What is Tweed? A Guide to Britain's Heritage Fabric

Few fabrics are as woven into the British and Scottish way of life as tweed. It has clothed shepherds and shooting parties, country gentry and city tailors, and it remains as relevant today as it was two centuries ago. But what actually is tweed, what makes it so hard-wearing, and why does a length of Harris Tweed carry such prestige?

This guide explains everything you need to know, from what tweed is made of and how it is woven, to the different types, its famous warmth and how to wear and care for it.

What is tweed?

Tweed is a rough, closely woven woollen cloth, traditionally made from pure new wool. It is known for its dense, slightly coarse texture, its rich flecks of colour and its remarkable durability. The weave is what gives tweed its character: short lengths of dyed wool are spun into yarn and then woven in patterns such as herringbone, check and houndstooth, often blending several colours into a single cloth that shifts in the light.

The name is thought to come from the River Tweed, which runs through the Scottish Borders, one of the historic heartlands of the cloth. What began as practical, weatherproof clothing for country life has become a symbol of British heritage and quality the world over.

What is tweed made of?

Tweed is made from wool, usually from hardy upland sheep breeds whose fleece is well suited to a rugged, hard-wearing cloth. The wool is washed, carded and dyed, then spun into yarn. Crucially, the colours are often blended at the wool stage rather than after weaving, which is why a single tweed can contain so many subtle shades at once, a russet flecked with green and gold, or a grey shot through with blue.

That high wool content is the secret to tweed's natural warmth and its resistance to wind and rain, qualities no synthetic fabric reproduces quite so well.

A short history of tweed

Tweed grew out of the working cloth of the Scottish Borders and Highlands, where families wove their own woollen cloth, originally called "tweel", the Scots word for twill, to survive the harsh climate. The story goes that a London merchant misread the word as "tweed" in the 1820s, and the name stuck.

Through the nineteenth century, tweed became closely tied to the great Scottish estates. Landowners commissioned their own "estate tweeds", distinctive colours and patterns designed to blend into a particular landscape and to identify the wearer. The fabric's association with shooting, fishing and country sports cemented its place in British life, and from there it made its way into mainstream tailoring and fashion, where it has remained ever since.

How tweed is made

Making tweed is a craft with several stages. The wool is sorted, washed and dyed, then carded to align the fibres and spun into yarn. The yarn is woven on a loom in a twill weave, a structure where the threads cross in a diagonal pattern, which is what gives tweed its strength and its characteristic diagonal or zig-zag lines.

The pattern of that weave defines the look of the finished cloth. A herringbone tweed, for example, takes its name from the V-shaped pattern that resembles the bones of a fish, created by reversing the direction of the twill at regular intervals. Once woven, the cloth is washed and finished to bring out its density and softness.

The different types of tweed

Not all tweed is the same. The cloth varies by where it is made, how it is woven and the patterns it carries. These are the names worth knowing.

Harris Tweed

Harris Tweed is the most celebrated tweed of all, and the only fabric in the world protected by its own Act of Parliament. By law, genuine Harris Tweed must be made from pure virgin wool, dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides, and handwoven by islanders at their own homes in the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra. Every length is checked and stamped with the famous Orb mark, the guarantee of authenticity.

The result is a cloth of extraordinary quality and heritage, prized by tailors and fashion houses across the world. We are proud to work with it, see our Harris Tweed collection.

Donegal tweed

Donegal tweed comes from County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland and is instantly recognisable by its flecks of bright colour scattered across a plain background. Those colourful specks, traditionally added by hand, give Donegal its warm, characterful look.

Herringbone

Herringbone is less a place than a pattern, and one of the most popular in tweed. Its distinctive V-shaped, zig-zag weave gives a subtle texture that reads as a soft, neutral cloth from a distance and a detailed pattern up close. It is endlessly versatile and a favourite for caps, jackets and scarves. Browse our herringbone hats and herringbone scarves.

Cheviot, check and other styles

Cheviot tweed takes its name from the Cheviot sheep of the English-Scottish border and produces a firm, hard-wearing cloth. Beyond these, tweed appears in a host of patterns, from bold estate checks and houndstooth to plain weaves, each with its own character.

Is tweed warm and waterproof?

Tweed's reputation as a country fabric is well earned. Thanks to its high wool content and dense weave, it is genuinely warm, trapping heat even on cold, blustery days. The natural lanolin in wool also makes tweed highly water-resistant, it sheds light rain and showers rather than soaking them up, which is exactly why it became the cloth of choice for life outdoors in the British climate.

It is breathable too, regulating temperature so you stay warm without overheating, and it is remarkably hard-wearing. A well-made piece of tweed will last for decades and only improve with age.

How to wear tweed

Tweed has shaken off any stuffy reputation and now sits comfortably in modern wardrobes. The trick is to let one tweed piece lead the outfit. A tweed cap or herringbone flat cap is the easiest way in, pairing effortlessly with a wool coat, a quilted jacket or a simple jumper for an instant touch of country style.

A tweed or herringbone scarf adds warmth and texture to a winter outfit, while keeping the palette neutral lets the cloth do the talking. For a fuller heritage look, build around earthy tones, browns, greens, greys and rust, that echo the colours woven into the cloth itself.

Explore our full tweed country clothing range, along with our tweed scarves. For more on traditional British pattern and colour, read tartan through time.

How to care for tweed

Tweed is hard-wearing but it deserves a little care to keep it at its best. Brush it gently with a soft clothes brush after wear to lift off dust and dirt. Spot-clean any marks with a damp cloth rather than soaking the cloth, and never machine wash tweed, as heat and agitation can shrink and distort the wool. For a thorough clean, take tweed garments to a professional dry cleaner.

Store tweed on a sturdy hanger or folded loosely in a breathable space, and air it occasionally. Cared for well, a piece of tweed will serve you for a lifetime.

Frequently asked questions

What is tweed made of? Tweed is made from wool, traditionally pure new wool from hardy sheep breeds. The wool is dyed, spun into yarn and woven in a twill weave, which gives tweed its strength, warmth and texture.

Is tweed wool? Yes. Genuine tweed is a woollen cloth. Its high wool content is what gives it its warmth, water resistance and durability.

Is tweed warm and waterproof? Tweed is very warm thanks to its dense wool weave, and it is naturally water-resistant, shedding light rain and showers. It is not fully waterproof like a coated fabric, but it copes admirably with British weather.

What is Harris Tweed and where is it made? Harris Tweed is a protected cloth that must be made from pure virgin wool, dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and handwoven by islanders in their homes. Every length carries the Orb trademark as proof of authenticity.

What are the main types of tweed? The best known are Harris Tweed from the Outer Hebrides, Donegal tweed from Ireland, and herringbone, named for its V-shaped weave. Cheviot, estate checks and houndstooth are other common types.

Why is tweed so expensive? Quality tweed is made from pure wool and woven with great skill, and the finest, such as handwoven Harris Tweed, is labour-intensive to produce. That craftsmanship, along with the cloth's exceptional durability, is reflected in the price.

How do you care for tweed? Brush it after wear, spot-clean marks with a damp cloth and dry clean rather than machine wash. Store it on a good hanger in a breathable space. Treated well, tweed lasts for decades.

Discover British heritage at its best in our Harris Tweed and tweed country clothing collections, classic tweeds and checks, always with a modern twist.