"The Curiously Compelling Story of Tweed"

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

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jscherrer
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Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:29 pm

I wrote this post, my first for Gentleman’s Gazette, in collaboration with Raphael Schneider, who runs the site.

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tweed- ... -patterns/

The post logs in at 3000 plus words and is chock full of photos, links, and videos conceived to provide readers with a comprehensive education on tweed and some suggestions on how to wear it in a classic way.

In this article learn about:

- The origin of tweed
- The history of tweed
- Types of tweed
- Tweed patterns
- How tweed is made
- A rundown on a recent crisis in Harris Tweed
- How to wear tweed
- Where to find tweed

For the Cheviot discussion, I included a picture of Mr. Alden looking very dapper in a LL version of the cloth.

Enjoy!

Joe
Rob O
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Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:50 pm

What a marvellously discursive essay on this fascinating subject, thank you so much.
jscherrer
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Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:43 pm

Thanks for the kind words Ron and thanks for taking the time to read it. Best, Joe
BAO
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:54 am

That was a very enjoyable read! That plain green tweed suit was stunning.

Do you know of a tweed pattern worn by hunters for wooded / forested areas (think tree stands and deer). I would much rather adopt the camoflage properties of tweed than modern camo clothing.

Also, how is tweed with odor suppression (important if I'm to consider wearing it for hunting).
jscherrer
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 3:50 pm

Each of these fabrics was developed in years past for the particular foliage/vegetation colors of a particular estate or hunting area.

You might want to check with some of the local hunters where you plan to go and ask their suggestions for a good tweed pattern.

As far as odor, wool in general is odor absorbent. If you are hunting and the tweed happens to get wet or damp, it will likely emit an earthy, musty, rustic odor. It's a smell that is part and parcel of being outdoors in my view.

This can be handled by 1) letting the wool air dry or 2) dry cleaning.
BAO
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:33 pm

Thanks for the response. As for local recommendations lets just say most of the people I know who hunt go to Cabelas for formal wear...
jscherrer
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:58 pm

:D I can relate!

Maybe one thought is to take a look at the camouflage recommended for the area/season then see if there is a tweed pattern that approximates it.

Tweed in houndstooth or herringbone is reputed to be a good basic pattern. Then it becomes of matter of selecting the colors.

Good luck!
robert_n
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Mon Sep 16, 2013 2:45 am

Great article, Mr. Scherrer. And what marvellous colours.
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