Boomer Begs: Bring Back Bleeding Madras

I wish bleeding Madras shirts would come back.
Talk about nostalgia. They were THE thing to wear when I was in high school and I wore them a lot.

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This is Madras

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This is what Land’s End, Old Navy, J. Crew, et al is foisting off on the public as Madras.

However, at least J. Crew has done some research.

And in the cloth’s heyday, over 150,000 new plaid patterns were fashioned, using homemade vegetable dyes that bled, ran and blended to create a stunning effect. (”Cool” was the word we used, way back then.) Today, of course, Madras no longer bleeds, because it is dyed with man-made, color-fast dyes.

WTF? “Cool was the word we used way back then?” “Cool” is still the word I hear more consistently from all ages to describe something cool. Punks.

I don’t think I owned any Madras pants, oh wait, absolutely I had Madras shorts! Even with skinny legs, I thought I looked good. Everybody looked bitchin’ in Madras.

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Except the guys my age, they looked like a candy ass.
((((sigh))))


There once was a maid from Madras

Who had a magnificent ass.
Not rounded and pink,
as you’d possibly think;
It was gray, had long ears, and ate grass.

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13 Responses to “Boomer Begs: Bring Back Bleeding Madras”


  1. Gravatar Icon 1 Gretchen

    Yeah, Madras was awesome, although these days I absolutely refuse to take on responsibility for the care of such garments, speaking from a laundry perspective. It’s jeans and t-shirt all the way for this family, except of course for the lawyerly suits Ben is required to wear to work.

    Good limerick. Sam came home from school today reporting he had learned some limericks, although unfortunately they came from his teacher and were therefore no fun at all.

    Gretchen’s last blog post..Ack! Penis!

  2. Gravatar Icon 2 goinglikesixty

    @Gretchen: you iron his shirts? Kewl that Sam learned about Limericks today - good teacher to tie it in with St. Pats.
    I have faith that before long Sam will make you proud!

  3. Gravatar Icon 3 Rachael

    Here’s a nice Irish pinch back. LOL. Happy Saint Pat’s day!

  4. Gravatar Icon 4 GoingLikeSixty

    @Rachel: thanks!

    GoingLikeSixty’s last blog post..Boomer Begs: Bring Back Bleeding Madras

  5. Gravatar Icon 5 Joy

    Oh My Gosh…Madras. I hadn’t thought about those shirts in years….and yes, they were pretty cool. Everyone and their uncle had madras shirts when I was in school. Crew cuts and madras shirts…too studly.

    Joy’s last blog post..Notes from Joy

  6. Gravatar Icon 6 goinglikesixty

    @Joy: yeah I had the crew cut too - used “Butch Wax” (real name) to train my hair… can you imagine that product today?

  7. Gravatar Icon 7 Brian

    Since I am only a Junior Geezer, I am not old enough to remember the original heyday of Madras, but I suspect your wish for a comeback is right around the corner. Unfortunately, it seems to be only for women’s fashions.

    Brian’s last blog post..When Reality TV Goes Too Far

  8. Gravatar Icon 8 goinglikesixty

    @Brain: you know something you want to clue the rest of us in on? Have a linky?

  9. Gravatar Icon 9 Gretchen

    Iron his shirts, my fanny. Early in our dating I offered to iron his dress shirts and he said “I pay lackeys to do that.” (Except he didn’t say lackeys.)

    Sam already makes me proud every day, although he is so like his father it’s frightening.

    Gretchen’s last blog post..Ack! Penis!

  10. Gravatar Icon 10 goinglikesixty

    @Gretchen: dress shirts hee. I know Sam makes you proud, I should have said prouder!

  11. Gravatar Icon 11 Tom

    Oh boy, have found my beautiful [size xxl] getting tight around the middle, probably shrunk in washing, right??, sure. So a search on www finds xxxl at Old Navy. and reasonable. Maybe not the patterns of past tho, but will aleviate the tightness problem..love ‘em!!

  12. Gravatar Icon 12 goinglikesixty

    @Tom: Cool man. Old Navy doesn’t have the patterns, you’re right, but nobody does. Close enough! Now add some striped pants (see more recent post) and you will be haute!

  13. Gravatar Icon 13 D

    OMIGOSH! I would love to have some bleeding Madras clothing again! Wore it so much in high school that my friend called me the Madras Gypsy! Where can I get the real stuff †oday?

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