Tweed (fabric)
Tweed is a textile fabric that is not - as is often claimed - named after the river Tweed in Scotland , but after the Scottish word tweel , which is synonymous with the English word twill and denotes a type of weave that in German is twill weave or also "twill" called.
Originally, tweed was used to describe hand-woven, mostly twill woven fabrics that were woven tightly but flexibly. Tweeds were developed to provide protection from the elements in the harsh climate of the British Isles. For a long time, tweed was the ideal clothing for the leisure activities of the landed aristocracy, such as hunting, riding, shooting and fishing. In the Victorian era, tweeds were also the usual clothing for sporting activities such as cycling, golf, tennis, motor sports and mountaineering.
The fabric is used, for example, with traditional checkered patterns, tartans , as a material for kilts . Tweed is used as a fabric for costumes, coats, jackets, suits and hats. There are also products such as curtains, sofa cushions, furniture covers, dog blankets, shoes, bags and various accessories made of tweed. Today's tweeds have very different properties, depending on the types of wool used, the number of threads and the weight of the fabric . Tweeds come in a myriad of colors, patterns and names. In addition to wool, some tweeds also contain other animal hair such as camel hair , mohair , cashmere and alpaca.
- Tartans : Checkered fabrics that use colors and patterns to express an affiliation to a certain Scottish clan. Some companies also have their own tartans.
- Estate tweeds go back to the owners of certain country estates, who often chose colors and patterns that match the landscape so as not to be seen when hunting. Estate tweeds became popular with landowners through Prince Albert because he invented the Balmoral Tweed , which is based on the landscape and the color of Balmoral Castle . Originally, the wearing of such tweeds was limited to the family and staff of the landowners, but today anyone can wear them.
- Cheviot Tweed are named after a breed of sheep whose wool is used. The yarns are thicker, coarser and heavier, the fabrics are mostly woven more densely and stiffer than other tweeds.
- Shetland Tweed , named after the islands, a tweed made of particularly soft wool, as it is produced in the Shetlands .
- Donegal Tweed , named after the northernmost Irish County Donegal, where this traditional tweed is sometimes still woven with muscle power, is characterized by characteristic small colored knots in the fabric
- Harris Tweed is a brand name for a hand-woven fabric from the Outer Hebrides under the Harris Tweed Act of 1993. An open, airy tweed that feels rough and only softens when you wear it.
- Saxony Tweed : A tweed made of fine and soft merino wool
- Thornproof Tweed is a fabric made from particularly tightly twisted yarn that is particularly resistant to puncturing and tearing. The tissue is self-healing; a puncture disappears by itself if the tissue is massaged a little.
- Sporting tweed is a tweed that has particularly good camouflage properties, such as those used in hunting. Many estate tweeds are sporting tweeds that are adapted to the climate and the colors of the landscape. The many colors of the most diverse landscapes and the urge to innovate and differentiate produced countless variations and patterns of tweeds.
- Gamekeeper Tweed is a particularly heavy tweed and can weigh up to around 1000 g. This tweed is intended for increased protection for rangers on particularly cold, wet and windy days.
The golfers Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris in tweed suits
Donegal Tweed, characteristic are the small knots made of colored wool
The colors and patterns are inexhaustible
Prince of Wales pattern
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