Tweed has been around for hundreds of years and there are many reasons why we return to this traditional fall fabric year after year. Many customers choose fabric for orders for sewing jackets and coats.
If you are investing in true British classics, here are some interesting facts about tweed that you may not have heard of:
1. What is tweed?
Tweed is a dense, woven, hardwearing woolen fabric commonly produced in Scotland. The fabric is unique due to the combination of yarns dyed before weaving, which allows the weaver to mix different colors in the fabric. Tweed is a fabric with a soft, open, flexible texture, reminiscent of a cheviot or homespun, but more tightly woven. The most common type is herringbone diagonal braiding. Shades of yarn can be obtained by mixing dyed wool before twisting it into yarn.
Breeches are trousers cut at the knee line with cuffs, but designed for ease of movement as the wearer crawls and crouches while stalking.
2. What is tweed used for?
Tweed is an example of traditional Scottish and Irish clothing, more suitable for informal outerwear due to the fact that the material is resistant to moisture and durable. Tweed is made for harsh climates and outdoor activities such as shooting and hunting in both Ireland and Scotland. In Ireland, tweed production is associated with County Donegal.
Tweed is great for all weather conditions - cold, rain, snow ... no matter what the weather is outside, this fabric will surround you with warmth and comfort, and if the temperature rises, this fabric is well ventilated.
3. The origin of the word "tweed"
Originally the fabric was called twill, in scottish twill is a twill weave material. The name came about almost by accident. In about 1831 a London merchant received a letter from Hawick, Wm. Watson & Sons, Dangerfield Mills on some twills. The merchant misinterpreted the handwriting, thinking it was a trademark that took its name from the River Tweed, which flows through the region of Scotland famous for its textile industry. The fabric was advertised as Tweed and the name has since stuck.
4. Why is tweed so popular?
Tweed comes in a variety of colors, not only greens and browns, but also other mixed shades: pink, blue, orange, and red.
Traditionally, tweed is used for high-end clothing. The fabric also became popular among the middle classes, and was associated with the cozy lifestyle of the elite. Due to its durability, the Norfolk tweed jacket and breeches have become popular choices for hunters, cyclists, golf enthusiasts and early adopters of the road, which explains why Mr. The most famous example of tweed is the cage, associated with the fashion of the 1960s. Tweed was worn by scholars as well as by Prince Edward VII of Wales.
Harris Tweed is exclusively made by weavers operating on the Harris and Lewis Islands in the Outer Hebrides. Currently, about 200 weavers make Harris Tweed at home.
5. Fashion for tweed
In 1924, Coco Chanel discovered the virtues of tweed, borrowing sportswear from her beau, the Duke of Westminster, and subsequently tweed was specially made for her iconic women's suits.
Between 2000 and 2010, it was fashionable for members of established British and American landowning families to wear high quality tweeds inherited from their grandparents, some of which date back to World War II.
Today, cyclists wear tweed when taking part in the Tweed Run on vintage bicycles. The practice has its roots in Britain's young hipster subculture of the late 2000s and early 2010s, whose devotees appreciate the vintage look of both tweeds and bicycles.
Tweed was worn by pioneers, climbers and explorers long before the advent of the Gore-Tex and North Face clothing brands.
6. Tweed in musical instruments
Some vintage Danemann upright pianos have tweed fabric to protect the internal mechanism. Sometimes Scottish bagpipes are covered with tweed as an alternative to tartan wool.
The term tweed is used to describe coatings on instrument cables and vintage or retro guitar amps such as the Fender tweed and Fender Tweed Deluxe. Despite their common name, these covers were actually twill gland rather than tweed.
7. Tweed in literature and cinema
Tweed was worn by many fictional characters from the Victorian era of King Edward, including the detective Sherlock Holmes. Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett wore a tweed hunting hat and cap, however the hat is missing from Sherlock's later portraits. Although Robert Downey Jr.'s character wore a fedora hat, he and Dr. Watson wore a tweed coat, as was the fashion in Victorian England at the time. Due to the popularity of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock character, the tweed coat was back in haute couture in 2010.
Television actors portraying intellectuals or older men often wear Harris tweed, including Anthony Heade in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal Lecter. Famous heroes of the film who wore tweed are Sean Connery in the cult film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Harrison Ford himself in the opening scenes of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.
In addition, tweed suits were often worn by actors portraying members of high society in England, such as Hugh Fraser in Agatha Christie's Poirot, Peter Davison as Campion and the male cast of Downton Abbey.
And of course, one cannot but recall the Soviet actors - Livanov and Solomin, who often wore tweed in a series of films about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.
8. Types of tweed
- Harris tweed is a hand-woven tweed, defined in the 1993 Harris Tweed Act as “woven by the islanders in the Outer Hebrides” and made from pure virgin wool.
- Donegal tweed is a handcrafted tweed made in County Donegal, Ireland. Donegal has been making tweed from local materials for centuries. Sheep walking in the hills and swamps of Donegal, as well as native plants such as blackberries, fuchsia, gorse and moss, provide a natural color to the wool.
- Silk tweed: Manufactured raw silk fabric with flecks typical of woolen fabrics.
Where to buy quality tweed items
A high-quality tweed jacket is the best long-term investment in your wardrobe, because things made from this material have long been famous for their durability. The largest and best selection of tweed products can be found online. We recommend a specialized online tweed store where you can find quality clothing for women and men.
