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When I was a teenager growing up in northern Virginia in the 1960’s the “in” clothing to wear included scotch grain loafers, Adler socks, which came in some very bright colors, either tan or white Levi’s jeans and a madras shirt. You were cool if you wore that combination. I’ve always liked madras shirts. So when the opportunity came up to sample a madras shirt from the Original Madras Shirt Company of New York, NY, who is one of my affiliate advertisers on this website, I jumped at the opportunity. Maybe I can help bring Madras back to it’s 1960’s popularity. So this article will explore the history of Madras, the history of the Original Madras Shirt Company, my review of the shirt itself and images of me wearing the shirt that they sent me. I will also include a special affiliate link that you can click or tap at the end of the article to browse their site and either look around or make a purchase.
According to
Madras is produced in the city of Chennai, which used to be called Madras, and is located in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state in India. It is a cotton fiber that cannot be combed but carded (combed with a wire tooth brush or roller). This results in slubs which are thick spots in the fabric that give it it’s uniique charactor. The cotton is hand dyed with vegetable colors, spun, woven and then finished.
Madras became popular in India in the 16th century. Dutch and British traders helped spread the popularity of Madras in the 17th and 18th centuries. And the Sears catalog offered the first Madras shirt for sale nationally to American consumers in 1897. The name Madras was applied to these types of shirts by David J. Anderson in 1844. In the late 1950’s Brooks Brothers sold Madras shirts to customers but didn’t include washing instructions, which upset customers after the garments bled due to being washed in warm or hot water with soap. To satisfy customers, advertising giant David Oligby coined the term “Guaranteed to Bleed” in the 1960’s. This period was the most popular for Madras Shirts as they were purchased by preppy baby boomers (like myself). I remember wearing my Madras shirt that had bled after my Mom washed it in warm water & soap.
Now for a bit of history about The Original Madras Trading Company. The Original Madras Trading Company was founded in 1973 by Ranjit Shah; The current collections are by David Coggins and Josh Peskowitz; The business is located in the garment district of NYC. Their products are sold on their website as well as within retail stores located around the world.
OK, so now for the part where I tried on the shirt. I was wary of washing it before I tried it on for fear of having it look different from when I received it. So I modeled it right out of the package, As you can see it fits well and the colors are rich and vibrant. The fit was good and what I expected. The fabric is a bit thicker than what I was expecting. However, I think that one could wear this shirt when it gets a bit cooler because of the thicker yarn. The shirt is well made. I am going to have to wash it eventually. Maybe I’ll just wash it in cold water so as to preserve the beauty of the shirt. In short, I like this shirt.
The colors utilized in creating this shirt include black, white, green, red, two different shades of blue and orange. The fabric utilizes what is called a waffle weave. Some interesting features of the shirt include a metal button at the bottom of the shirt. After doing some research I discovered that it is called a signature design detail. According to the website
this metal button displays the Tamil symbol for “Om”. It serves as a nod to the brand’s heritage, manufactured by a third-generation family business with roots in Chennai (formerly Madras), India. There is also a label with a spare button attached that says “Made by Us in Madras, South India”. The shirt also has the traditional box or center pleat at the top rear to allow for more flexability. And the shirt also includes very detailed washing instructions sown into the bottom of it. I had to use my phone’s magnifying glass app to read it. I look forward to wearing this shirt for a very long time.
In closing, I would like to thank Prasan Shah and Lester Fernandez of The Original Madras Training Company for sending me this shirt. I would also like to thank Nick Coe and Rochelle Marcelo of Kutoku Affiliate Network for facilitating this exchange. It was fun and I hope to do more of these product evaluations in the future.
Finally, below is a special Affiliate link that will take you to the Original Madras Trading Company website. Just click/tap on the brown garment tag. You can browse their unique assortment of Madras clothing and maybe make a purchase. Madras is cool again!
Mike C
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