 |
| I was never one of Them, were you? OK, secretly, I wished I was. |
I have only two madras items, Bermuda shorts and a perfect fit shirt. When I wear either of them, I keep everything else very casual and simple. I don;t see a way to dress it up too much. Maybe if it was a dress or a skirt? I don't think I can do madras blazer. I'd run out of irony, I am afraid.
J.Crew shirt has the advantage of being fitted so it does not look too borrowed from (preppy) boys. I like it with jeans. That's about all I can think to wear it with. I always take it camping.
I also tried it with denim pencil skirt. I am not sure if it works. What do you think?
Will you wear a madras dress? I would, if I was about the age of the girls in first picture. Which, sadly, I am not. Or luckily. Or so I try to convince myself of my questionable luck. But now I will probably end up looking like this:
 |
| Not one of Them and no envy this time |
How about the seersucker, another quintessential preppy summer fabric? Did you know that the name is derived from Hindi and Persian words meaning 'milk and sugar'? Something about smooth milk and bumpy sugar. I here I thought it came from 'sheer' (or 'sure') and 'sucker' ;)
Will you wear a seersucker blazer? Pants or skirt? How about a dress?
 |
| Aww |
I have to admit, I like it. But please, do not attempt seersucker suit while being male. Unless you are over 60. And a Senator. On Seersucker Thursday.
 |
| Huh? |
Otherwise stay away. The fabric is cool but you will be not.
 |
| Guess who made this ridiculous thing? Yes, they did. |
As for me, I tried the dress, as you may remember.
 |
| I would buy it if the fit was right |
And I have a pair of seersucker pants from Banana Republic that I really like. I wear it quite often every summer.
And I think the reason I really like the striped camp popover is because the fabric is in fact a wider stripe seersucker.
Of course I had to buy the seersucker pencil skirt once the price dropped and the 30% off came along. So here is my OOTD starring seersucker pencil skirt, vintage cotton v-neck and Soludos espadrilles.
 |
| Skirt size 4 (TTS) |
***
That's all folks!
Do you wear madras or seersucker? Or both?
Will you let your husband/boyfriend wear it?
Do you consider yourself preppy?
Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!
It scares the pants off me!
ReplyDeleteHaha Tabitha, I knew it!
DeleteConfession again- probably preppy. However, when I took my 12 yr old son to Nordstrom for a graduation jacket, he wandered over to the rack and picked up a seersucker jacket and with a look of utter disgust started laughing and asked me "Why would they even sell something like this?". I was so relieved I hadn't given in to my impulse to purchase it for him the night before. I love Madras, but I think it must be getting too costly to produce because I have not seen very much of it this year. My older son showed an interest in Madras this year, and I can't find any priced reasonably. Of course, last year when Jcrew was selling shorts on clearance he wouldn't even think about wearing plaid!
ReplyDeleteI love the shirt and think it would be great over a simple dress, maybe with the collar turned in the way you showed on your blog.
Pat
OMG Pat, it happened to me too. I have almost bought some things for my daughter (and she is only 9) only to have her point them in the catalog as hideous. I think she wouldn't be caught dead in madras, and even if I think the Soludos are so cute (despite flimsiness) the are supposedly in 'butt ugly' category. Oh the horrors of being a mother, lol.
Delete*meekly raises hand* Guilty on all counts. I love preppy clothes and I feel most comfortable in them. Believe me, if I had a magic wand I would make my style edgier and give myself the ability to succeed at professions in the STEM fields. I blame my parents.
ReplyDeleteThe BF is a jeans and tee kind of guy when he's not in uniform...no complaints here ;)
Fun post, I am laughing at those pics. Madras is really an American thing, as cords, an European couldn't be caught dead in madras. I am getting used to its charm and I have a pair of AE bermudas that I wear when I feel very American lol but I have to say that I used to like them more, now I feel a bit ridic in them. I had bought tge shirt that you are wearing BTW but decided to return it. Seersucker is preppier on men than women IMO, maybe because traditionally it's a men's suit fabric. I have the seersucker pencil from last year and it doesn't feel preppy (maybe it is because of the exposed zipper). I love the outfit with the yellow skirt and the striped shirt, very pretty.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right Ema. American style is distinctively different than European. I find myself liking things I used to dismiss. It is about the whole lifestyle like home decorating, etc, not only clothes. I work for a non-American company and many of my coworkers are only living in US on job contracts. I find it funny, listening to them and what they like and what they criticise, realizing that I have 'crossed over' to the other side.
DeleteGot rid of all my patchwork madras.... so sick of it.
ReplyDeleteYou are ahead of me Buffy, I just started to embrace it, lol.
DeleteMadras? No. They remind me of quilt, plaid, and patchwork all at once, and they scream provincial not preppy to me. I like seersucker but feel woefully self-conscious wearing it. I don't consider myself pretty at all. Love the pics in this post.
ReplyDeleteEr...pretty should be "preppy".
DeleteGood point Cleo, madras and patchwork do have a provincial vibe but isn't preppy quintessentially provincial in nature? Once 'preppies' move to the urban centers, they may become 'prepsters', but a traditional New England preppy would probably come from big house in the country or suburbs. Only, contrary to 'country bumpkins', they will not apologize for it, just the opposite.
DeleteLol about your typo, I hope you do feel pretty :)
i love madras, and seersucker! it's a fun way to incorporate print. you look great! xox P
ReplyDeleteThank you phiphis blog!
DeleteI like seersucker and own a pant suit that I love for summer business travel because it does not wrinkle even if crushed. With madras, I've gone between love and hate but never inbetween. I like all your outfits (yes on the denim pencil skirt), especially the yellow skirt and shoes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tiffany Rose, seersucker feels good in the summer, doesn't it? Also, I once got caught in pouring rain in my seersucker pants and I was a sad sight when I saw myself in the office bathroom mirror, but it was amazing how quickly it dried!
DeleteThat critter jacket is hideous. I've never been a fan of the critters.
ReplyDeleteIn the South men wear seersucker suits out of necessity. Seersucker was not nearly as common for women until recently. I prefer the regular madras over the patchwork but the patchwork is usually more colorful. I wear a lot of polo dresses in the summer, can't get much more preppy than that.
I have to say, I cannot stop laughing every time I look at that picture, it seems slightly surreal.
DeleteI think of you as southern variation of preppy, madras reads more New England to me, so maybe that's that. And yes in the Southern heat when suits are required, seersucker will beat wool hands down and will not wrinkle like cotton or linen.
I definitely have a preppy side and I like madras and seersucker on women (not my favorite on men). I like madras on me in small doses - I have madras shorts and recently found a short J. Crew madras skirt at a resale store. I fell in love with a strapless madras dress at the J. Crew factory store this summer but had to leave it behind because 1) it was strapless and 2) it was too much madras material on me and 3) I couldn't figure out where I would wear it.
ReplyDeleteIkwym Cate, Madras dress could be cute but I would have the same issues with it so I think you were right to pass.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry I just deleted this since I posted it under my old account! O.o Madras is a bit much for me, and like you said, it is really difficult to pair with anything. I love seersucker and the pants look so fab on you--I didn't know seersucker pants could look so cute! It is one of those fabrics that just says summer to me...easy to wear, low-maintenance, and comfy. And I'm ashamed to admit that I actually kind of like the whale blazer. :DD
ReplyDeleteHolly
Thank you Holly!
DeleteWhale blazer, hmmmm... You are on the wild side of preppy, aren't you?
:)
Hi, I just want to let you know that I am buying quite a no of jcrew things after going thru pratically majority of your blog sizes. I'm getting a no2 pencil skirt, a cafe Capri, a Lucille dress (got the scallopp one and love it so I'm getting the lace one this time). :) I must thank you for sharing detailed reviews such that I can confidently buy without trying them on up.
ReplyDeleteJust one question... Is it possible that no2 pencil skirt in size 4 too small for me? Because my hips is about 1 inch bigger than yours. Ok, credits to my 2 kids! ;) I also ordered a Cafe Capri in size no4. I'm just a bit worried. For the no2 pencil skirt, I'm ordering the eyelet version which you recommend size 6. How about the raj parsley version?
Sorry for my many questions. But please know I'm enjoying reading your blog every day! :)
AhCapp, I am so glad you find this helpful!
DeleteIf you are similar size I find that sometimes I prefer a 6 if I want a skirt to sit a little lower. Usually a 6 does not stick out in the hips too much. I think Raj Paisley runs smaller. 4 just fits me but it sits pretty high on my waist. I actually exchanged it for a 6 to have it sit lower. The 6 has more room in the hips but it does not look too big. I think you are safer with size 6. Eyelet was definitely too tight in 6. But Porcelain paisley or the seersucker skirt is much better looking in 4 and so are all my double serge wool skirts. Hth.
I meant to say that Eyelet skirt was to tight in 4. It was a good fit in 6.
DeleteSpelling mistake... Blog entries I mean... Whoops!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments above. Because of your wonderful reviews I have purchased my Crew online. We have the same body type and I haven't returned a thing. Thanks for all of your hard work . Oh I still have a little preppy in me . I've said goodbye to madras but still love seersucker. My kids cringe when I pull out the pictures of them in seersucker Bermuda shorts visiting my parents at Easter. In the background was knee deep snow !
ReplyDeleteThank you Marsha! Awww, I love your picture. Is this your adorable puppy? I want a KCS puppy badly but they are so expensive...
DeleteLol about your Easter pictures, that's too funny, but something I would do, too.
Yes I'm actually following due to my daughter helping me out. I'm glad Tabitha did a post about it as I thought I was following . Now it's official I'm in for good.
DeleteThat's our puppy Finn and if you ever want a happy dog the KCS is the one. Friends of ours have had them for 30 years and they never have a bad day. Wish I could say the same for me.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete