Tweed

This article is about the cloth. For the river in Scotland and England, see River Tweed. For other uses, see Tweed (disambiguation).

Harris Tweed woven in a herringbone twill pattern, mid-20th century

Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn 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 as shooting and hunting, in England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. In Ireland, tweed manufacturing is now most associated with County Donegal but originally covered the whole country.[4] In Scotland, tweed manufacturing is most associated with the Isle of Harris in the Hebrides.

  1. ^ "Harris Tweed - The Cloth". The Harris Tweed Authority. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  2. ^ Fashion Institute of Technology (2006). ""The Tailor's Art" | Menswear Fabrics - A Glossary". The Museum at FIT. Archived from the original on 2 June 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
  3. ^ "Tweed Jackets | A Closely Woven Thing". Cad & the Dandy. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  4. ^ Corrigan, Vawn (2020). Irish Tweed: History, Tradition, Fashion. O'Brien Press. ISBN 9781788492010.