What’s in a tweed?
Gabe Alonso With Fall comes the advent of one my favorite, most classic fabrics – Tweed. Much like seersucker and linen are saved for warmer temperatures, heavy wools and tweeds are the staples behind any proper Fall/Winter wardrobe.
Tweed is a rough, unfinished woolen fabric made in either a plain or twill weave. They can made with either a check or herringbone pattern (you know, that pattern that looks like a herring fish’s skeleton). The color effects that you or may not notice are created by twisting together varied colors of yarn prior to weaving.
Interestingly, the original name for the fabric was tweel (Scots for twill) as it was originally woven in the twill pattern. The name tweed came about in an instance of happenstance confusion. Around 1830, a London merchant received a letter from a firm asking about some tweels. However, the merchant misinterpreted the handwriting and thought it said tweed, a name taken from the river Tweed that ran through the Scottish textile areas. Ever since then the products have been known as tweeds. (…The more you knooooow!)
Traditionally, the clothing was created for the upper class. It quickly gained popularity as it was considered as proper attire for the leisurely activities of the elite. Tweed clothing was far more durable than other fabrics, so it was considered perfect attired for hunters, cyclists, golfers, and even early motorists. Tweed declined in popularity, but lately it’s seen quite the upswing in popularity as heritage clothing and similar styles have come back into style. No longer is it the fabric of your old-school college professor. It’s become so popular, in fact, that the Tweed Run, a popular event in England, is finally being brought to the States courtesy of Rugby – Ralph Lauren.
Harris Tweed is probably one of, if not the most, famous. Their quality and classic styling is quite well known throughout the menswear circles. Why? It’s handwoven by those on the Isles of Harris, Lewis, Uist, and Barra, using their local wool. Now before you go splurging on a brand new one, check out eBay or maybe your local consignment shop. You’ll definitely find them much cheaper. The beauty of these jackets is they look even better with age. You’ve essentially let someone else do all the work for you. Just make sure that when you grab one it has the Harris logo sewn into the lining of the jacket. If it doesn’t have it, or the logo has been pick-stitched into the lining, it’s most likely fake. It’s happened to me and it’s not fun realizing this after the fact.
When paired with a slim down vest and layered with a wool sweater, a tweed jacket can be all you need to weather the early Fall chill. Later today we’ll show you a few different ways to incorporate tweed into your every day wardrobe without going full college professor. Stay tuned!
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