Joseph Haspel

Joseph Haspel
Born	February 18, 1884[1] New Orleans, Louisiana
Died	December 29, 1959 (age 75)[2] New Orleans, Louisiana
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	co-founder of Haspel Brothers, best known for seersucker suits
Spouse	Edith Harriet Leopold (1890-1969)
Children	Joseph Haspel Jr., Loel Richard Haspel
Relatives	Grandchildren: Loël Mimi Haspel Gilbert, Edward Haspel, Susan Haspel, Richard Haspel, Jeffrey Haspel. Great-grandchildren: Paul Robert Gilbert Jr., John Haspel Gilbert; Ned Haspel, Tony Haspel, Andrew Haspel; Laurie Haspel Aaronson (nee Lipsey), Wendy Haspel Lipsey; Steven Haspel, Steele Haspel, Sarah Haspel; Meredith Haspel, Laura Haspel Stenslien

Joseph Haspel (February 18, 1884 – December 29, 1959) was an American haberdasher in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the inventor of the seersucker suit, first worn by Southern businessmen, followed by Ivy League students and Northern businessmen.

Early life

Joseph Haspel was born circa 1883.^[3]

Career

Haspel worked as a haberdasher in New Orleans.^[4][5] With his brother Harry,^[6] Haspel co-founded Haspel Brothers in 1909.^[3][4][5] Within a few years, Haspel started selling seersucker suits to businessmen in the South.^[4] To promote the suits, Haspel once "walked into the sea at a Florida convention and later attended a meeting of the board of directors in the same suit. He convinced the board members that such suits were the wave of the future."^[7] By the 1920s, students at Ivy League institutions like Princeton University began wearing it.^[4][5] It was later adopted by businessmen in the North.^[4]

Personal life, death and legacy

Haspel was married, and he had two sons.^[3] He died in 1959 in New Orleans, at age 75.^[3] By 2014, the Haspel brand was owned by his great-granddaughter, Laurie Haspel Aronson.^[8]

References

1. New Orleans, Louisiana, Birth Records Index, 1790-1915
2. Louisiana, Statewide Death Index, 1819-1964
3. "Joseph Haspel S. Expies At Age 76". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. December 30, 1959. p. 9. Retrieved March 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Solomon, Michael (May 11, 2016). "Luxury Lineage: A Brief History of the Seersucker Suit". Forbes. Retrieved March 23, 2018. The seersucker suit was born when Joseph Haspel, a New Orleans haberdasher, reimagined the working-class fabric as a lightweight alternative for southern businessmen.
5. Hopkins, Sam (August 10, 2012). "Seersucker punch". Financial Times. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
6. "Harry S. Haspel, Funeral Services To Be Held Today". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. April 16, 1939. p. 15. Retrieved February 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Sustendal, Diane (1985). "MEN'S STYLE; WASH IT, WEAR IT". The New York Times Magazine.
8. Basted, Chelsea (February 4, 2014). "Haspel family wants to make seersucker cool again, relaunches its iconic brand". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014 – via Wayback Machine.