There was an Old Man of Madras,
Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;
But the length of its ears,
So promoted his fears,
That it killed that Old Man of Madras.
As Wikipedia puts it, madras is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing—pants, shorts, dresses and jackets. Madras is constructed in a 60/40 manner threadwise, which has been determined to be the perfect ratio for optimal lightness, strength and breath-ability.
The fabric takes its name from the former English name of the city of Chennai, India. This cloth also was identified by the colloquial name, "Madrasi checks." One style that was popular during the 1960s was called bleeding Madras because it used dyes that were not colorfast in a typically plaid design, resulting in bleeding and fading colors that yielded a new look to the fabric each time it was laundered.
Because of its almost garish nature, wearing Madras must be done in a very reserved fashion. While some exceptions are accepted for the most Preppy of people IN Preppy circumstances (e.g. preppy weddings, country clubs etc), this is not generally valid for most of us. Also, recently, there has been a surge of madras imitation materials that are borderline plaid and come in the most horrendous of colour combinations. I will try to show you what I personally consider Madras Dos and Don'ts.
MADRAS DOs
MADRAS DON'Ts
Remember:
- moderate colours
- match one of the dominant colours of the madras with the rest of your outfit
- keep it simple
- never multi-layer with madras, too clashy
The Preppy Handbook dedicates an entire page to Madras (you can find the entire book here) so be sure to check it out. What I would like you good folks to take out of it is a little tip about caring for Madras: wash your Madras in salt water for the first few times to help set the dyes.
Keep it classy, as two lovely Duke girls like to say!
Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;
But the length of its ears,
So promoted his fears,
That it killed that Old Man of Madras.
As the limerick hints at, wearing madras can easily become that cream-coloured ass that brings your outfit, and you with it, down to the ground. Madras is quite varied, madras is quite moody and madras is definitely not for the weak-hearted. Since each spring and summer season brings a resurgence in Madras clothing and accessories, I've decided to take a look at this unique fabric that is very dear to me.
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| Subdued colours, attention is drawn to the tie and jacket. Definite Madras Do! |
As Wikipedia puts it, madras is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing—pants, shorts, dresses and jackets. Madras is constructed in a 60/40 manner threadwise, which has been determined to be the perfect ratio for optimal lightness, strength and breath-ability.
The fabric takes its name from the former English name of the city of Chennai, India. This cloth also was identified by the colloquial name, "Madrasi checks." One style that was popular during the 1960s was called bleeding Madras because it used dyes that were not colorfast in a typically plaid design, resulting in bleeding and fading colors that yielded a new look to the fabric each time it was laundered.
Because of its almost garish nature, wearing Madras must be done in a very reserved fashion. While some exceptions are accepted for the most Preppy of people IN Preppy circumstances (e.g. preppy weddings, country clubs etc), this is not generally valid for most of us. Also, recently, there has been a surge of madras imitation materials that are borderline plaid and come in the most horrendous of colour combinations. I will try to show you what I personally consider Madras Dos and Don'ts.
MADRAS DOs
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| Classy Madras - never in the center of attention! |
MADRAS DON'Ts
 |
| Clashing accesories, Madras on Madras, Matching Outfits (I can even attest to having bought the lower left corner outfit, which I have only worn together once, much to my chagrin) and even Madras raincoats from Band of Outsiders |
Remember:
- moderate colours
- match one of the dominant colours of the madras with the rest of your outfit
- keep it simple
- never multi-layer with madras, too clashy
The Preppy Handbook dedicates an entire page to Madras (you can find the entire book here) so be sure to check it out. What I would like you good folks to take out of it is a little tip about caring for Madras: wash your Madras in salt water for the first few times to help set the dyes.
Keep it classy, as two lovely Duke girls like to say!
