By Charminae George
Creative designs featuring madras dotted the streets of St John’s on National Dress Day yesterday.
From bowties to flowing dresses, it was evident that the residents of Antigua and Barbuda had a great sense of style and a greater sense of patriotism.
Walking near Shoul’s Chief Store was a man with a navy blue lunch kit. He was wearing a white shirt and on it snippets of madras were strategically placed.
“It was supposed to be half madras and the other half plain. After [the tailor] looked at it, he said ‘no’, just do it with the sleeves and the collar,” he told Observer.
In the vicinity of the former Scotiabank building was a young woman wearing an off the shoulder madras dress. Unexpectedly, the source of her inspiration was a popular online clothing store.
“I was looking for something to wear and I went on Shein and saw a design,” she said, before pointing out the design on her phone.
For many ladies, there were friends present to hold items, while the photos were being taken. One thing mentioned without fail by the helpful friends when the question of outfit inspiration came up, was their friend’s great love for fashion.
Similarly, the designs worn by the men were well thought out as indicated by their responses about their choice of design. Specifically, one of them mentioned that he went the extra mile to ensure that his socks matched the colours of the madras.
In 1992, the country’s official national dress was selected through a competition that was won by local artist and designer, Heather Doram.
Adhering to the rules stipulated by the contest, her designs sought to highlight the clothing and madras material worn by market vendors and cake makers in the 19th century, according to ab.gov.ag.
