How the countrified tweed coat became a city style essential

These days when we talk about performance fabrics in sport, they’re high-tech, designed to wick away sweat or prevent chafing during ultramarathons. In the 19th century, though, tweed was the perfect leisurewear all-rounder, good for hunting, shooting, fishing, riding - and then sitting soft afterwards.

Originally, tweed - a woolen twill fabric woven into different patterns - was handwoven to protect against the cold temperatures in Scotland, but it was quickly adopted by the aristocracy as a countryside uniform of sorts. When, in 1852, Prince Albert purchased Balmoral, he commissioned an estate tweed that almost camouflages in the local landscape when deer-stalking, and to this day, tweed remains a mainstay of Queen Elizabeth II’s Balmoral wardrobe.

Remarkably lightweight and breathable, considering its warmth, and hardy in the rain, it’s also perfect for the changeable for our British weather. Across the centuries it’s become synonymous with a country lifestyle and, as a result, with Britishness - our equivalent of the French breton or Dutch clogs.

But what of wearing tweed in town? Past attempts to co-opt tweed for city living - like Madonna’s British makeover at the time of her marriage to Guy Ritchie, which saw her adding tweed flat caps to her style repertoire - could put anyone off. But Coco Chanel’s tweeds, dating from the 1920s, are far too fine to wear within a mile of bracken, and marked the beginning of a more refined interpretation of tweed in women’s fashion. In the 1950s, tweed suits and coats by Chanel, Balenciaga and Hardy Amies were paired with elegant hats and gloves in the city. In the late 1980s, Vivienne Westwood turned tweed on its head, bringing a punk sensibility to classic Harris tweed.   

In 2018, the tweed coat has come around again. Moth-eaten or well-worn examples already in your wardrobe can be patched or repaired - enlist the help of a tailor if you’re not confident with a needle, though make sure you’ve dealt with any moth problems first. Grey won’t flatter every skintone, and if it doesn’t yours, look for warmer shades instead, or experiment with a bolder check. Rather than country tweeds, many of the latest silhouettes are city-specific: single-breasted, wide collared, long-line. Bear in mind that a classic tweed coat will look the most up to date paired with something less traditional - try yours over a cocktail dress for evening and, unless you’re in the countryside, learn from Madonna’s mistakes and avoid breeks or a flatcap.

TRACKING THE TREND

In the city

Grace Kelly’s trapeze-line coat, paired with a top-handle bag, heels and a bow-fronted pill-box hat for a shopping trip in 1956 (the year of her marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco), rid tweed of any countryside connotations.

In the country

Queen Elizabeth II’s off-duty Balmoral style has become as well-known as her on-duty regalia. Shown here surrounded by highland cattle with Prince Philip in 1972, HM’s tweed coat and skirt are both practical and elegant.

On the catwalk

Canadian-born, London-based designer Erdem Moralioglu often riffs on British aristocratic style codes in his collections; for autumn/winter ‘18, he took inspiration from another transplant, Adele Astaire - vaudeville star and sister of Fred - who went on to marry the son of the Duke of Devonshire.