A rough, often nubby wool cloth woven in twill or herringbone, used chiefly for suits and coats.
Tweed is a rough wool cloth woven in twill. The American Heritage Dictionary calls it coarse, rugged and often nubby, and derives the name from tweel, the Scots form of twill, altered under the influence of the river Tweed. The Museum at FIT counts herringbone and houndstooth among its variations.
Harris Tweed is a legal definition, not a look. As the Harris Tweed Authority states the Harris Tweed Act 1993, the cloth must be “Handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.” The Authority oversees inspection and brands qualifying cloth with its Orb mark. Tweed also entered couture: the V&A records that Gabrielle Chanel worked with the Carlisle tweed maker William Linton on soft, lightweight versions of his cloth, a relationship that continues at the house today.
In job listings
Tweed appears in alterations and garment care. Alterations specialists in boutiques are asked to work with delicate silks, substantial tweeds and chain details, and garment care specialists press and finish silk, cashmere and tweed. In some beauty wholesale listings, TWEED is the name of a software tool, not the cloth. See current alterations roles.
