Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! Today's video is all about Madras; the
summer fabric staple that's particularly popular with prep style
enthusiasts. First, let me dive into the rich history of Madras then we talk
about what the fabric is and what it isn't, as well as how you can wear it
well, no matter if you're into prep style or Ivy League style or not. The Madras
pattern became really popular in the 1960s in a form of slacks, jackets, and
shirts. However, it has been around for much longer and it has its roots in India,
specifically in the city of Madras which is now known as Chennai. The Madras
fabric has a really long history stretching all the way back through the 2nd
century. By the 1630s, Dutch traders would export the Madras fabric to the West,
they liked it so much that they offered duty exemptions and in no time was the
whole city converted into a weaving center for Madras fabric. The original Madras
fabric was basically a cotton muslin that was either over printed or very
richly embroidered. At this point in time, all printed patterns were made out of
vegetable dyes which caused them to be not very colorfast. Eventually, it was not just the
Dutch who grew fond of the fabric but also the British colonialists and so
they went back to their home country. Madras plaid, as we know it today,
probably first appeared around 150 years ago. It was partially a result of the
tartan craze that started to hit off after King George the fourth visited
Scotland in 1822 and when he fell in love with Tartans and plaids and because
they were so popular, they also found their way into the Madras fabric. Today,
you'd be hard-pressed to find a Madras fabric that doesn't have the typical
plaid or check structure. Madras first appeared in the US in the late 1800s.
For example, in the 1897 Sears catalog, you can already find that fabric. The
cloth also gained some popularity with Americans in the 1930s who would travel
to the Caribbean. Also, magazines like Apparel Arts or Esquire would praise
the summery casual elegance of the madras fabric for
jackets, for slacks, and for shorts. Madras probably reached its peak
during 1960s when Brooks Brothers created a bunch of garments in that
fabric. At the time, Brooks Brothers wasn't aware of the
bleaching vegetable dyes and so when customers first bought it and realized
it was not colorfast, they got furious. Now, Brooks Brothers responded in a very
smart way and turned it around in a marketing stunt; they now called it
"guaranteed to bleed" and customers couldn't wait for their garments to
bleach out fast enough. To this day, you can find the reference to the original
bleeding madras and that's something that people still want in their garments.
From that point in time, madras became a staple in a preppy style wardrobe.
At the end of the day, it's still a classic summer fabric even though the vegetable dyes
have mostly vanished and bleeding madras isn't really bleeding anymore.
It's really hard to find the actual bleeding madras but there's still a
few vendors out there and it's still made in India to some extent. So how
exactly is madras defined these days? It's basically a very thin cotton muslin
fabric with a range of checks, usually multiple different colors, and very
rarely, you can also find it in stripes. If you can still find the original
madras fabric from Chennai, it's usually hand oven, it is made out of
cotton, and you can find the pattern on both sides so it is potentially
reversible. That being said, madras today comes
basically in three different types. One is a yarn dyed fabric where the yarns
are dyed in different colors and then they're woven in this specific pattern.
It's not a pattern that is just printed onto something, let's say like that's the
case on florals. Another popular madras pattern is a
patchwork madras. Meaning, a bunch of different madras samples from different
patterns and colors are all combined into one fabric. That is even louder and
bolder than the regular madras fabric already is. Last but not least, the
bleeding madras can be found sometimes and to learn more about it head over to
our website here. So now that you know about the history and what madras is,
how should you wear it so you look your best? Basically, it's a lightweight summer
fabric and because of that, it's out of place during the fall, the winter, and even
during in the early spring. Even though most of the time the madras colors
are more muted, it still is a very bold pattern that draws the viewers attention to it.
Because of that, you should only ever wear one garment
in a madras pattern, otherwise, it's over the top. Specifically, that means you
wear a sport coat, a blazer, maybe a shirt or some shorts or slacks, but never more
than one piece at a time. Let's say you opt for a madras jacket, that's a lot of
surface, it is very bold so I suggest you stick with a solid shirt, maybe something
like a Oxford cloth button-down shirt and you can learn more about that here.
On top of that, you can maybe go with a solid tie or maybe a knit tie that adds a
little bit more texture and it's more casual and works with a natural
character of the madras fabric. For slacks, I suggest you go with something
like chinos because they're lighter in color, they're more summery,
they're solid, so it lets your jacket shine. to learn more about chinos please
check out our in-depth guide here. If you want to learn how to buy chinos check
out this in-depth guide from The Kavalier who tested over 20 off the rack
brands. I've only seen someone wearing a Madras suit twice. In my opinion, it's
just over the top and it should be avoided. The same is true, of course, for
madras tuxedos or black tie outfits, it's just a very loud wannabe preppy
take on things and it's not something a stylish gentleman should wear. If you're
still curious about the madras tuxedos, please head over to our Black Tie
guide here. Personally, my favorite way to incorporate Madras into my wardrobe is
through shorts during the summer. First of all, they're really lightweight,
comfortable to wear when it's really hot outside but they also combine very
easily with solid polo shirts and boat shoes or canvas shoes. Usually, madras
has a bunch of different colors and if you just pick one of the colors and use
a solid color polo shirt or maybe you pick up a color that you see in your
shoes, your whole outfit looks coordinated without looking too
matchy-matchy. When you wear madras shorts, definitely stay clear
of patterned polo shirts such as bold stripes or windowpane checks because
it's just a pattern overload that is too much. As shorts are casual and Madras is
a casual pattern, you want casual shoes such as boat shoes or maybe canvas shoes,
not dress shoes. If you want to wear a madras shirt, I suggest you go with a
solid tie or maybe skip the tie and you go just with a blazer or sport
coat but again, you want something more
summery, maybe a fresco fabric, maybe a very pale seersucker, if the color is not
too bold. Otherwise, it's a clash and stick with solids and let that one
madras pattern shine. If the Madras garment is too much for you, it also works as a
bow tie, as a regular necktie, or maybe as a pocket square. Even though they are
small accessories, they provide a distinctly summery feel for your entire
outfit. So if you just have a regular business suit and you don't know how to
make it more summery, add a Madras accessory. Even as an accessory, madras
is still pretty bold so I'd rather stay clear of other bold patterns and stick
to very subtle things, otherwise, the whole combination is out of whack.
Some people like bold things, are really into patterned madras because it really
draws the attention to the wearer. Personally, I'm not a big fan of it
because I just think it's loud without being stylish. I prefer to have a more
color coordinated brooch with just one madras because that's loud enough for
me personally. So last but not the least, where should you buy madras?
Well, there are several routes. You can either buy the raw fabric and there are places online
that source the original stuff from India. These days, you can even buy
directly from India but most of the time, you have to buy quantities that are
larger that you will ever need. because of that, there are still a bunch of fabrics
usually ones with prep style roots or the ones interested in it that offer
that kind of a fabric. If you enjoyed this video or if you want to learn even
more about Madras please check out the guide on our website here and we'll also
have a range of other summer fabrics such as florals or what to wear and it's
really hot outside fabric structures and everything you need to know in order to
stay stylish when it's really hot outside in today's video I am wearing my favorite
combination with madras shorts in navy blue and yellow I'm
combining it with a pale blue polo shirt that has a shirt style collar and not the
flimsy one you usually can see it's from Uniqlo the shorts are from Ralph Lauren
and the boat shoes are from Ralph Lauren but they were made by Rancourt in Maine in
the US and they're yellow and pick up that yellowish tone of the shorts and
overall the madras shorts make a bold statement but they're not over-the-top