Harris Tweed is the only fabric that's legally protected. Just as Bordeaux wine has to be from the Bordeaux region of France, any fabric bearing this stamp has to be woven in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from wool dyed & spun in the Outer Hebrides.
The Outer Hebrides is Scotland's Wild West. In his 1973 book, WH Murray wrote that the region's most important climatic feature are the gale force winds. If you ask an islander for tomorrow's forecast, he won't say dry, wet, or sunny, but quote a figure from the Beaufort Scale.
For that reason, the local blackface sheep have a thicker, coarser, stronger fleece. They used to be the only wool source for Harris Tweed, although nowadays, the fabric can be woven from wool sourced from Cheviots. They have a softer fleece.
The production of Harris Tweed used to be done by crofters (such as tenant farmers), who used the material for living and trading. It was not uncommon for someone to pay rent with blankets or lengths of clò-mòr. Which is to say there were hundreds or thousands of producers.
Today, this production is consolidated into three mills. They do the work of grading and sorting the fleece, washing it, dyeing and carding the fibers, and then spinning them into yarn. This material is then arranged in the form of beams or bobbins. From National Geographic:
In the video above, you can see how the wool is dyed into brilliant colors. This material is then mixed together. When spun into yarn and woven into cloth, you get this interesting depth that's not just flat brown or yellow, but a color that reflects the richly colored landscape.
The main thing to know about Harris Tweed is that it's the most widely used hand-loomed fabric for men's tailoring. By hand-loomed, I mean the mills send bobbins or beams to independent weavers who work with just their hands and feet (no automation or electricity).
This weaving typically takes place in a shed located steps from the weaver's home. In the olden days, weavers used Hattersley single-width looms. Today, some operate Bonas-Griffith double-width looms to produce softer, lighter fabrics (ones made from that Cheviot woo)l.
In the past, men primarily did the weaving, while women did the waulking (the soaking of tweed in urine, then stretching and thumping it to shrink and soften it; material would later be hand washed). Women sang songs in chorus to lighten the work and keep rhythm.
Today, that finishing process is done industrially and without urine, although the weaving is done in the same was it has for generations: by foot and hand on an old loom stored in a drafty shed. From an old Esquire series:
The thing about Harris Tweed is that it's ... rough. It's pricklier than other types of tweeds partly because it's typically made from that locally sourced blackface sheep wool (stronger, coarser wool). IMO, it's best for outerwear such as sport coats and overcoats.
If you get trousers, you will need to get them fully lined. Or you need to have your own fleece, which is to say hairy legs.
If you want something lighter, softer, and more comfortable, you can try Breanish tweed.
Breanish doesn't qualify as Harris Tweed bc it's not purely made from locally sourced wool, but it's still handloomed on the island using an old single-width loom that was purchased with a bottle of whisky. Since they use a mix of materials, like cashmere, the cloth is softer.
So that's what happens on that island. If you're buying custom clothes, then Harris Tweed can be sourced from Harrisons Fine Worsted. If you're buying ready-to-wear, many clothiers will stock Harris Tweed sport coat: Drake's, Ben Silver, J. Press, Ralph Lauren, among the many.
Harris Tweed is certainly not the only type of tweed. The garments below are made in other regions and from other types of wool. But it's the only one that's legally protected. If you see something with the Harris Tweed logo (the orb), you now know the backstory.
Forgot to add: if you want something relatively affordable, lots of Etsy sellers make notebooks, eyewear sleeves, and pen cases from Harris Tweed.
And while not made from Harris Tweed or even tweed at all, I also like Waverley Scotland notebooks, which have nice tartan covers.
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Let's look at how Trump's recent round of tariffs could impact your spending on clothing. 🧵
I should note this thread makes two assumptions. First, that tariff will be fully passed down to the consumer. This may or may not be true, but is likely true in the long run. Second, that the manufacturing info I found online reflects current sourcing.
According to their public filings, 39% of Adidas shoes are made in Vietnam, including these Sambas.
Currently, they sell for $100. With the new 46% tariff, they will cost $46 more—or $146.
Any time I comment on these shoes, someone replies: "What am I supposed to wear? Those are so comfy!"
This is reasonable. But if you want to wear more traditional footwear, here are some suggestions on how to find a comfortable pair. 🧵
First, nothing is going to be as comfy as sneakers. Those are pillows built on marshmallow clouds. But it's also not true that traditional leather shoes have to be painful. For generations, men wore leather soles for sport and long walks.
In fact, John Lobb of St. James in London still calls some of their derbies "navvy cut." The term navvy is short for navigator, which is a working class laborer during the 19th century who worked on civil engineering projects, such as canals and railways.
I don't think this is exactly right. My guess is that a lot of AI art will be similar to what has happened in the clothing industry: technology speeds up production, benefitting consumers. Only enthusiasts will care if something is made by hand or not. Will give examples. 🧵
I should note this thread doesn't get into ethical issues about copying another person's work. I'm only talking about how I think it will impact the market.
As I've mentioned before, tailoring is about creating shape. For a jacket, a lot of this is done through pad stitching.
Pad stitching is when you pick up multiple layers of material, stitching them together in such a way that you transform 2D cloth into 3D forms. This is done to the jacket's collar, chest, and lapels. You see it demonstrated here.
Spring has started and soon you'll see a bunch of posts like this, extolling the virtues of linen. Once people learn about linen through short, simple blurbs, they think it possess magical properties. But the truth is more complicated.
Let me tell you about linen. 🧵
Clothing production is often opaque, especially for consumers. If you're lucky, a brand might tell you that they use Irish or Italian linen, such these J. Crew shirts that hit shelves every summer, carrying the Baird McNutt label (also, "McNutt" is objectively funny).
Both Irish and Italian mills today source most of their raw materials from outside their own countries, typically from France or the Netherlands. Even the prestigious “Irish Linen” label only requires that the fabric be woven in Ireland, not flax to be grown there.
The most obvs reason is that luxury and streetwear have been merging for the last 20 years. Cristóbal Balenciaga was known for these incredible dresses (pic 1). But in more recent history, creative director Demna Gvasalia, who just left the company, borrows from streetwear.
I actually like streetwear, although I'm not crazy about the top-down, corporate-led version of it in recent years (more about that for another time). A lot of streetwear is heavily logo driven. Look up the history of Dapper Dan, who made these incredible couture creations.
People who have followed me for a while may already know the answer to this. But I will explain again why steam is ruinous for tailoring, and how you can pack a suit. 🧵
To understand why steam is ruinous for tailoring, you have to first understand that suits and sport coats are not like other things in your wardrobe. They are built from many layers of haircloth, canvas, and padding, and then shaped through pad stitching and ironwork.
This is what makes tailoring so special: it's the unique ability to transform 2D cloth into 3D forms. You can read this thread about the difference between low- and high-end tailoring. Hopefully, you will walk away with an appreciation for *shape*