All About Madder Silk: GUIDES YOU SHOULDN'T MISS:
THE IVY STYLE PRIMER:
DRESS CODE PRIMER:
THE STORY OF TWEED:
FALL MUST-HAVES:
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1. Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Tiger's Eye Balls -
2. Madder Print Silk Tie in Orange Red -
3. Dark Bronze Madder Silk Pocket Square -
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Gentleman's Gazette
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Today, we're covering another fabric term with a bit of mystique surrounding it, Madder silk.
HISTORY
The Madder in Madder silk simply refers to a plant rubia tinctorum, also called rubia tinctoria, common madder, or dyers madder, from which as you might expect, natural dyes can be extracted. Use of the plant dates all the way back to 1500 BCE and it's also been used in such various locations as Africa, Greece, Italy, and Central Asia. In other words, it's been used since ancient times, hence the term ancient madder, as a dye for leather and fabrics including cotton, wool, and silk. A piece of cotton dyed with madder has been recovered from the archaeological site at Mohenjo-daro, now in India and historical figures such as Pliny the Elder and Charlemagne wrote about Madder.
Why is it so highly prized among menswear aficionados?
While natural madder root produced primarily only red dyes, the modern dyeing process for madder can produce a wide array of rich saturated hues. Most of these colors are on the darker end of the spectrum, think for example, colors like mustard, forest green, burnt orange, deep blue, and violet, and of course, red, and burgundy.
Madder ties are now always printed on a twill silk fabric that has been treated with gum arabic leading to a distinctive finish and feel, this is referred to by the experts and those in the industry as a chalk hand. Specifically, the silk used is first boiled to remove its natural gum which is an organic resin. Then, the silk is dyed whatever color or colors it's going to be and then artificial gum is added back in to give the tie that distinctive chalky feel. And regarding pattern choices, as we mentioned previously, madder ties are almost always produced in either paisley or repeating geometric designs. This combination then of the rich but subtle colors and the neat but intricate designs will give a madder tie an unmistakable touch of refined class. Madder ties will then be visually interesting and somewhat playful but also suitably formal for a wide variety of situations.
What are the best ways to wear a madder silk tie?
In the most general terms, they're particularly well suited for fall, although they can be worn year-round depending on how you choose to incorporate the color palette into your outfit.
As an example, you could combine a tweed jacket or full suit with an Oxford cloth button-down shirt and a madder silk tie for a distinctly Ivy style inspired look. In addition to tweed, most heavier fabrics with some heft and texture to them will pair well with madder silk ties such as for example the camel hair jacket I'm wearing today.
Overall then, given that madder silk has some historical pedigree just as rich as the colors it produces, madder silk ties should be a staple of any discerning gentleman's wardrobe.
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