Adela Van Gils (asker) Aug 30, 2008:

Seersucker is a thin, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped, used to make clothing for spring and summer wear. The word came into English from Hindi, which originates from the Persian words "shir o shakar," meaning "milk and sugar", probably from the resemblance of its smooth and rough stripes to the smooth surface of milk and bumpy texture of sugar[1]. Seersucker is woven in such a way that some threads bunch together, giving the fabric a wrinkled appearance in places. This feature causes the fabric to be mostly held away from the skin when worn, facilitating improved heat dissipation and air circulation.