Fabric a Day - Madras

Vintage style inspired women's shorts from Boast.com

I took a writing class last night at the Brooklyn Brainery in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Part of the class was finding new ways to write and keep writing. 

For the month of February I am going to be posting a definition a day.  I think this may be a good idea. What kind of definition? A definition of fabrics.  Different types of fabric.  Yesterday in my Introduction to Sewing class I was teaching the students how to read the back side of the envelopes that patterns come in.  A pattern will have suggested fabrics.  One of the fabrics was madras and a student asked me what is madras.   Most people know what madras is, most people have seen it, they just don’t know it is called madras.   Madras is a type of plaid getting it’s name from Madras India, now called Chennai, where it was originally made.  It is a certain plaid design, a large, colorful plaid with mismatched squares.  Traditionally the colors are bright, vibrant and fun.  Originally madras were not colorfast so they would fade which added to their character.  Today with current technology normally they are colorfast so they can be washed with other laundry. They are very lightweight and breezy therefore Madras plaids are often seen in the summer in shorts, dresses, shirts and usually is 100% cotton.  

http://www.justmadras.com/

Madras patchwork

Stevan Allan women's madras shirt

http://www.lyst.com/clothing/gant-rugger-madras-plaid-dress-shirt-multi/


Do you have any thoughts on madras plaids?
I love plaid so I do love madras. It could look vintage or new, fresh or old.
Do you have madras plaid items in your closet?