Regional Uses of Tweed

[Blackhood]

OK, so I'm writing a piece on the use of tweed in suits, but when I come to think about it, I don't know much about how it is perceived in different locations.

Being English I have surmised that tweed is:

• Entirely acceptable for people older than 50
  
• A "Throwback" style for younger people. Can be seen as an Affection
  
• A bohemian style lead by the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Steven Fry

So how is Tweed perceived in your location? I'm particularly interested in America and the Oriental counties, but as we have such a diverse range of members here, I'd love to hear from anyone.

Naturally if you think I'm wrong in my opinion of Tweed in England then feel free to add to the discussion.

 

[dasai]

Ah... "Oriental". Now there's a word I haven't heard in a long time...

Anyhow, being an American and living in Japan, I'll bite.

In the U.S., tweed is primarily seen as a bastion of academics. The old stereotype was of a college professor in a tweed suit and a bow tie, but these days, it's more likely to be a tweed hunting jacket (with leather patches on the elbows) over a turtleneck and corduroys or chinos. They're also seen on older men.

In Japan, at least on Honshu, they're relatively rare, but I see the occasional tweed jacket on an older person. They also go in and out of style with young adults; Unqlo has a few this season, but I know not their provenance. Of course, this seeming lack of popularity probably has as much to do with the climate south of Hokkaido as it does with perceived trendiness. (I live at the same latitude as Huntsville, Alabama, so tweed is at best a November - March option.)

Of course, the traditional distinction was that tweed was only worn in the country, for "sporting" activities (hunting, horseback, etc.), but that went out the window long ago.

 

[juniper]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

OK, so I'm writing a piece on the use of tweed in suits, but when I come to think about it, I don't know much about how it is perceived in different locations.

Being English I have surmised that tweed is:

• A "Throwback" style for younger people. Can be seen as an Affection

Affectation.

Don't assume every young person in England wearing tweed is affecting it. For the less-cool rural upper and upper middle classes, they're just wearing it naturally. Cool posh people, of course, dress like ****.

 

[George]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

OK, so I'm writing a piece on the use of tweed in suits, but when I come to think about it, I don't know much about how it is perceived in different locations. Being English I have surmised that tweed is:

• Entirely acceptable for people older than 50
• A "Throwback" style for younger people. Can be seen as an Affection
• A bohemian style lead by the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Steven Fry

So how is Tweed perceived in your location? I'm particularly interested in America and the Oriental counties, but as we have such a diverse range of members here, I'd love to hear from anyone. Naturally if you think I'm wrong in my opinion of Tweed in England then feel free to add to the discussion.
I think it also depends on the type of tweed, the patterns, colours &c. Certain tweeds are 'old fart' whereas others.

 

[Blackhood]

This is great, thanks guys.

England:

I admit that tweed can in some cases be "genuine" day-wear among the upper classes, but has anyone had any direct experience with these people? Having grown up in Cambrdige and living in the Cotswolds I have rearely seen the tweed suit in use outside of a sunday hunt.


Japan:
I assumed that climate and humidity would be the deciding factor here. Would it be fair to assume that the use of tweed is more of a "fashion" than a "style"? Where it is used to achieve a look rather than as part of a stylistic ethos?

 

[hypostatic]

Canada/US: (1) reserved for the sartorially minded who look for it, generally hard to come by on store shelves today; (2) stereotype of being worn exclusively by college professors who purchased it decades ago, and so it is considered ironic when worn by anyone else; (3) most common in New England and more affluent American South communities; (4) normal dress in field hunting culture (see previous).

UK: (1) my experience is mostly restricted to St Andrews, where it is truly worn casually by both male and female students on a day to day basis, with really no second thought to it. Having said that, there is some self-awareness to the habit and lifestyle of its students (who are predominantly from London, South England or New England, and upper to upper-middle class), and some self-reflexive perpetuation of country lifestyle or leisure class 'norms'; (2) similar use seen at Oxford and Cambridge; (3) in big cities like Edinburgh and London, it is generally only seen on the older demographic groups; (4) normal dress in farming and hunting culture in rural areas throughout the UK.

I can take questions.

PS. http://www.gilt.com/manual/2010/10/tweed-101

 

[jonphillipsphoto]

I live in the Southeast, US, and anytime I wear tweed, I always get the "hey, professor" comment. Never fails.

 

[juniper]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

This is great, thanks guys.

England:

I admit that tweed can in some cases be "genuine" day-wear among the upper classes, but has anyone had any direct experience with these people? Having grown up in Cambrdige and living in the Cotswolds I have rearely seen the tweed suit in use outside of a sunday hunt.


Huge distinction between tweed odd jacket (See every day) and tweed suit (hardly ever see, and only on the elderly or at rural events).

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by jonphillipsphoto

I live in the Southeast, US, and anytime I wear tweed, I always get the "hey, professor" comment. Never fails.

I live in New York City and I get comments too. Once I even got, "Who are you, Tom Ford's marsupialed brother?"

 

[Master Squirrel]

People like it here, but it comes from thrift/secondhand/charity shops. Don't think I've ever heard a bad word about it.

 

[williamson]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

Having grown up in Cambridge and living in the Cotswolds I have rearely seen the tweed suit in use outside a Sunday hunt.
A tweed suit, perhaps not, but tweed jackets, as others from the UK have written, are very usual,
and, as in the USA, associated with the teaching profession in school and university (perhaps now mostly in the upper age-groups). Tweed jackets are certainly not an affectation. Both tweed suits and jackets are more frequently worn in Scotland - possibly for climatic reasons

 

[Harold falcon]

I see it very rarely in eastern Pennsylvania. I wear a few odd tweed jackets on weekends or to work when I don't have court or not meeting with clients (in fact I'm wearing one right now) but I don't see it very often in public.

Of course, the vast majority of people here dress like garbage anyway. It's all jeans and sneakers and North Face jackets as far as the eye can see.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by jonphillipsphoto

I live in the Southeast, US, and anytime I wear tweed, I always get the "hey, professor" comment. Never fails.

It certainly didn't fail me in the back room of Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. Turns out some girls miss college.

 

[gdl203]

My observations from NYC:
- tweed jacket as outerwear = quite common, no particular connotation
- tweed jacket as sport coat with a tie = not too common, either "professor look, or trendy Ivy revival look (see RL Rugby)
- tweed suit = rarely seen, eccentric or gentleman hunter connotation depending on type of tweed

 

[ysc]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

UK: (1) my experience is mostly restricted to St Andrews, where it is truly worn casually by both male and female students on a day to day basis, with really no second thought to it. Having said that, there is some self-awareness to the habit and lifestyle of its students (who are predominantly from London, South England or New England, and upper to upper-middle class), and some self-reflexive perpetuation of country lifestyle or leisure class 'norms'
I can + 1 most of that. As to upper/upper middle class people still wearing it, but not as an affectation - quite a few more traditional public schools still have, or at least had up until recently, a tweed jacket as an option on their uniform list that pupils could wear instead of a blazer under certain circumstances, or in the sixth form. A lot of people I know from this background still have that jacket (along with their sixth form pair of black demi-brogues) or have replaced it with something similar. Tweed has also come strongly back into fashion in the UK - Topman has a collaboration with Harris Tweed at the moment - and so some people not from a posh rural background wear it much as they would any other in fashion garment. It is also comfortable and fairly warm - I wear a tweed jacket fairly regularly in London, and in the countryside, I don't think I quite fall into any of the categories so far outlined. I hope I am wearing it because I like it, not because I am affected.