Tweed

Etymology

The original name of the cloth was tweel, Scots for twill, the material being woven in a twilled rather than a plain pattern. A traditional story has the name coming about almost by chance. Around 1831, a London merchant, James Locke, received a letter from a Hawick firm, Wm. Watson & Sons, Dangerfield Mills about some "tweels". The merchant misinterpreted the handwriting, understanding it to be a trade-name taken from the River Tweed that flows through the Scottish Borders textile area. The goods were subsequently advertised as Tweed and the name has remained since.

Traditions and culture

Traditionally used for upper-class country clothing such as shooting jackets, tweed became popular among the Edwardian middle classes who associated it with the leisurely pursuits of the elite.{{cite journal

During the 2000s and 2010s, members of long-established British and American land-owning families started to wear high-quality heirloom tweed inherited from their grandparents, some of which pre-dated the Second World War. In modern times, cyclists may wear tweed when they ride vintage bicycles on a Tweed Run. This practice has its roots in the British young fogey and hipster subcultures of the late 2000s and early 2010s, whose adherents appreciate both vintage tweed, and bicycles.

Musical instruments

Some vintage Danemann upright pianos have a tweed cloth backing to protect the internal mechanism. Occasionally, Scottish bagpipes were covered in tweed as an alternative to tartan wool.

The term "tweed" is used to describe coverings on instrument cables and vintage or retro guitar amplifiers, such as the Fender tweed and Fender Tweed Deluxe. Despite the terminology, many of these coverings were not considered tweed but cotton twill due to the cover's design, which caused this misidentification of the design.

Types of tweed

• Harris Tweed: A handwoven tweed, defined in the Harris Tweed Act 1993 as cloth that is "Handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides".
• Donegal tweed: A handwoven tweed which has been manufactured for several centuries in County Donegal, Ireland, using wool from locally-bred sheep and dye from indigenous plants such as blackberries, gorse (whins), and moss.
• Silk tweed: A fabric made of raw silk with flecks of colour typical of woollen tweed.
• Saxony tweed: Originated in Saxony, Germany. It is a fabric made from the wool of merino sheep. It is very smooth and soft.

Gallery

File:Harris-Tweed 1.jpg|Logo of the Harris Tweed authority File:Glen plaid.jpg|Glen plaid, Glenurquhart, or Prince of Wales check, frequently used to make overcoats and sportcoats in the 1950s File:Herringbone.jpg|Example of the herringbone pattern, a popular choice for suits and outerwear File:Hundtandsrutor.png|Houndstooth, the basis of the keeper's tweed popular among the upper classes from the 1860s until the 1930s File:Tweed jacket edited.jpg|Grey Donegal tweed sportcoat File:Sherlock holmes pipe hat.jpg|A deerstalker hat made of district or gamekeeper's tweed (contrasting mustard, green and brown checks) File:Man's silk and wool twill frock coat c. 1820.jpg|Windowpane tweed popular in the late 19th century and again in the 1970s File:The Crown Prince of Prussia and Prince Wilhelm II. at Balmoral Castle. - Oct. 1863.jpg|Frederick III with his young son Wilhelm wearing highland dress including tweed kilt jacket File:Gustav V: fältkikare, sittkäpp, skjorta, slips röd t - Livrustkammaren - 86096.tif|Hunting apparel belonging to Gustaf V of Sweden, 1930s. File:Harris Tweed Nike.jpg|Harris Tweed Nike File:Charlie Hunter - 1863.PNG|Charlie Hunter (left) watches as Old Tom Morris plays a shot in 1863 at Prestwick. Both of the players are wearing the traditional tweeds. Genuine Irish Thornproof tweed jacket (2025-11-22) 1.jpg|Thornproof tweed jacket label File:Genuine Irish Thornproof tweed jacket (2025-11-22) 2.jpg|Thornproof tweed jacket

Notes

References

• National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (archive films relating to tweed manufacture in Scotland)
• Anderson, Fiona (2016). Tweed. London: Bloomsbury Academic Press. .

References

1. "Harris Tweed - The Cloth".
2. Fashion Institute of Technology. (2006). ""The Tailor's Art" {{!}} Menswear Fabrics - A Glossary".
3. (20 November 2015). "Tweed Jackets {{!}} A Closely Woven Thing".
4. Corrigan, Vawn. (2020). "Irish Tweed: History, Tradition, Fashion". O'Brien Press.
5. (2015). "Treacle, Toast and Tweed ... English Word Origins for Language Lovers". Crombie Jardine Publishing Ltd..
6. Dutton, Edward. (22 August 2014). "How to wear a tweed suit in the 21st century".
7. loopy_lucy14. (31 October 1997). "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (1996)". IMDb.
8. Dunbar, John Telfer (1984). ''The Costume of Scotland''. London: Batsford. {{ISBN. 0-7134-2534-2.
9. "The RL Style Guide {{!}} Glossary {{!}} Herringbone".
10. (5 September 2012). "Nigel Cabourn DB Tweed Jacket - Rare Classic Quality?". Grey Fox.
11. (11 September 2012). "#TheChapMag Vintage Garments". The Chap Magazine.
12. Price, Richard. (16 March 2013). "Harris Tweed Bagpipe Covers".
13. Hunter, Dave. (July 2012). "The Fender 5F4 Super Amp". [[Vintage Guitar (magazine).
14. "About Us - Guardians of the Orb". The Harris Tweed Authority.