Tweed vs. Wool kilt jacket?

**Manu** · 5th February 17, 08:07 AM

I am looking for a kilt jacket and I as I browse I see a lot of tweed, Harris tweed, and the like. These are made in Scotland and usually priced at around $300-$350 US. Now, I have also seen kilt jackets in the usual cuts of Argyll, Crail, and such but they are advertised as 100% wool. These are also made in Scotland, but they are priced at $175-$200.

So my question for the rabble is, what makes tweed superior to regular wool when making kilt jackets? Why is tweed priced higher? Thanks in advance for the info!

**Taskr** · 5th February 17, 08:28 AM

Others have the clothier expertise, but I'll give my consumer opinion; it comes down to fabrication and marketting.

Tweed is woven with a herringbone twill pattern that can be moisture resistant and very durable, where wool cloth is simple weave in a flat pattern. The processes are not the same, and thus we can expect tweed to be higher priced. There is also the cost of brand. Not unlike no-name to brand-name, Harris tweed fetches brand recognition and thus brand price.

As in most if not all things, make sure you are paying for the quality you want and expect.

(as Tweedhead more eloquently notes, below)

**tweedhead** · 5th February 17, 08:28 AM

I don't think anything makes them better, they merely have different uses. Tweed is a roughly finished wool textile which gives it a great deal more texture, somewhat improved durability, and better weather resistance. Most wool kilt jackets and such that aren't tweed will instead be barathea, which is a hopsack weave that breathes a bit better than tweed. Usually everything in black will be barathea, it just has a bit more texture than you'd typically find in tighter woven black and midnight blue wool fabrics used for suits and formalwear.

Tweed is a workhorse everyday fabric used for day wear, barathea is more formal and fragile and used for evening wear. Harris Tweed is a trademarked name for tweed woven in the Western Isles (once upon a time it had to be made from wool sheared from sheep on the islands but I think they can also use imported English wool now) and has a deserved reputation for quality and durability. It isnt uncommon for vintage Harris Tweed jackets in excess of 70 years old to be in perfectly wearable condition. I myself have a vintage sportcoat that was made in the late 50s-early 60s that I found that has almost no visible wear at all, just some discoloration of the partial lining. I expect if I take care to protect it from moths it'll outlive me as well.

**Manu** · 5th February 17, 08:39 AM

I see. So, is it accurate to say the regular wool fabric is lighter and breathes better? I ask because living South Florida one tends to lean towards lighter fabrics. Except for our two weeks of winter when temps drop down to the 50s.

**tweedhead** · 5th February 17, 08:55 AM

Yes I would say so. However I don't know how much of a consolation even a loose weave like barathea would be in South Florida. It breathes better, yes, but it's still rather heavy and as far as I know always fully lined. Seems more like the sort of weather you'd want to skip a jacket entirely, unless it's a formal event requiring one.

Personally I do wear jackets and suits in hot weather (though not kilts) so I have a good collection of linen and some blended fabrics, all partially lined or unlined. What would be very interesting to know is if there are any places that make or sell such items intended to be worn with a kilt. I guess in warmer climates so far there just isn't the market demand for kilt-cut jackets that are partially lined and made of materials like linen or tropical wool or cotton. For something like that it must be necessary to see a tailor and have them custom-made.

I would wager there are a few xmarks members who have had summer-weight jackets altered into kilt jackets over the years.

**Hirsty** · 5th February 17, 01:48 PM

Harris Tweed and tweed in general is traditionally worn (and still very popular) in the Scottish countryside because it is durable, warm, quite camouflaged and relatively weatherproof. Modern materials are more practical but you will still see many people stalking, out on shoots, walking, attending shows, etc wearing tweed.

Coupled with a kilt, tweed jackets look amazing and look great - it seems to hang well no matter your shape.

Most jackets made to wear with kilts are wool, so it depends on what you'll be using the jacket for. Day wear, I'd go for tweed.

**Todd Bradshaw** · 5th February 17, 09:29 PM

I would wager there are a few xmarks members who have had summer-weight jackets altered into kilt jackets over the years.

Guilty. This one is a converted London Fog linen sport coat. Cooler in summer than either my tweed or barathea jackets. Linen is nice because it has really good crispness without being too heavy.

**John_Carrick** · 6th February 17, 04:50 AM

A black barathea Argyll jacket is probably the most versatile jacket you can buy and can be worn by day and more formally in the evening and might be more tolerable in a hot climate. It is not favourite but it is the one I pack when I go away.
PCs and other formal jackets are smarter but are too dressy for day time.
The various tweed jackets, with or without waistcoats, are usually very nice but not always formal enough for a black tie event.

I seem to recall Jock stating that a tweed jacket and kilt are on a par with a business suit in terms of the level of smartness and formality.

John

**Jack Daw** · 6th February 17, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by tweedhead

I would wager there are a few xmarks members who have had summer-weight jackets altered into kilt jackets over the years.

I have. This jacket was from a favorite Italian summer-weight suit. I'm fourth from the left:

IMG_5266.jpg

**Jock Scot** · 6th February 17, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by John_Carrick

A black barathea Argyll jacket is probably the most versatile jacket you can buy and can be worn by day and more formally in the evening and might be more tolerable in a hot climate. It is not favourite but it is the one I pack when I go away.
PCs and other formal jackets are smarter but are too dressy for day time.
The various tweed jackets, with or without waistcoats, are usually very nice but not always formal enough for a black tie event.

I seem to recall Jock stating that a tweed jacket and kilt are on a par with a business suit in terms of the level of smartness and formality.

John

Indeed I have said that John and confirm a tweed kilt jacket, worn with the kilt, is the lounge/business suit equivalent. The black barathea silver buttoned argyll(BBSBA) is in fact, the kilt equivalent of morning dress, but does successfully work for minor black tie(evening) events too.

I think a linen kilt jacket is an obvious choice for warm climates.