Bleeding Madras – ‘Old’ is new again Leave a comment

Bleeding Madras – Ahh…the one that started it all.

Bleeding madras fabric was the original Madras fabric, that started it all, and once buyers of this fabric saw what it did, and the way it transformed into a vintage-looking fabric, that gave the wearer a preppy traditional feel, there was no stopping it any more.

So, what is bleeding madras anyhow?
BLEEDING MADRAS is a fabric which is basically a woven madras fabric, or a plaid madras fabric, which has been woven using only yarns, that are dyed with natural, vegetable-based dyes, in a way, so that the colors of the fabric will actually “bleed” or run, when the garment is washed, in such a way that the colors intermingle among each other to form a worn, vintage looking fabric.

This running or bleeding of the colors is actually something that was highly desirable, once it was noticed by customers, and it was given the name “Bleeding madras”, and thereon, there was nothing to stop it.
Everyone wanted a piece of it, and orders were aplenty. Madras as a term was catching on, and almost immediately madras fabric was being associated with the ivy league set, and all things preppy.

Today most madras is not bleeding madras, and is actually color-fast.
Atlantis Fabrics has now brought back the good old thing, and bleeding madras will soon be available by the yard, on a retail catalog, as well as in wholesale.