Tuckernuck's Heritage Collection

Heritage Madras Jagger Dress

Tuckernuck's Summer Heritage Collection has just launched and it's quite wonderful. It has patch madras, Nantucket Reds, chinos, and stripes. I love patch madras - I remember so many beloved patch madras pieces in my wardrobe growing up - a one piece swimsuit, a Bermuda bag, a wrap skirt - and the pieces just got better the more washed and worn they got.

Madras

J. Crew Patch Madras circa 2007

 

Many of us grew up wearing madras in the summer - I recall having a patch madras one piece swimsuit, a madras Bermuda bag, and a madras wrap skirt that I loved. I have been wanting to find a madras piece or two for my summer wardrobe. I love these pieces from J. Crew many years back.

Madras refers to a colorful and lightweight cotton fabric, woven into distinct combinations of horizontal and vertical stripes. To oversimplify - madras is the warm-weather cousin of the wintertime staple, tartan. 

Authentic madras comes from a region in southeast India that was once called Madraspatnam, which is known today as Chennai. Cotton yarn is hand-dyed and then hand-spun. The yield is cloth that is the same on both sides with tell-tale bumps that result from the yarn being too fragile to be combed or carded. 

Madras has been a preppy classic for decades.

J.Crew Limited Edition Long Patch Madras Skirt - circa 2007

Madras

Oscar de la Renta

 

These wonderful pieces by Oscar de la Renta reminded me of how much I love madras and patch madras. I had so many madras pieces growing up including a wonderful patch madras swimsuit by Lanz.