That is our last product this summer season, a Madras shirt hand-woven within the conventional method in Chennai, after which hand sewn in Naples. It’s pure cotton, and has a putting however fairly subtle verify we first used on linen shirts 5 years in the past.

Neither Lucas nor I had worn this high quality of cotton till we obtained trial shirts, nevertheless it’s been one thing of a revelation. 

The very best parallel might be the standard oxford material we developed with Canclini. The Madras is in some ways a summer season equal of that – informal, smooth and open, and one thing that will get higher the extra it’s worn. 

A lot to Lucas’s delight, it’s additionally a shirt you possibly can chuck within the washer, shake a bit when it comes out after which dangle dry, with none have to iron it. If you would like it completely easy, certain, give it a press, however for day-to-day use it’s actually not wanted. 

The truth is the one I’m sporting right here I washed the evening earlier than, dried in that method, after which photographed. It appears to be like fairly good to me – relaxed and cozy.

The benefit of Madras being hand woven is the material has extra air in it, more room. It’s this that makes it cool and smooth, and is similar motive one thing like loopwheel sweats have a definite really feel, or hand-framed knitwear. Principally doing every thing slower helps. 

This course of makes the material a bit costlier after all, and when mixed with the hand slicing and stitching at Luca Avitabile’s workshop, makes the shirts costlier too – they’re £230 ex-VAT, the identical as our Japanese selvedge denim.  

However that’s nonetheless fairly affordable I feel, actually in comparison with different shirts out there and when you learn Wednesday’s article on how the fabric is woven in Chennai, with all of the attendant difficulties of constructing with such a diversified, human product, that additionally hits residence.

By way of design, I wished to re-use the verify we’d supplied up to now as a result of it was such a pleasant mixture of color and subtlety.

There are sturdy colors on this verify – vivid blue, yellow, pink – however they’re balanced with off-white and tobacco. There isn’t the excessive distinction you typically get in Madras, which fits the warmth and vibrancy of India maybe however is tougher to put on elsewhere. Even in elements of the US the place Madras is a powerful custom, it’s nonetheless very a lot a glance. 

I’m most likely the very best instance of this, as a result of I put on much less color than different crew members Manish or Lucas and but I’m completely comfy on this verify. It’s a really wearable Madras. 

In the primary picture I’m sporting the shirt with blue denims, and that’s at all times going to be the best mixture, easy and common. The denims may be mid-blue or darkish indigo, or certainly white, as proven above. 

However the shirt can be nice with chinos, in basic beige or navy, and people are significantly good choices for shorts if the climate is basically sizzling. 

One other nice companion is olive, like the jungle jacket I’m sporting under, or a pair of shorts. The usage of inexperienced usually is illustrated by the tweed jacket proven on the backside of this publish as properly, with the unique linen shirt. A gray-herringbone tweed can be good. 

With tailoring, I’d be almost definitely to put on the shirt with beige tailored-cotton trousers, or gray high-twist wools. The shirt is lower to an everyday size, so will probably be finest tucked in for most individuals, although Lucas does put on his tucked out as properly, so it additionally is determined by private model.

The shirt is intentionally lower to the identical sample as our different PS shirts, so that you’ll be the identical dimension in all of them. The one small distinction right here is we made the physique a bit extra relaxed – 2cm extra within the width – as a way to replicate the laid-back model. You’ll discover the measurements under are the identical because the oxford shirts, however whereas these will shrink a bit, these don’t. 

The collar and sleeve are connected by hand, as with the opposite shirts, which curves the collar across the neck and permits for an even bigger sleeve relative to the armhole, producing better consolation. The buttons and buttonholes are additionally sewn by hand. 

As with the oxford and chambray cloths, we’re making lengths of the Madras in the stores so you should use it with your individual shirtmaker. These are 2.7m lengthy, as the fabric is a slender width (round 95cm). 

The fabric has a vivid yellow selvedge – a signature of Unique Madras Buying and selling Firm –  which you’ll be able to incorporate into your shirt if you want (eg on the again placket or the gauntlet) although we determined not to take action on the ready-made shirts. 

There are only some lengths, however we will probably be getting extra in a month or so. Oh, and when you do ship the fabric to a shirtmaker straight from the PS Store, please make certain put your identify as a line of the deal with and let the maker realize it’s coming. 

The fabric:

• 100% cotton Madras, hand-woven in Chennai by Unique Madras Buying and selling Firm
• Open and breathable, appropriate for many summers but in addition into autumn
• Softening with washing and put on
• Weight 150gsm
• Lengths offered as 2.7m, slender width (95cm) with selvedge
• Slight variations in size and width a results of being hand loomed
• Occasional slubs within the material additionally a pure results of the method, not a fault
• Slight color fading, however solely after many washes. Much like a lightweight denim shirt
• Minimal shrinkage, 1-2%

Shirt abstract:

• Hand-made in Naples, Italy by the workshop of Luca Avitabile
• Hand-attached collars and armholes, hand-sewn buttons and buttonholes
• Button-down collar designed to roll open from the neck, and round a lapel
• Size of an everyday costume shirt, so largely to put on tucked in, although may be worn untucked, to an extent a method query

Care and match:

• Machine wash and dangle dry (or dry clear). Machine drying can result in shrinkage
• Might be ironed as regular, however not essentially wanted
• Snug match, 2cm wider within the waist than different PS shirts however in any other case the identical
• Simon is sporting a bespoke shirt within the photographs. Seek advice from different shirt photographs on the store for a way of match elsewhere – in these he’s sporting an everyday Medium

Above: photographs of the primary model of this Madras shirt (not hand woven) again in 2020. As an example how the shirt appears to be like with indigo denim, inexperienced tweed, and olive shorts. 

Garments featured, from the highest:

• Classic seventies Levi’s 501 denims
• Alden LHS snuff-suede loafers
• White Rubato denims
• Classic US Military jungle jacket 
• Hardy sun shades from EB Meyrowitz
• Inexperienced tweed jacket from Biagio Granata
• Indigo denims from Blackhorse Lane
• Alden full-strap loafers in Coloration 8 cordovan