History of tweed.
Tweed was first produced by farmers and land labourers of Scotland and Ireland using wool from their own sheep, for them it was a sustainable and warm cloth to produce.
English aristocracy eventually discovered it on their hunting trips, and many brought it back to their London tailors to be made into clothing.
Originally it was very rough, thick and felted, hand woven according to local traditions in dull and earthy colours inspired by the natural landscapes around them.
It was at first used as a working man’s cloth, due to its hard wearing nature, but as soon as it was discovered by the aristocracy it soon made its journey through the history and social classes of the British Empire and beyond.
According to legend, the name “tweed” was not the original name given to this wool cloth but was due to a typing error. A London cloth merchant who had received some of the tweed misspelled the Scottish word "tweel"and spelt it "tweed".
It is thought that the original name derived from the word tweeled, meaning twilled.
Tweed soon became the chosen fabric for gentlemen who enjoyed outdoor pursuits such as hunting, shooting and fishing as the cloth had a natural tendency to repel water & wind, was hard wearing and many of the colours used helped them blend into the surrounding countryside.
Soon it became popular to commission special tweeds for estates, each estate owner having his own individual cloth made up. As the Scottish clans had their tartans, so estate owners wanted their own tweed pattern.
Estate owners saw this as way of starting their own tradition of having their retainers clothed in their very own estate pattern. Tweed was the perfect choice for the country estates.
The tweed jacket or suit is no longer just worn by the country set, but is worn by many men who enjoy the fabric for what it is.
Tweed is adored by men the world over and has had a huge resurgence in popularity in the last few years. Recently actor Matt Smith, who plays Doctor Who really bought tweed to a younger audience as did Vic Reeves in his TV series on Harris Tweed.
Geography teachers, sporting gents and the likes no longer have sole ownership of this wonderful cloth, men worldwide wear tweed for its beauty.
Many older tweeds are by coveted by collectors, gentleman who admire the craftsmanship that has gone into the making of tweed and enjoy wearing a piece of history.
Tweed simply put is an unfinished wool fabric that can be plain, flecked, check, patterned, plaid or herringbone pattern. Harris Tweed is probably the most famous tweed in the world.
Tweed can be worn in so many ways, wear a simple tweed jacket with a shirt & jeans for an effortless trendy casual look or pair it with a waistcoat and moleskin trousers or breeks for a full on English country gentleman look.
Tweed can be a very expensive fabric to buy, due to the skill and man hours it takes to make. The price for a gentleman's tweed jacket, no matter what the make or name brand, can range anywhere from £100 for a cheap tweed jacket from the high street to several hundred pounds for a high end tweed jacket. At Tweedmans we offer a superb selection of men's tweed clothing and accessories for sale with new stock added daily.
A Harris Tweed men's wool jacket usually costs around £180 - £300 + to buy new, Tweedmans sell 100's of genuine Harris Tweed jackets at amazingly low prices.
As well as Harris Tweed jackets we also offer many other brands of tweed jackets for sale including designer tweed jackets and many heritage brand tweed jackets also, do take a look!
Buy Men's Tweed Clothing & Accessories Online At Tweedmans - Best UK Vintage, Retro, Designer & Second Hand Clothing Shop For Men.