Comeback of Tweed in Designer Clothing Fashion

Tweed is a rough, unfinished woolen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is made in either plain or twill weave and may have a check or herringbone pattern. Subdued, interesting color effects are obtained by twisting together differently coloured woolen strands into a two- or three-ply yarn. They are desirable for informal outerwear, being moisture-resistant and very durable. Tweed has recently come back into designer clothes fashion with many high street shops and designers such as Polo Ralph Lauren adopting the material.

Today’s tweed craze began early in 2003. Tweed jackets became quite popular and were usually made out of beautiful pastel colors. It went from being business like and serious to cool and light-hearted. Fifty years ago, the weight of tweed was much heavier, whereas today’s tweed is lighter and easier to wear in warmer weather. Tweed is made of wool, but today’s tweed manufacturers are combining wool with other fabrics such as chenille and Lurex strands. Moreover, today’s tweeds are paired with other unexpected fabrics such as chiffon or velvet. Tweed dresses are quite popular as well, especially because they combine the historically “manly” fabric with a pretty, feminine shape and cut to make the blend interesting. Furthermore, tweed is catching on as accents to other material. For example, there are trouser designs that have tweed trim to accent the solid black. Also, tweed is being used as trim on jackets, dresses, and other garments.

Not only has tweed become extremely popular in clothing, but it has made a huge appearance in accessories such as handbags, shoes and hats. Tweed purses can be found at nearly every department store in nearly every design including clutch, tote bag, briefcase, and more. Several designers have come out with classy tweed pumps that are not only serviceable but sexy as well.

Tweed has made a huge comeback in today's fashion world and here to stay for a while.