With the onset of cold weather, you always want to warm up: at home - pull on your favorite blanket, and when going out - put on a warm suit or coat, preferably on a natural basis, beautiful, and at the same time able to protect from bad weather. Tweed is ideally suited to these requirements - a material that has enjoyed well-deserved love and respect from consumers for centuries.
General characteristics
Tweed is a type of natural wool, quite dense fabric with a small natural pile. There is also tweed yarn for knitting. Products made from it are warm and durable.
Origin of material
Its homeland is considered to be Scotland - a part of the United Kingdom, surrounded on three sides by seas, with a cool and humid climate, where the sun is a rarity rather than a constant occurrence.
The fabric was originally known as twill, meaning twill weave.. However, according to historical sources, one of the English traders, due to inattention (or due to the illegible handwriting of the supplier), read and pronounced “tweed” instead of “twill”, possibly referring to the river flowing through the territory of Great Britain. This name has been assigned to matter; it has been called that way for almost two hundred years.
Fabric structure
Main The raw material for its production is the wool of fine-fleece merino sheep.
After collection, the raw material is washed, changing the water several times, thoroughly rinsed, dried and combed. Then they are sorted by shade and, if necessary, painted. When spinning threads intended for making tweed are most often not twisted, so it is not smooth, but rather fleecy to the touch. The woven fabric, if it is necessary to give it additional softness, is soaked in a soap solution and “beaten”.
Interesting! Before the process became automated, several people participated in the “beating”. They accompanied their actions with ritual chants, the tempo of which increased significantly towards the end.
The “output” is a warm, dense and relatively elastic fabric. Its thickness, rigidity and weight may vary depending on the purpose.
In modern production, to improve consumer properties (hardness, strength), a certain amount of artificial components is added to natural raw materials.
Description of appearance
Tweed is usually a twill weave of large wool threads, in which a transverse thread (weft) passes over three warp threads, grabs the fourth from below, then “surfaces” to cover the next three - and so on until the end of the row.In the next row, the same manipulations are repeated, but with a shift by one thread. This is how classic types of ornament are formed. For example:
- simple diagonal;
- V-shaped herringbone;
- large contrasting cell;
- “local” tweed (“Christmas tree” in combination with a check);
- “crow’s feet” or “dog (wolf) fang”;
- the intersection at a 90˚ angle of thin horizontal and vertical lines of different colors, forming cells within cells;
- tartan or tartan.
Colors and structure
Tweed attracts with its original colors and patterns, which “emerge” due to the combination of “pure” and dyed wool in one fabric. The more shades used, the more interesting the result. The color scheme is usually characterized by restraint and elegance.. The most common colors are gray, white, black, brown, green. Sometimes there are more “fun”, but not too flashy combinations.
Such color and texture solutions make tweed ideal for everyday office looks.
The structure of the fabric is largely determined by the thickness and degree of twisting of the threads, the force of their tension on the loom, and the density of their weave. Depending on these parameters, matter can be from dense and rough to loose and delicate.
Properties of tweed
Tweed is a fabric that evokes pleasant tactile sensations, warm, not heavy, but not too light. In addition, it is characterized by:
- good thermal insulation;
- hypoallergenic;
- breathability;
- hygroscopicity;
- strength;
- elasticity;
- resistance to creasing;
- durability.
These properties of tweed manifest themselves to a slightly greater or lesser extent depending on its composition and, accordingly, variety, but in general it is one of the most versatile autumn-winter materials.
Advantages and disadvantages
The fabric has a lot of obvious advantages, it:
- saves you from cold and wind even during a long stay outside during the cold season;
- allows moisture and air to pass through, but at the same time gets wet for quite a long time, so light rain will not spoil the pleasure of a walk and will not lead to a cold;
- extremely practical: not easily soiled or wrinkled;
- does not fade or fade due to the use of natural permanent dyes;
- wear-resistant: with proper care it can last for decades.
By the way! If a puff appears on the material, you just have to pull it in different directions from the damaged area, and the fibers will return to their original position, and the fabric will return to its original appearance.
It also has some disadvantages. He:
- will grow up, so young people need to carefully select the style and complete the overall ensemble;
- takes a long time to dry after washing, just like any other warm and thick fabric;
- attractive to moths. In the closet where tweed items are stored, there should always be a special remedy against this “voracious” wool lover;
- It’s not cheap – around a thousand rubles per sq. m. m.
Important! Original wool fabric can wear out in certain places, for example, on the shoulder, due to constantly carrying a handbag on it.
Types of material and their characteristics
Combinations of a certain pattern, color and thickness form varieties of tweed, which have their own trade names:
- Cheviot is a dense, relatively thin suiting material obtained from the wool of dark-colored Merino-like Cheviot sheep.
- Harris is a hand-woven tweed fabric that is made to special standards, officially enshrined in law passed by the UK Parliament. Very strong and waterproof. On every 50 meters of the original canvas there is a wax stamp confirming 100% product quality.
- Donegal is a dense, coarse woolen fabric with a characteristic melange effect - multi-colored knots interspersed against a plain base.
- Covercoat is a coat type of tweed, often with the addition of cotton. The pattern on it is usually small, discreet, formed by weaving threads of three colors.
- Chambray is a suit-coat version, without artificial dyes. It is based on a woven fabric with an ornament made of threads in natural shades.
- Bedford cord is the thickest, warmest, most durable and wear-resistant member of the “tweed family”. Has the highest water repellency.
- Houndstooth is a suit tweed with a bright pattern in black and white or with one pattern superimposed on another (for example, a large contrasting check against a houndstooth background).
- Lace tweed is a very soft, somewhat loose fabric, somewhat reminiscent of lace. Light and voluminous, it consists of a bizarre combination of threads in bright colors. The most suitable option for design experiments.
Area of use of fabric
Tweed clothing has been popular for over 150 years. Initially, due to its rough and rigid texture, the fabric was used for sewing exclusively men's closed jackets, suits for hunting and leisure.
The material conquered women's hearts in the 40s of the last century thanks to the cult personality in the history of world fashion - Coco Chanel, who “stole” many items from a man’s wardrobe and adapted them for the fair half. Elegant tweed suits, including a fitted jacket and a narrow skirt, have become a symbol of self-sufficiency, but at the same time sophistication and femininity.
Also, tweed is the basis for production:
- sports, hunting and fishing clothing;
- military uniform;
- headdresses - berets, hats, caps of various styles;
- home textiles – blankets, rugs, capes;
- shoes (sneakers);
- bags
How to clean and wash?
The most gentle and therefore The best way to care for tweed products is dry cleaning. This procedure can be done at home using a soft clothes brush or use the services of a specialized point. This applies to a greater extent to heavy and large items - coats, jackets.
If the textile is not large-sized, it Can be washed, but only by hand. Pre-soaking is not recommended. The water temperature for washing and rinsing should be no more than 30º, since at higher temperatures the wool shrinks.
Important! You cannot use regular washing powders containing granules - they may not dissolve completely, get stuck in the fibers and leave streaks on the fabric. It is better to use special liquid or gel detergents for washing delicate woolen items. As a last resort, you can use shower gel.
You shouldn't twist thingsso as not to deform them. Drying, since wet things are very heavy, can only be done in a horizontal position, placing it on a well-absorbent fabric substrate.Tweed slowly releases moisture, so the room should be well ventilated.
When the product is almost completely dry and does not stretch under its own weight, you can hang it on hangers of the appropriate size and, if necessary, treat it with a steamer. Ironing is not recommended.
Comfortable, warm clothes are not a luxury, but a necessary part of every person’s wardrobe. A coat, suit, headdress and other tweed products will provide a comfortable walk in the open air, help keep you warm during the cold season, and provide softness, comfort and coziness.
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