Well the shirt is Indian fabric, soft and great colours. The collar is smaller than it looks in the pic, which I could just live with, but the cut does not work with my body shape. I guess I am quite athletic, not six pack or anything vain, but the sleeves are too tight and restrict movement, fits good across the shoulders but pulls tight across my chest leaving the second top button pulling. So, as the fit is terrible it'll go back, shame as the fabric is really nice.

Jimbo wrote:

http://forums.filmnoirbuff.com/uploads/ … _maddy.jpg

land's end? i've got that one too. now i rather regret selling my claret g9..

noblesurfer wrote:

What's the consensus on ironing madras shirts?  Seems to go against the nature of the garment, but I do love a freshly ironed shirt - any thoughts?  p.s. I also wear madras shirts tucked in most of the time so I guess I am already going against forum protocol.

The best thing to do is buy yourself a clothes steamer. The steam freshens and revitalises clothing. Great for getting the creases out of stuff and much kinder to vintage fabric than an iron where the heat is direct onto the cloth and inevitably causes wear each time you press the  garment.

I didn't mean to be rude! I just think that all this forum group thinking can go way to far. Good thing to ignore that.

I tuck it in or leave it untucked whatever I feel is best at the moment...

I can't even think about a "personal rule"... I'd probably wouldn't tuck in anything with Bermuda shorts. But I certainly wouldn't make that a rule or even advice to anyone else.

Of course, Ivy has some "rules", if you think about the features that make this look a specific look. But that's not my point here...

There's also some conventions that might be sensible in general, like not wearing your shirt untucked with a suit... Maybe some guy back in the 50s knew how to break that one successfully... Like wearing a seersucker suit with an untucked polo shirt?

woofboxer wrote:

noblesurfer wrote:

What's the consensus on ironing madras shirts?  Seems to go against the nature of the garment, but I do love a freshly ironed shirt - any thoughts?  p.s. I also wear madras shirts tucked in most of the time so I guess I am already going against forum protocol.

The best thing to do is buy yourself a clothes steamer. The steam freshens and revitalises clothing. Great for getting the creases out of stuff and much kinder to vintage fabric than an iron where the heat is direct onto the cloth and inevitably causes wear each time you press the  garment.

Increasingly inexpensive too. You can even gat small 'travel' ones. Woofboxer's advice is very sound.

... And as for Madras... Iron/steam, or not. Tuck/untuck or not. Those are the forum rules !

I like it. I think the photos or the blurb don't do it justice but I do see the potential. It's impossible to tell if it's darted or not. If only for the fact that an undarted wouldn't ruin the continuity of the plaid I'd be hoping for a lack of darts but I have to say that I've seen a lot of boom years Madras and Seersucker with darts... that's not to say they are waisted. I also notice a lot of boom years madras shirts have smaller less rolly collars.

I'd say that's how he's holding himself. I'd also suggest the sleeves look bloody ridiculous rolled up.

A Keydge madras would be a wonderful thing.

New to me.

Yeah, the top one is very nice.

They're from the 'anthologie' section of the Keydge website. Then there was also this:

The Woolster wrote:

Yeah, the top one is very nice.

They're from the 'anthologie' section of the Keydge website. Then there was also this:

http://www.jkeydge.com/Photos/Gilet-denim2.jpg

Status Quo patch not included.

haha!

One For Bop wrote:

woofboxer wrote:

noblesurfer wrote:

What's the consensus on ironing madras shirts?  Seems to go against the nature of the garment, but I do love a freshly ironed shirt - any thoughts?  p.s. I also wear madras shirts tucked in most of the time so I guess I am already going against forum protocol.

The best thing to do is buy yourself a clothes steamer. The steam freshens and revitalises clothing. Great for getting the creases out of stuff and much kinder to vintage fabric than an iron where the heat is direct onto the cloth and inevitably causes wear each time you press the  garment.

I'd agree but don't let it near anything with a fused inter-liner. It'll bobble up like a bastard. Fortunately as an Ivyist I doubt you have anything jacket-wise with that in. Some times I can be just be best to apply heat to a garment, when you do this switch off the steam on the iron, and put a cloth between the iron and the garment. Madras shirts do best to either take a steam, or wet them with the spray on the iron, and then just place the cloth over and iron with the steam on.

I just love the dead crisp placket, cuffs and collar that only an iron can provide.  Soft but crisp, if that makes any sense.  I think HTJ described the old unlined brooks shirt as ironing up like 'parchment' which is exactly what I mean, although madras is a different bird altogether so I haven't been ironing those.  Although I do think that an ironed collar provides a nicer roll in general.  Maybe just iron the collar on low heat?  A bit too much work I think.  Smoothing out the wrinkles while damp and letting it hang dry seems to be working well, so I must endeavour not to overthink the situation.