It's rad to be plaid

Rachel Bilson's wearing it. Jessica Simpson sports it. Heck, even Ashton Kutcher dons the funky plaid that's making a fashion comeback.

Madras, a lightweight, breathable and bright fabric that screams summer, is made of loosely woven cotton threads in bright pinks, blues and greens. The weave creates a plaid patchwork of extremely soft material that hangs away from the body to prevent uncomfortable cling.

Named for the city in India where it was first woven, madras became popular in the 1930s. Today, madras dyes no longer run, but not much has changed. The basic patterns and color schemes are similar. Maine-based madras wholesaler Jenna Sisselman even sells a color scheme identical to one sold in the 1950s and '60s.

Melissa Moylan, an editor at FashionSnoops, a trend forecasting company, says the style is back because the casual look is booming.

"There was a demand for something cool and fun with less structure," Moylan noted by e-mail. "Madras fits right in with that demand, so it has become readily available."

Original madras, woven in India, can be found in smaller boutiques and online. Because of the labor involved in the manufacturing process, traditional madras sells for $80 or more a yard. But there are also updated, cheaper versions of the original, created by printing a madras plaid pattern on cotton. This is the style most often found in malls and department stores.

"The print hasn't really changed that much," says Andrea Lui, the brand manager at Old Navy. What's changed, she says, is "where you're seeing it.

"Back in the day, it was the men who wore the madras shorts or jackets. Today, you're seeing it in skirts and things that women can wear, too."

So what makes madras a better summer staple than your trusty pair of denim shorts?

"It's a cotton, so it's lightweight," Lui says. "It's just a summer type of happy -- brighter, cleaner colors."

"It's the most comfortable clothing you will ever put on," Sisselman says. "It feels like you're wearing pajamas."

The fabric also calls to mind a casual, preppy style reminiscent of days spent playing a round of golf or lounging poolside.

This is the time to see the madras trend in full bloom, FashionSnoops' Moylan says. "It's something you will definitely see at summer events like pool parties. From a mother wearing a madras dress to golfer dads wearing a belt, and the Abercrombie crowd taking this trend to the fullest, it's preppy cool for the masses. And it's a large-scale trend that many people can embrace regardless of age and gender."