Fabrics in Fashion: iv. Tweed

What is in this article?

• i. A history of tweed

• ii. Tweed in fashion

• iii. Varieties of tweed

i. A history of tweed

• Tweed is a rugged, wool fabric, originating in the farms of rural Ireland and Scotland. Initially, woven by hand by farmers and labourers for their own use; it was valued for being a practical, hardwearing fabric in cold, rainy and windy climates. Wool from their own sheep was spun, woven and dyed in muted earth tones and skilfully blended in a wealth of patterns.

  
  

• Much tweed came from the Western Isles of Scotland. By the eighteenth Century, many crofts had looms and it became a major industry for the islanders, shipping their products to mainland Scotland and further afield.

  
  

• Originally called 'tweel,' the Scottish spelling of 'twill,' it was mistakenly written down as 'tweed' by a London cloth merchant and the name stuck.

  
  

• Clans pleaded loyalty to Scottish Estate owners and in Highland tradition, chiefs supplied their retainers with garments in the local clan tartan. By the nineteenth Century, many short-of-cash Highland landlords, sold or rented their country estates to English nobles, who organised hunting, shooting and fishing parties. Guests were provided with robust tweed suiting and coats for outdoor pursuits.

  
  

• The first Estate Tweed emerged in 1835 when General Balfour of Balbirnie rented the Glenfeshie Estate for a few years. Not affiliated to the local clan, the guests were supplied with a distinct tweed, that distinguished them from the local shepherds in the fields. These newly created estate designs prioritised camouflage for the aristocracy hunting and deerstalking in the Scottish countryside. Most of today's tweeds and tartans originated from these Victorian estates.

  
  

• In 1848, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, purchased the estate of Balmoral from the Farquharson family. Prince Albert commissioned a Balmoral tartan, in Aberdeenshire granite tones, later woven for and worn by Queen Elizabeth the Second. A new Balmoral tartan was commissioned for King Charles the Third on the occasion of his coronation in 2023.

  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  

ii. Tweed in fashion

• By the nineteenth Century, the middle classes began to adopt tweed for outdoor pursuits such as hill walking, mountain climbing, motoring, bicycling and tennis. Tweed plus fours were worn by a famous golfer, Old Tom Morris and the style endured as golf wear, well into the 1930s. It could be considered an early performance fabric for field sports, as tweed absorbs water more slowly than other woollen fabrics.

  
  

• In the twentieth Century, tweed, associated with the countryside and frowned upon in towns and cities, began to signify belonging to a country way of life and a shared local heritage.

  
  

• Another tweed variant known as Prince of Wales check or Glen check was developed when King Edward the Seventh added brown to the traditional Shepherd's Plaid pallet, combining it with a houndstooth. Edward introduced the cloth to Saville Row, where the style became adopted by the Edwardian middle classes.

  
  

• In 1954, the knobbly Linton tweed was introduced into fashion by Coco Chanel, in creating her signature couture suiting. By the late 1950s and 1960s, Chanel-style tweed suits became a fashion staple for elegant women.

  
  

• The 1960s mods adopted houndstooth tweed as part of a classic, yet youthful, suited aesthetic. Since the 1960s, Ralph Lauren has used traditional tweeds in his classic and preppy style suiting.

  
  

• By the late twentieth Century, Harris Tweed, from the Outer Hebridean Isles of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barr became immensely popular, but sales have since declined.

  
  

• Today's growing concern with environmental issues have highlighted tweed's use of natural fibres; local economy production with few transportation miles and little waste; fibre durability and classic design. Passed from generation to generation and still produced as classic country attire, tweed has also been popular with elegant ladies, mods, Sloane Rangers, preppies, hipsters, Downton Abbey fans and those enjoying the more recent Old Money trend in fashion.

  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  iii. Varieties of tweed

• Borders Tweed is produced on the Scottish Borders (adjoining England). The tight weave is thorn proof, ideal for country estates and outdoor sports.

  
  

• Cheviot Tweed is named after the white faced sheep that are native to Northumberland's Cheviot Hills in England and the Scottish Borders. Cheviot wool is thicker, coarser and more heavy than yarns in other tweeds. Suited to outerwear, it is both warm and water repellent.

  
  

• Donegal Tweed from Donegal, Ireland can be hand woven or power loomed and is characterised by a speckled effect from small nubs in the fabric, often in contrasting bright colours, from the rest of the weave. This can give the fabric an appealing rustic, sporty or casual feel and works well in sports jackets.

  
  

• Gamekeepeer Tweed tends to be a heavier weight tweed in camouflage blends, taking inspiration from the Scottish natural landscape and can be found in many patterns, weaves and hues.

• Harris Tweed uses 100% virgin wool and organic plant based dyes, created in open yarns and using aa variety of complex, multi-coloured blends, inspired by the wild landscape of the Hebridean Isles.

• Highland Tweed or Estate Tweed was created by wealthy landowners for their estate staff in the nineteenth Century. Commonly, the weave consisted of a windowpane check over a herringbone check. With an almost endless variety of designs and originally from the Highlands, the tartan tweeds can now be bought all over the world.

  
  

• Islay Tweed has a distinctively old-fashioned rustic checked pattern, first established in 1883 and used in various Hollywood blockbusters, including 'Braveheart' (1995).

  
  

• Yorkshire Tweed was once the heart of weaving in England, with a considerable number of mills producing quality tweed.

  
  

• Saxony Tweed originates from Saxony in present day Germany. After receiving a herd of merino sheep from the King of Spain in 1775 and breeding them until Saxony held around 4 million sheep by the turn of the century, the woollen weaves are particularly high quality and soft.

  
  

• Shetland Tweed is made from Shetland Island sheep's wool. It is soft and delicate with a shaggy finish and is used to make casual everyday clothing, such as dresses, skirts and accessories.

  
  

• Sporting Tweed has been historically designed for hunting, with colours selected by Estate owners for optimal invisibility in their own locality and rivalry between Estate owners over the effectiveness of their designs.

  
  

• Supersoft Tweed is a tweed blended with a soft yarn such as cashmere to improve comfort and wearability. Tweed is not predominantly renowned for its softness.

  
  

• Thornproof Tweed is woven with high twist fibres and is naturally tough and resistant to tears and punctures. Its first record was at the 1870 Red River Rebellion in Canada, where it was worn by the troops in the gorse.