A Tweed suit is a timeless piece of clothing that adds up to the modern man’s wardrobe. Tweeds are one of the most recognized and preferred suit options worldwide. If you love the idea of vintage and classical clothing, then a pair of this style is a must for your wardrobe.
Tweeds are the best way to dress up yourself with luxury and comfort that adds sophistication to your look. It makes sure that you are dressed classic, comfortable, and sexy whenever you step outdoor in extreme weather.
History of Tweed
The word “tweed” is believed to have been derived from the Tweed River in Scotland when a London merchant misinterpreted “twill” as “tweed.” Since then, the name has stuck to it.
This fabric initially originated in Scotland and was back in history worn by most of the Scot farmers. Gradually it became famous among the upper classes when a British Prince Albert purchased a Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, in 1848. He in no time understood the importance of the material and designed a unique Balmoral tweed. Ever since then, it became an ongoing trend.
What is Tweed?
Tweed is basically traditional icons for Scottish, Irish, British, and English clothing. The outerwear gives the appearance of a coarse texture yet is a highly soft woven fabric from wool. The material stays stiff and firm when worn. Tweed is extremely warm and is often intertwined with colored threads to get the dynamic pattern. Tweed is a processed form of wool, whereas wool is simply the hair of the sheep.
As tweed suits are warm, thick and durable, thus it is traditionally worn in winters. Still, the modern taste of fashion is lightweight tweed fabric allows us to wear it in summers.
It is made with pure virgin dyed wool, making the tweed a luxury product and thus can be a little more pricy than other fabrics in the market.
Qualities of a Tweed Suit
Not only out of fashion but also for various reasons, men across the globe prefer to have various tweeds in their wardrobe. It is delightful to put it on in any weather and gives you the facility to choose between various tweed types.
Because of so many factors involved, tweed jackets are almost always high in demand.
Weather-resistant/ Water-resistant
Tweeds naturally act as water-resistant material because of the lanolin content present in them. Therefore, even without treating them chemically, they can hold up to the light rainfall.
Warmth
Needless to say, the primary purpose of the creation of this fabric is to provide heat and warmth to the wearer. It is an intelligent way of clothing to stay warm and trendy instead of layering yourself with clothes.
The durability of the fabric
Tweed is an extremely tough and stiff woolen material. This material is designed in a manner that provides longer life. As these suits last for years, so it is basically a one-time investment with assured return.
Comfortable
As the suits are closely woven with wool, it is super comfortable to wear them for long days. Tweed is soft textured, and it feels like heaven. It is a perfect match for a winter or a summer day.
Versatility
Tweed is highly versatile in nature. It is just like a blessing in disguise for a men’s wardrobe. In addition, tweed is kind of semi-formal, so you can literally plan your outfit on your own.
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Different Types Of Tweed
There is a wide range of tweeds flooded in the market. Thus, one needs to know the different types of tweed to pay for what one wants to have.
The various types of tweed are:-
Donegal Tweed
Donegal tweed is originated in the country Donegal, Ireland. This country is popularly known for its high-quality, thick, and soft wool from sheep. This tweed specialty is dyed with natural products such as moss, berries, fuchsia, etc., to get its rainbow-colored specks of yarn.
Harris Tweed
Harris tweed is among the world’s famous tweeds manufactured in Scotland. It is carefully handwoven by the islanders giving them an extra touch of love. It is by far the most exceptional textiles. It is made with pure virgin dyed wool.
Harris Tweed is a luxury, high-quality handwoven fabric, which makes them a little more pricy than other wools in the market.
Shetland tweed
This fabric is named after the sheep of Shetland Island, one among the islands far off the northeastern coast of Scotland. This tweed is basically for a summer spring casual wardrobe because the wool produced is much lighter and delicate.
Silk tweed
It is much much smoother and more delicate compared to other tweed fabrics. It is usually not warm enough to be worn in winters. This tweed is honored as the most fashionable and trendy tweed of all time.
Cheviot tweed
It is a type of heavy fabric that originated in Cheviot Hills in the Scottish borders region. Cheviot is comparatively rough, heavy, and coarse than the other type of fabrics available.
Smart ways to Wear A Tweed Suit In 2021
A wise man once said that your appearance speaks a lot about your personality. No one can deny that for sure.
When it comes to men’s suits, one always tries to be as subtle and comfortable as possible yet trendy and fashionable. Tweed fabric gives you the liberty to dress as you wish as there are no hard and fast rules stuck with it. Yet here are some hacks that will help you dress better.
1. To get a Smart Casual look.
A tweed is quite versatile when it comes to dressing in casual attire. A two-buttoned tweed jacket goes well for the desired look. The key here is that your jacket should be a perfect fit.
You can pair up your tweeds with dark-colored jeans or chinos as per your desire. You might consider wearing a plain polo t-shirt beneath the tweed for a casual meet-up.
Tweed looks best in one if it is worn off the right shade of color. The most renowned and preferred shades are blues, grey, brown herringbone, and lilac colors of checked jackets. With that, you can add a newsboy cap to complete your outfit.
2. Same suit but varied look
The advantage of a full tweed is breathtaking. You can wear your suit in bits and parts throughout the week without letting anyone noticing you.
The same jacket can be worn with a collared shirt and a regular t-shirt to get two different looks. Similarly, one can pair up a waistcoat with your favorite shirt you get a countryside look.
3. Tweed in the winter
Tweeds make sure that whenever you step outdoor in winters, you are comfortably cozy.
You can wear country tweed long jackets paired up with a check shirt and a wool jumper if it is cold. Tweed, famous for its warmth, is the best-fit fabric for the winter season. In accessories, you may choose to wear a woven tie or a newsboy cap. It gives you a classic vintage look.
The best tweed fabric for a winter look is Harris tweed and Cheviot tweed, among the various types of tweeds available.
4. Tweed in the summer
Choose a lighter tone of plain brown, grey, or a lilac shade. Wear your tweed jackets with chinos, and complete your look with your loafers or deck shoes.
A bright-colored pocket square is all the accessories you want to finalize your look.
Shetland tweed and silk tweed are the best available options for a summer wardrobe.
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How to maintain your tweed suits?
Though tweed fabric is low maintenance wool, if you once look after it, it may add ages to the tweed fabric. Tweed takes minimal effort and time to be at its best. Here are the few hacks mentioned to rejuvenate your tweed.
- It is highly recommended for you to give your suit for dry cleaning once in a while. However, never put your tweed suit in the washing machine as it is hands woven and will damage your cloth and fit.
- Do consider steaming your jackets as it reduces wrinkling and kills most germs and bacteria. It is the safest way to look after your fabric. It also helps to reduce body odor after repetitive uses.
- Use a Cashmere stiff Brush frequently on your jackets to give them a smooth, lint-free classic look.
- It is advisable to keep your tweed jackets in an air-tight garment bag. This will prevent the coat from catching dust.
Culmination on the tweed fabric Outerwear
Tweed suits are a timeless piece of clothing that adds up to the modern man’s wardrobe. It gives the appearance of a rough texture yet is an incredibly soft hand-woven fabric from wool. As tweed fabrics are warm, thick and durable, thus it is traditionally worn in winters. Still, the modern twill style, lightweight tweed fabric allows us to wear it in summers.
Tweeds provide you the ultimate comfort with a spun of luxury and style. Among all the discussed tweeds, Harris Tweed is the most popular hand-woven fabric.
Tweed jackets are available in various patterns, styles, and textures. Tweeds are an all-rounder, never out-of-fashion cloth; thus, it is almost essential for an individual to invest in one pair of tweed suits.
