How To Wear It | Madras

If we get an Indian summer - get some Madras in your wardrobe. 

Beloved of children’s outfitters, golfers and Vampire Weekend, madras is a preppy staple. The lightweight cloth takes its name from the Indian city (now Chennai), and in recent years its popularity has soared.

High street dependables like Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and J Crew have all got behind the colourful plaid, while Ralph Lauren’s catwalk shows have gone madras-mad.

Cut from loosely-woven cotton, a pair of madras shorts are cool in the original sense. The key to getting them right lies in the pattern: the check should be broad and the colours should look sun-bleached.

Team with an Oxford shirt or polo and don’t go too short. Wear yours cut close, a couple of inches above the knee.

(Top image - Madras cotton shorts, £120, by Hackett)

(Madras cotton shorts, £69, by Brooks Brothers)

(Madras cotton shorts, £145, by Incotex Slowear at Mr Porter)

(Madras cotton shorts, £39.50, by Gap)

(Madras cotton shorts, £115, by Polo Ralph Lauren) 

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What to wear them with:

Remember, if you going to pull off a pattern like this, you need to keep it simple everywhere else. Try a simple navy polo and white canvas trainers.

Navy polo shirt, £70, by Sunspel
Beige canvas trainers, £40, by Superga

Photographs by Studio 33