Sid Mashburn and The Original Madras Company collaborated and IT REALLY WORKED.
By the way, Prasan Shah, of OMTC, is one of the nicest guys on the planet and you should buy a shirt from this collaboration just to support NICE.
Ok, back to the collaboration. They created a series of 4 sport shirts (Madras of course). If you are new to the site, OMTC handweaves their madras, handweave meaning weave by hand, which is not only something you can see and feel when you touch the fabric, but it is also supporting real artisans (not the artisans who carve miniature wizards out of pine cones, but real artisans).
Sid Mashburn says this: “I’ve loved Madras since I was a kid… my whole family wore it growing up. But even without the nostalgia factor, this stuff is so cool. The specialness of the handweaving and the raw materials… the slight irregularity and imperfection… even the pattern-matching on the plaid… it’s really an art form.”
John Burton says this: oh wait, all I have to do is type what I am saying. Sorry. Ok, so it takes between 4 and 6 hours to make the cloth by hand for 1 shirt. By machine? 10 minutes. We talk a great deal in here about quality – that kind of craftspersonship (Dean is that a word?) is so rare. SO rare.
Again, you can get the shirts here.
More on OMTC on Thursday, but for now, do consider a few of these. 100% cotton, breathes like a venilator, fantastic colors, and made by hand.
Last time, you can buy these here.
Cue absurd complaints on (in no particular order) alpha sizing, collar roll, fit and price in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Nice shirts. Just purchased the colorway modeled by the bearded gent.
In their minds, they will silently complain about the prices.
Not so silently, apparently.
Craftsmanship is a word. Life can be difficult enough. But then, if we’re seeking puzzles to solve, I suppose that is a good sign that things are settling down.
The shirt worn by the bearded man is the one I like best. A light silk/linen jacket in indigo could easily work with that if a cool breeze were to come up. I “can’t”, really don’t like to wear red. Not sure why.
Don’t like red either, totally get you. And while craftsmanship is a word, it isn’t an equality one, so not trying to solve a puzzle as much as trying to invite everyone to the table. Ask Sarah. 🙂
$250 for MADRAS??? Excuse me? You forget that the reason madras became popular in the first place on campuses like Yale and Princeton was because it was good and CHEAP!!!
And not to nitpick, but if you’re going to wear $250 madras button-downs, at least have the common sense to pair them with chinos, and not shorts or dungarees.
I dunno. The point is kind of that these aren’t KMart Madras. That these are one of a kind, made by hand. I’ve read Take Ivy. Those guys weren’t necessarily supporting artisans. And… I wear madras with shorts all the time.
It’s a different thing.
I can’t find any of the clothes I like anymore – some guy
Great clothes, too expensive. Would never buy them. Same guy
Smh
And not to nitpick, but if you’re going to wear $250 madras button-downs, at least have the common sense to pair them with chinos, and not shorts or dungarees
@Mitchell, and here we have the difference between “dressing well” and “style” perfectly illustrated. Dressing well stays within the lines and the norms. To me style is taking your own spin within a genre. More challenging and creative. Congrats on dressing well.
Interestingly enough in the years posting on I-S I’ve noticed that the more inflexible the viewpoint, the less likely the commenter was from the “heyday” or the institutions, but found Ivy later, clutching it like a tweedy security blanket.
Nordstrom carries OMTC shirts, as well, and theirs are steeply discounted.
Beautiful shirts — Reading about OMTC and Prasan Shah on this site, I don’t think I could buy a shirt made from madras by anyone else.
Rake,
Thanks for the compliment, but I have to disagree with your argument.
First, I’m not inflexible. I’m open to experimenting with different genres, including ivy.
Second, you can be well-dressed and still have “style”, and be “creative”.
The beauty of classic menswear is that it has rules, strictures, and guidelines. Within those guidelines, it is possible to create a unique sense of style. It’s all about harmony, beauty, and balance.
All the well dressed men know that you’re not supposed to wear sneakers with a suit, no jeans with a polo, sandals in public, or sweatpants outside the gym.
It has nothing to do with “style” or being “creative”. It about respect for the people around you and the occasion.
With all due respect, what would Ivy be if someone had posted in 1953 that all well dressed men know you are not supposed to wear penny loafers with shorts?
I’m not inflexible – Some Guy
You’re not supposed to wear…jeans with a polo… Same Guy
The beauty of classic menswear is that it has rules, strictures, and guidelines. Within those guidelines, it is possible to create a unique sense of style. It’s all about harmony, beauty, and balance.
Agreed, same as I said above. Smh