In many Southeast and Far East Asian countries, where the weather is hot and humid, and long before the Western idea of shorts was invented, men typically wore colorful wraps tied around the waist. In fact, you can still find them in coastal lands stretching all the way from the Horn of Africa to the isle of Bali. The traditional patterns were yarn-dyed solids, tartans, and plaids, and sometimes stripes of every variety, shape, and color that were originally woven on hand-looms, and later on power looms. The artisan wraps, also known as lungis and dhotis, are so popular that men use them for formal, informal, casual, cultural, and ceremonial wear. Most often the wraps were made in lightweight cottons but the finest ones were made in silk. And the best of these yarn-dyed silk designs were crafted in the south of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu, around the city of Chennai, formerly know as Madras. And that is where Madras Silk by Royal Silk still comes from. Washable. Sizes S (30-32"), M (33-34"), L (35-36"), XL (37-38"), and XXL (39-40").
