Have you ever heard the expression ‘no tweed in town’? Back when a mere mention of the woollen garments conjured up images of stout legs in plus fours and waistcoats straining across gentlemen’s tummies, tweed was banished to sporting estates in the Highlands of Scotland where it was very much the most appropriate and acceptable sartorial option. Clothes meant for striding across a heather moor were frowned upon in an elegant club in town, and only the most eccentric gentleman or lady would have been seen in the city wearing tweed…
Now, a quick look through even the most high-end fashion magazines as they showcase the desirable new collections for autumn/winter, will reveal tweed in an array of heritage and modern colourways. The fabric has become a byword for quality, longevity and sharp tailoring, while attitudes to dressing have certainly relaxed over time.
Tweed clothing now elegantly straddles modern countryside and city living, with a leisurely browse through countryside lovers’ Instagram pages showing image after image of beautifully cut tweed jackets, coats, skirts waistcoats and capes, often paired with long leather boots and scarves or shirts in a plethora of fabulous prints. Tweed is still the fabric of choice for the shooting field for the very same reasons it was chosen in the first place – warmth and reliance – but, by gosh, it’s stylish now too!
Those same tweed garments are equally eye-catching and on point when paired with a smart pair of Chelsea boots, heels and a statement handbag for a weekend in the city. A flattering tweed blazer, crisp white shirt and skinny jeans equals an iconic look that steals the best elements from modern and traditional dressing. A smart lightweight tweed suit projects gravitas and commands respect in a business meeting, as men and women across the country are turning tweed into an aspirational lifestyle choice.
So now we’re in agreement that tweed can be part of a stylish look anywhere you go, where can you find something in tweed that will really help you to stand out from the crowd? Companies such as Emma Brown Tweed have incorporated their very own signature elements into their designs that take British tweed to a whole new level. Their Loader Skirt was designed to protect the wearer’s modesty on the shooting field, but the cut flatters all shapes and the flash of colourful lining lends the skirt a risqué finish. This brand’s clothes are designed and handmade in England by someone whose agricultural and sporting background, but careful eye on fashion, mean they understand exactly what you’ve just been reading – tweed is on the ascendance, for the field and beyond.
