Tweed 101: Quintessential winter fabric gets a modern update as designers tweak the trends

Dubai-based fashion editor Sujata Assomull never had a proclivity for tweeds, even after growing up in England. As a child she recalls wearing it but doesn’t remember taking to it. “The first time I really looked at tweed and felt it was something I wanted was at India’s first ever couture week in 2008. Tarun Tahiliani presented a beige chikan sari with a multicoloured tweed jacket. The sari was draped around the neck in a scarf-like fashion — and it just talked to me,” she says. The tweed jacket Assomull mentions was fitted at the waist and had three-quarter sleeves.

Like denim, tweed is one of those fabrics everyone knows. But like other traditional fabrics, such as our very own khadi, it fights an image — of being old-fashioned and stodgy. Subscribing to that image is to malign one of the most impressive fabrics that can be surprisingly functional. Little wonder then that designers are trying to make this cloth of Scottish origin shed its baggage.

While it was Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel who gave tweeds its high-fashion status and the house of Chanel continues to serve the fabric well, other designers and high-street brands are making sure tweeds get a makeover. While Valentino and Maison Margiela have worked with it in the past, the runways of Balmain Fall 2020 had cropped jackets in neon, and Celine showcased Prince of Wales capes and shorts. Abraham & Thakore (A&T), too, showcased an Indian iteration of the Scottish weave. On the high street, Zara, Mango, Van Heusen, Raymond, Louis Philippe, Arrow and many others offer tweed in their winter collections.


David Abraham of A&T says tweeds are breaking away from its men’s only image, “Clothes are increasingly becoming nongender binary. With women in positions power, it is no longer male-only prerogative.”

In 1925, Chanel introduced the original idea of the classic tweed suit after wearing the jacket of her then boyfriend, the Duke of Westminster, as she believed menswear was more comfortable than pre-war women’s fashion. In the 1930s, she shifted her factories to northern France and began combining her classic tweeds with wools, silks, cottons and even cellophane to make them more high-fashion (and lightweight).

Experts say the classic tweeds from Scotland — in which Harris Tweed stands out — are an investment. Fashion commentator Prasad Bidapa says a good tweed jacket would last a lifetime. He says a "jacket changes shapes and silhouettes every couple of years. Men seem to prefer a tailored line with a narrow silhouette. Pick autumnal colours with soft patterning.” Update the pairings to update the look. Plain, twill or herringbone patterns are good picks — the subtler the pattern, the more versatile it is.

During the pandemic, there has been a return to classics and lasting styles. Tweed, as a heritage fabric, fits right in. Women, says Bidapa, can pair tweed blazers with lace-trimmed silk shirts. Or, as A&T has showed, pair a herringbone trench coat with salwar.

Sandeep Gonsalves, cofounder and director of high-fashion menswear brand Sarah & Sandeep, says tweed is a functional fabric. “A tweed travel jacket is a staple for all fashionable men on the move. We also utilise tweed in lightweight overcoats for some of our clients because it is warm yet water-resistant so it holds up beautifully to general humidity and light rain.” He would recommend it for day events as the texture shines through.

It’s the tactile texture of tweed that makes it a joy to wear. Assomull has built a small collection of tweed jackets but in contemporary styles. “I go for a cropped jacket or a bomber style. What I love about them is that they work with jeans, over a cocktail dress and also over a sari.”

Delhi-based stylist Rishi Raj says the beauty of tweed is its old-world charm and, like most things timeless, it’s all about seeing it with a new point of view. “Personally, I love a subdued herringbone but a good houndstooth in black and white is always eye-catching and looks very stylish. The good thing about a classic tweed jacket is that it can be styled up, or down, depending on the occasion,” he says. Whatever decide, be sure of your choice, good tweed can be expensive, he says. “Choose a pattern that could work in the office as well as when you are at play,” he says.

Like Raj, stylist Rin Jajo is partial towards a good herringbone in browns, greys and greens. “I would stick to the traditional colour palettes but are a lot more choices for women — reds, pinks and oranges are bright and fun. I do a classic, two-button blazer for men and a cropped for women as silhouettes for,” he says.

Menswear designer Karrtik Dhingra says the beauty of tweed is that no two pieces are the same: “Made from a motley of yarns, every tweed is a different story and has a unique character. It’s easy to work with and too.” Abraham says tweed beyond trend, “but fashion diktats require us to constantly the new.” Refresh it with the current trend, be it metallic, leather, fur or feathers. Tweak the tweed, as they say.