Lax Short Sleeve Shirt in Indigo

Before Vampire Weekend told us to dress ourselves in it, before Brooks Brothers made it the coveted fabric of mid-century Ivy League-ers, even before Sears first offered the material in their 1897 catalog, Madras cloth was made by hand in the Indian city of Chennai (formerly known as Madras). It’s still handwoven there today and, like Champagne or Parmesan-Reggiano, it can’t be made outside its place of origin.

Original Madras Trading Company was established in 1970s NYC by a Madras immigrant and has been supplying renowned American brands with the loosely woven, yarn-dyed fabric ever since. When we heard they’d started manufacturing their own range of clothing from their meticulously constructed fabric, we had to get our hands on their new line. Hand-loomed and solidly constructed from lightweight fabric, these buttondown shirts are worthy representations of a storied fabric.