Tweed is a rough,woollenfabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resemblingcheviot orhomespun, but more closelywoven. It is usually woven with a plain weave,twill orherringbone structure. Colour effects in theyarn may be obtained by mixing dyed wool before it is spun.[1]
Tweeds are an icon of traditional Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and English clothing, being desirable for informal outerwear,[2] due to the material being moisture-resistant and durable. Tweeds are made to withstand harsh climates[3] and are commonly worn for outdoor activities such asshooting and hunting, inEngland,Wales,Ireland, andScotland. In Ireland, tweed manufacturing is now most associated withCounty Donegal but originally covered the whole country.[4] In Scotland, tweed manufacturing is most associated with theIsle of Harris in the Hebrides.
The original name of the cloth wastweel,Scots fortwill, 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 aHawick firm, Wm. Watson & Sons, Dangerfield Mills about some "tweels". The merchant misinterpreted the handwriting, understanding it to be a trade-name taken from theRiver Tweed that flows through the Scottish Borders textile area. The goods were subsequently advertised as Tweed and the name has remained since.[5]
Traditionally used for upper-class country clothing such asshooting jackets, tweed became popular among theEdwardian middle classes who associated it with the leisurely pursuits of the elite.[6] Due to their durability tweedNorfolk jackets andplus-fours were a popular choice[7] for hunters, cyclists, golfers, and early motorists, henceKenneth Grahame's depiction ofMr. Toad in aHarris Tweed suit.[8] Popular patterns includehoundstooth,[9] associated with1960s fashion, windowpane, gamekeeper's tweed worn by academics,Glen plaid check, originally commissioned byEdward VII, andherringbone.[10]
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.[11][12]
In modern times, cyclists may wear tweed when they ride vintage bicycles on aTweed Run. This practice has its roots in the Britishyoung fogey andhipster subcultures of the late 2000s and early 2010s, whose adherents appreciate both vintage tweed, and bicycles.[13]
Some vintageDanemannupright pianos have a tweed cloth backing to protect the internal mechanism. Occasionally, Scottishbagpipes were covered in tweed as an alternative totartan wool.[14]
The term "tweed" is used to describe coverings on instrument cables and vintage orretroguitar amplifiers, such as theFender tweed andFender Tweed Deluxe.[15] 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.
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