The first, maybe leave it? The second, well, will it actually bleed? We hear any number of stories about the shirts back in the day, but now... My £3 purchase yesterday... I'm not convinced yet it's a nice enough shirt in its own right. For the price Jake is charging it had better be kosher, yes? But who will be the first to try? And how long are they willing to wait before the fun begins?
Madras, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention... The guys who sold it me, in a back street charity shop, thought it had something to do with curry. Straight up.
Remember Autocisco Kid? That guy from Los Angeles who was trying to do an early version of crowdfunding with a madras shirt start-up. He used to bang on endlessly about how his cloth was the real deal and actually bled.
Personally, I’ve never understood why the idea that a shirt has to be washed separately and fades out after a few washes is considered to be a selling point?
I have a dozen or so short sleeve madras shirts that came from John Simons, J Press or Brooks and I live in them during the summer. They were maiinly bought new and I’ve never had any issues with any of them running in the wash, they just go in the machine with everything else, nor have they faded unduly. I have bought vintage madras shirts but they are not a hardwearing item so not always a great second hand buy.
I must admit, out of curiosity (but also because everything that shop sells has a slightly peculiar smell to it) I hand-washed it in a bowl of luke-warm water with a fabric softener. Inconclusive. The more I look at it, though, the more I like it and recall that look practised by Chris_H: Madras in autumn and winter with crew neck sweater (perhaps navy or a dark shade of green). Might be all right. Probably, though, as Woof says, not a hardwearing item.
Madras yes. Bleeding maybe. Patch never.
Agree, pretty much. Madras can have a pleasing look to it even if not 'guaranteed to bleed'. I suppose - at risk of sounding pretentious - it also has a symbolic value, at least in Europe, as a kind of 'Jazz On A Summer's Day'-audience look: modern jazz, warmth and sunshine, good companionship, a cool drink and a pretty girl. A true 'Ivy' shirt, then. Patch Madras I don't think I would have worn even in the midst of my experimental stage, around 2008-9, when some very poor choices were made.
I have a JS Madras, long sleeved shirt which is very comfortable and soft. I bought it at the time his shirt sizes were all over the place and I had to try on a few before I got the correct fit. It hasn't bled. Also a pair of Madras shorts great for walking along the Thames estuary on a summers day.
I might wear patch Madras shorts but never in shirt form. Then again probably not.
I remain deeply devoted to Madras. I wore a 'Hunt Club' out in a Nottingham suburb for lunch last weekend, my Corbin jacket yesterday (after changing my mind about another 'Hunt Club' shirt which my wife likes) and am wearing the third today. I wore it out this morning, with a navy Brooks Brothers slipover.
The two 'Guaranteed To Bleed' I bought (for a fair amount of money) about ten years ago were something of a let-down. A Gant I bought last year was simply awful. But I think a bandwagon has been climbed on. A jacket by Hackett is just about to finish on Ebay.
I have worn a patch Madras shirt and may do so again during the summer.
I love Madras and have quite a few accumulated over the years.
My JSA ones are prone to shrinking. they were inexpensive as often bought in the sale.
I have turned my favourite shrunken shirt into a lovely pocket square.
Love patch madras. So non-Brit. Perfect for Florida heat
I have turned my favourite shrunken shirt into a lovely pocket square.
That's some shrinkage! Did you remove the buttons first?
HaHa,
The shirt was simply too tight across the chest and had faded a bit.
I managed to get two 14" square pocket squares cut out from it.