subject: Tweed Suit For Fashion And Comfort [print this page] Tweed is one of the best woolen fabrics that is used for casual mens outer wear. The best tweed in the world is from Scotland and no fashionable man would consider his wardrobe complete without a Scottish Tweed suit or at least a Harris Tweed Jacket.
Scottish Tweed was always premium woolen material that was hand woven. After the industrial revolution, the weaving process was mechanized and the production of Tweed increased considerably. This also increased the popularity of the tweed suit and tweed jackets for men .
The mens Tweed jacket is one of the warmest and also chic jackets that any man can wear. Made from the traditional Scottish tweed from the island of Harris, the Harris Tweed has distinct weaves, colors and dyes. Scottish Tweed Jackets for men are designed by many top fashion designers and takes pride of place in the mens high couture.
Scottish tweed gets its name from twill since it is woven in twill style. The worsted wool used is premium local wool that is dyed with natural lichen dyes. There are many types of weaves that are characteristics of tweed and which make a tweed suit distinct from any other mens suit. The most popular weaves are the herringbone, hounds tooth and plaid checks. Many times a tweed suit is a combination of tweed trousers with a herringbone weave and the jacket with plaid checks.
Since tweed is a closely woven woolen fabric, it is not only warm but also water resistant and durable. These qualities of the fabric make the tweed suit desirable wear for outdoor activities such as shooting, hunting and casual social gatherings. After the Industrial Revolution, tweed is no longer hand woven but woven on mechanized looms in Weaving Mills in Scotland and Ireland.
This also accounts for the surge in production of tweed and also the rise in its popularity as the fabric is now exported and made into mens informal outerwear such as tweed jackets for men or tweed suit.
Tweed became popular as a fabric used by the upper class of society for their recreational activities and not as work clothes, tweed was always expensive and luxury clothing of the elite. It was always expected that a tweed suit be worn by a socially upper class man or mens tweed jackets were never a poor mans clothing.
The fashion to use tweed dwindled in the late 1940s and 50s when only academicians were seen wearing tweed jackets for men. Rarely would a tweed suit be seen and the elite almost forgot about tweed mens jackets. However, tweeds came back on the fashion scene in the late 1960s and in the 1970s were a rage again. The fashion to use tweed in mens clothing is still very much alive and fashion designers use it to make mens tweed jackets, as part of their autumn and winter collections.
