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For superb Victorian or Edwardian
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Tweed Fashion UK Fabric History 2Harris TweedFashion HistoryBy Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com |
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Harris Tweed Fashion HistoryBritish Woollen Goods in FashionDuring the Industrial revolution, Yorkshire and Scotland both became big centres for woollen goods manufacture. In the 1950s Britain was the largest exporter of wool textiles in the world and after the Second World War woollen good were used to help the UK export economy recover even though UK residents were deprived of the very same goods, until clothes rationing was removed. Even though the UK textiles manufacturing sector has contracted over the years, in 2004 what remains is an important part of the UK industry. Cloth produced by mills in Yorkshire and Scotland is sought after globally by discriminating designers and purchasers. However, the market is smaller as third world companies compete. Because traditional methods are used to produce many of the tweeds and tartans from the UK the technique produces a fabric that is unrivalled in quality in terms of texture and handle. The last couple of decades has also seen the introduction of lighter weight woollen materials more suited to the modern world. When I think of quality British tweeds I think of Harris Tweed, Linton Tweeds and Bernat Klein Tweeds. The 3 names offer different textural qualities in tweeds that captures the word exactly. Harris TweedHarris Tweed is perfect for the new equestrian fashions for autumn/ winter 2004/5. No other material looks as good made up as a traditional tailored riding or hacking jacket. There are many producers of cloth in the, UK but the most world famous woollen cloth of all is probably the Harris Tweed. Harris tweed is made in Britain and British tweed is the finest in the world. To be precise Harris tweed can only be woven in the outer Islands off Western Scotland in the Hebrides. In the early Victorian era in the 1840s the wife of the Laird of Harris, Lady Dunmore encouraged the local weaving economy to promote the sales and production of Harris tweed. Usually the wool comes from mainland Scotland and is transported to the islands where it is cleaned and dyed. After it is carded and blended it is warped onto wooden frames which are sent out to individual crofters with enough yarn to fill in for the weft (woof). They weave the material according to precise Harris pattern requirements on their time-honoured Hattersley looms. Every weaver involved has to sign the British Harris Tweed Authority agreement that they wove the yarn by hand. The isle of Lewis deals with finishing the cloth which includes cleaning it of the oils that kept it from splitting during weaving and then milling and cropping it, until it has the desired handle for tailoring use. The finished tweed is stamped with a certification mark to ensure it is recognised as true Harris Tweed.
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1993 Harris Tweed Act of ParliamentUnder the legal definition by a 1993 Act of Parliament the goods must be ' hand-woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, Benbecula, Uist and Barra and their several purtenances and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides '. The Harris tweed industry has taken action against competing markets and moved into the 21st century producing a new lighter weight fabric at 9oz a square metre compared to traditional weights of just over 16oz per square metre. This is the guarantee of a genuine Harris tweed product that will have years of wear in it.
For related 1980 fashion and also 1990s fashion go to:-
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