits, hats, ties and down to women’s bathing suits. Vineyard Vines seems to be the standard for seersucker clothing. The fabric fits the brand quite well, introducing the east coastal lifestyle of sailing, fishing, and boating. Their clothing is all about the preppy summer lifestyle, reminiscent of lavish garden parties held in the Hamptons. They have recently released a “Kentucky Derby” collection reinforcing their warm weather and high end event attire.
Vineyard Vines is a fast growing brand even today. They were listed as one of the 500 fastest growing brands by Forbes in 2007, they have only gone up from there. The company started as two brothers selling ties on the beach, to a $1 billion company as of 2016. With their gaining popularity they have reintroduced the preppy fashion world to seersucker, a fabric that as of late has seen a steep decline in visibility. However their target market consumer is someone who likes to be dressed up at every occasion. A consumer who takes frequent vacations to locations such as the Hamptons, a consumer who enjoys buying a new “Kentucky Derby Dress” each year, a consumer who wears some type of suit to every occasion and a consumer who enjoys the warmer months to their fullest.
