I was pleasantly surprised by the response to this our madras shirt last year. Although there was a good craft story hand knittingI was a little afraid that the bolder checks and colors would put people off.
However, the first batch sold out within a week, and we rushed to buy a second batch by the end of the summer, which later sold out. A little unintentional promotion probably played a role – to my chagrin, the first batch was not large, making them sell out especially fast. Still, a good response.
This is not always the case. Readers have mentioned that it can seem like everything sells out quickly, that it’s all a huge success. Well, in the interest of pretending we’re not overselling, some things don’t get that kind of reaction.
sleeveless sweaterFor example, they have been moving along since their launch but no rush has been seen. Some readers like them and have repeatedly asked for new colors, but they’re not for everyone. wool walker Also sold consistently over the years, but never rapidly.
maybe success Madras Shows that the market is lacking interesting but eminently wearable patterns; Your partner may be slightly but pleasantly surprised by this kind of thing.
It may be that fewer people are searching for these because the market seems so tough right now. In difficult times everyone adopts conservative tendencies. (And women’s clothing is trending toward men’s clothing—hence the women’s market is all jeans, boat shoes, and suede jackets.)
Whatever the reason, I’m happy to say that we did Restocked original PS Madras In larger quantities than the previous year, and two new colors were added – one brighter than the original, one more conservative.
The first, above, is a cream with overtones of brown, beige and blue, plus a hint of green and a splash of yellow. To me this is the more adventurous of the two new shades, but possibly due to the overall lighter color rather than the check.
It’s actually very easy to wear, because you can choose any check color from other things you wear: blue or brown, green and khaki. A bit like how we were all asked to choose the color of a tweed jacket while choosing a tie or handkerchief.
Here I am wearing some old Levi’s shirts our ps boat shoesAnd hid outside.
This is easier with madras shirts because they are cut a little higher to the body than other shirts (as is). oxford Before shrinkage, for those who know the limits). The point is not how I wear my shirts during the week, but that it’s a nice casual option on the weekend.
And then, to keep everyone happy, the new Blue Madras has been added. Both work equally well in either genre, but I know readers like to see a variety of options.
The blue was designed to be very easy to wear – it’s the same color palette as your jeans, navy suits and blue oxfords – but light enough to go with all those jeans and navy chinos.
The background is a light grey/beige, and then there are different layers of blue on top of that. I know not everyone will like the t-shirt below, but I like it as a good piece of layering. More information on the subject of Tease under the shirt here.
One last thing about madras shirts that’s worth repeating: they require very little ironing. Just like the button-down Oxfords, which Ivy students apparently loved because they didn’t require ironing (or more realistically, they could get away with a good deal of non-ironing), this hand-made madras doesn’t wrinkle as much, which is a nice bonus.
Most of the time I just wash them and then hand dry them and they are fine.
I should also say that all three Madras patterns are available as fabric for people to buy themselves and send to a shirt maker. This is narrow-width fabric with a selvage, so we sell in lengths 2.7 meters.
fabric: :
- 100% cotton madras, hand woven in chennai Original by Madras Trading Company
- Open and breathable, suitable for warm weather, although not too hot
- softens with washing and rubbing
- weight 150 grams
- Length 2.7m, sold with narrow width (95cm) selvedge
- Slight variation in length and width is due to hand weaving
- Occasional soiling of clothes is a natural result of the process, not a fault
- A little color fading, but only after several washes. similar to light denim shirt
- Minimum shrinkage, 1-2%
Shirt Summary:
- Hand made in Naples, Italy Luca Avitabile’s workshop
- Hand-attached collar and armholes; Hand-stitched buttons and buttonholes
- The button-down collar is designed to open from the neck and around the jacket lapel
- The length of a regular dress shirt, but can be worn tucked in or out
Care and Fit:
- Machine wash and dry (or dry clean)
- Can be ironed as normal, but is not necessary
- Comfortable fit, 2cm wider in the waist than other PS shirts but otherwise similar fit
- Simon is wearing a medium-sized shirt in images of two new colors, a special shirt in the original (brown and orange check)
