Fashion trends the world rediscovered from Asia

These days, Madras checks are more often associated with colourful summer shirts, American preppy attire, and smartly dressed holidaymakers. Yet the history of Madras check fabric goes back to South India, specifically to the area of modern-day Chennai. Generally light and airy, Madras checks were made of cotton and ideal for the hot and humid climate. The first checked cottons were used locally for garments such as lungis and then travelled internationally. The fabric later made it to West Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas. It attained its maximum popularity in the United States in the 1950s-1960s, when it got associated with Ivy League style and preppy fashion.

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