On a remote tip of the Isle of Lewis – one of the Outer Hebrides, the wind-lashed hunks of land which lie off the northern tip of Scotland – a small family company operates in a large weaving shed, soundtracked by the clickety-clack of the vast, hand-operated iron machines found within it.
That company is Breanish Tweed: just one of many tiny artisanal businesses in this part of the world which weave traditional rough-surfaced woolen cloths – lightweight tweeds from Shetland wool, lambswool, and cashmere – which make their way from these isolated rural surrounds to the lookbooks of Savile Row, the department stores of 5th Avenue and the catwalks of Milan.
Naturally, the big-hitters in the world of fabric such as Holland & Sherry are also in on the quality tweed act. But the fact that production of tweed still exists in this context – true hand-craft, blessed with the human touch, all taking place in remote surrounds whose verdant pastures and heather-carpeted moorlands that inspired so many tweed patterns – injects a huge amount of romance into a fabric option so widely, and wrongly, considered old-fashioned outside in-the-know style circles.
Tweed is perhaps best defined as a tightly-woven, hard-wearing wool fabric, rougher in texture than most, and often rendered in checked, herringbone, houndstooth or flecked patterns. No one really knows when the story of tweed begins: although we do know that Scotland’s challenging weather has much to do with its origins. “It’s firmly rooted in crawling over hills in the coldest, wettest rain imaginable,” as Stephen Rendle, managing director of Lovat Mill – which has produced tweeds in the Scottish Borderlands river town of Hawick since 1882 – once told National Geographic.
The fabric's name came about by accident in the mid-19th century when a London milliner received a shipment labeled with the Scots word "tweel," meaning "twill." Misinterpreting it as a reference to the River Tweed, a renowned textile hub in Scotland, the milliner began marketing the fabric as "tweed," a name that has endured and become synonymous with the durable woolen cloth.
It’s a textile that has always been strongly associated with rural pursuits such as hunting and shooting. Pretty much every member of Britain’s Royal Family has been photographed in stunningly tailored tweed apparel, not least King Charles. A patron and founder of The Campaign For Wool, a group set up in response to the rise of synthetic fibers, and a keen environmentalist, the current monarch is thought to favor tweed for its being 100 percent natural, renewable, biodegradable and durable (he’s worn the same tweed double-breasted coat, made by Anderson & Sheppard, since the 1980s).
Hollywood royalty, as well as actual royalty, have gravitated towards it: think Clint Eastwood and Dustin Hoffman’s herringbone tweed jackets in Dirty Harry and The Graduate respectively, and Roger Moore's donegal tweed suit in Moonraker. Curiously enough, it’s also a go-to textile in vintage motoring circles: yes, whilst its thickness and weather-proof sturdiness make it a default layering option for the thoroughfares of Manhattan, Montreal or Milan in the depths of winter, it’s a staple at the host of nostalgia-based motorsport events that happen in Europe over the Summer, such as Mille Miglia and the Goodwood Revival.
Like whisky—another iconic export deeply tied to Scotland's national identity—tweed has also found a prolific home across the Irish Sea, with Ireland developing its own distinct traditions. As an example, our wide selection of traditional caps includes those made from Donegal tweed—known for its color-flecked patterns and rugged durability—crafted by Irish hatmaker John Hanly, who has been weaving this iconic fabric in the Ballyartella Woollen Mill for over a century. Italy has got in on the act, too: Vitale Barberis Canonico has some delectable tweeds in its sample books, and Loro Piana is behind the softer take on tweed used to create this soft-shouldered Herringbone sport coat: one which ramps up the wearer’s chances of carrying off that allusive Italian concept, "sprezzatura".
“Tweed has been a cornerstone of British textile manufacturing for centuries and, born out of a practical need for a hardy, warm cloth suited for farmers and those who worked outdoors, today is as relevant as ever,” says Arran Cross, Brand Director at Dugdale Bros, which supplies tweeds with a unique construction and handle to tailors, designers, and retail stores in Yorkshire, England. “Garments made from it are stylish and practical, offering a rugged yet refined look with practical weather-beating performance.”
