Is Tweed Acceptably Traditional?

[Nick the DSM]

I'd say they're traditional, especially if it's Harris Tweed they have a great selection of tweeds of make a kilt look great.

[JSFMACLJR]

I'd say they're traditional, especially if it's Harris Tweed they have a great selection of tweeds of make a kilt look great.

Why would being made of Harris tweed make a kilt "traditional" over a kilt made of some other sort of tweed?

[Nick the DSM]

Why would being made of Harris tweed make a kilt "traditional" over a kilt made of some other sort of tweed?

Sorry, I shouldn't have posted after being out in the heat for hours.

What I meant to say Harris Tweed has a great selection of style for kilts, jackets, etc for traditional wear.

[Redshank]

Well, I personally have a "Harris Tweed" kilt in the Isle of Skye tartan, it is by far my favourite of the kilts I own, I have 2 other so called tweed kilts, though not in Harris Tweed but woven on Islay in the old Ardbeg tweed and the Inveraray tweed.

Isle of Skye Harris Tweed (a very rare beast indeed)


Ardbeg Tweed worn by a celebrity friend


Yours truly in the Inveraray Tweed


So, yes tweed kilts are commonly worn in this part of Scotland at least.

Chris

[figheadair]

An interesting aspect of this thread is the mixing of the terms tweed and tartan. The basic difference between the two is that tartan is made from a pure colour yarn and tweed form a mixtured yarn.

Traditional tweeds that have been used for kilts include Hodden Grey and of course the original Balmoral which was made from a 3-ply mixed yarn.

Weaving Harris tweed weight tartan cloth in solid coloured yarns mean, in my book, that the resulting cloth is tartan and not tweed in the same way that silk tartan is still tartan.

To confuse things further, many of the Estate Checks are two or three coloured checks or tartans (use solid coloured yarns) whereas others are tweed by virtue of being woven with a mixtured yarn.

[Jock Scot]

An interesting aspect of this thread is the mixing of the terms tweed and tartan. The basic difference between the two is that tartan is made from a pure colour yarn and tweed form a mixtured yarn.

Traditional tweeds that have been used for kilts include Hodden Grey and of course the original Balmoral which was made from a 3-ply mixed yarn.

Weaving Harris tweed weight tartan cloth in solid coloured yarns mean, in my book, that the resulting cloth is tartan and not tweed in the same way that silk tartan is still tartan.

To confuse things further, many of the Estate Checks are two or three coloured checks or tartans (use solid coloured yarns) whereas others are tweed by virtue of being woven with a mixtured yarn.

I am glad you have cleared that up Peter as I certainly do not have tartan in mind when generaly talking about tweed.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Peter,

Interesting reminder about the original Balmoral tartan being a tweed.

To further your comments, though, I have never viewed the terms "tweed" and "tartan" as being exclusive.

I see tweed as being a type of cloth, specifically a rough woolen fabric made using mixed yarns, as you describe. Tartan, on the other hand, can be used to refer to both the pattern as well as cloth woven in the pattern. So it is entirely possible to have tweed cloth woven in a tartan pattern, and it ceases to be neither tweed nor tartan. The two terms are not exclusive.

If one takes a close look at this image, showing Harris Tweed cloth in the Black Watch tartan, with the Grant/Drummond tartan in the overlay, you can see that the "solid" color yarns are in fact a color mix - a true tweed. That's a large part of what gives the tweed cloth its beautiful character.

[seanachie]

An interesting aspect of this thread is the mixing of the terms tweed and tartan. The basic difference between the two is that tartan is made from a pure colour yarn and tweed form a mixtured yarn.

Traditional tweeds that have been used for kilts include Hodden Grey and of course the original Balmoral which was made from a 3-ply mixed yarn.

Weaving Harris tweed weight tartan cloth in solid coloured yarns mean, in my book, that the resulting cloth is tartan and not tweed in the same way that silk tartan is still tartan.

To confuse things further, many of the Estate Checks are two or three coloured checks or tartans (use solid coloured yarns) whereas others are tweed by virtue of being woven with a mixtured yarn.

Thanks for sharing this information Peter. I confess to having been a little confused on the tartan/tweed issue. When I place the original post I was not envisioning a "tartan tweed" as much as tweed patterns.

Is tweed for kilts come in different weights similar to tartan ie 13 oz and 16 oz or is there a common weight for tweed?

Thanks

PS Chris your IOS looks fantastic!

[saxandpipes]

There are some very helpful comments here so far.

One more question to those in the know: Considering the general avoidance of anything "matching" when dealing with TCHD, would it be considered any more traditional to have a tweed kilt not matching the jacket?

I imagine at least that a kind of "kilt-suit-outfit" made up entirely in (matching) tweed would be rather a more modern look. I could be completely wrong...


Cheers,

Michael

[creagdhubh]

Wonderful posts gents!

Very informative topic and interesting as well. I have never really thought of having a kilt done up in any sort of tweed, whether it be of tartan, or specific variants of tweed styles. Now, I am giving it much more thought. I have always adored the look and feel of tweed, and when viewing the tweed kilt done up in the Stephenson tartan, I was very impressed! I love the "brushed" look and texture of it. I bet the hunting Macpherson would look quite nice in a tweed kilt!

As for Sandy's decision of which tartan to have a tweed kilt done up in...hmmm...my vote is for the hunting MacLean, or perhaps a MacLean of Duart done up in more subdued, weathered colours? Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

Slainte,