Autumn 2012: All about the Tweed
Summer is disappearing. As the days grow shorter and the nights slowly become longer, the time for wearing shorts and t -shirts (as horribly brief as that has been) has gone. It's time to wrap up and look forward to the coming Autumn, when snuggling up in a cosy jacket is the ideal way to dress when going out and about on the leaf covered streets. This Autumn/Winter sees a continuation of the country classic trend: jodhpurs, corduroy jackets, and of course Harris Tweed. The Market Editor of fashion bible Vogue, Emma Elwick-Bates says, "The familiar country dress codes of plaid, corduroy and traditional tailoring were seen throughout the collections, with dramatic coats best played out in utility fabrics and earthy, autumnal colours." Think of it as an homage to TV favourite Downton Abbey. Harris Tweed has been a British tradition since the 1840s, when a London merchant received a letter about some tweels (the Scottish name for twill). He misinterpreted the handwriting and believed it was instead a trade name taken from the River Tweed in the Borders. The goods were from then on advertised as Tweed. Each piece of Harris Tweed is unique, as it is hand-woven with pure Outer Hebrides wool and hand-dyed with vegetable dye. Makers have stuck resolutely with the traditional methods of making the tweed, and because of this is renowned as a quality textile. Harris Tweed is the only fabric with its own act of Parliament - meaning only tweed made in the Outer Hebrides is given the Sovereign Orb trademark. The Scotland Kilt Company offers a host of different Harris Tweeds, all painstakingly made in the Outer Hebrides. All of our Harris Tweeds are exclusive, meaning there are limited numbers of each jacket. The lining of each jacket complements its tweed, making it a very impressive, unique item. We also sell them at very competitive prices, often much cheaper than other Harris Tweed vendors. So whether you fancy yourself as a Lady Cora or more of an Earl of Grantham, or even if you just want something that has been entirely made by hand in Scotland, a Harris Tweed jacket is the perfect item to finish off any outfit.