A time long affair with Tweed

A cheap and practical fabric spun at home from domestic wool, made in the Outer Hebrides in the late 1800s, this rough weathered fabric exudes an earthy outdoors feel. The mix of woven weatherproof wool and earthy hues made the fabric a popular choice with country hunting sports and equestrian wear.

In the 1920s tweed found a new lust for life and a place in fashion when it became synonymous with Chanel’s classic jackets. From hunter to lady who lunches, the fabric embodied a much softer, more feminine look this time around. Cut on the bias with brass button detailing, the fabric went from cheap to chic. Wealthy socialites everywhere sat up and took notice, and it wasn’t long before Chanel’s tweed became a wardrobe staple for any lady worth her salts.

And although Coco Chanel died in 1971, her tweed jackets certainly did not. Instead, her sleek, sophisticated and ladylike jackets have stood the test of time and are still as current today as they ever were back then.

With tweed popping up on the catwalk time and time again, it would appear this is a fabric that is most definitely here to stay. It certainly seems to be the go-to material for the coming season, designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, DAKS, Erdem and Paul Smith are all paying homage to the classic fabric in their AW12 collections.

Country Heritage is set to be a huge trend for AW12, so now is the prefect time to invest in a tweed ensemble to see you through this years wintery fall and the many that will, no doubt, follow after that.

Sophie Maguire