Harris Tweed - textile that has it`s own history
March 24th, 2008
Contemporary fashion industry is bursting at the seams with different types of textiles, mostly artificial one. They are good for a big fashion shows but in ordinary wear we prefer natural materials. And what is more natural then Harris Tweed?
Harris Tweed (in industry way) was for the first time made in 19th century - handwoven back than, in the earlier beginnings and till nowadays. It has a great history and a great scope of usage in fashion. There are many producers of clothes in the UK but probably none of them is as much famous as Harris Tweed.
The definition of Harris Tweed brought from Harris Tweed Act (1993) says that it`s `cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris in their homes, using pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.` Till now only few elements of this definition has changed.
The act was specially written to ensure that all clothes certified with the Harris Tweed Orb symbol are genuine. The Harris Tweed can only be woven in the outer Islands off Western Scotland in the Hebrides. Moreover every weaver involved has to sign the British Harris Tweed Authority agreement that they wove the yarn by hand.
At the beginning it`s name was different. The original was “twill“, as the cloth was being woven in a twilled. It has changed it`s name only by chance. It`s because of misleading of merchant of London , as the traditional story says. Two hundred years ago the merchant got letter about the material `tweel` being produced in Scotland but he misinterpreted the handwriting understanding it to be a trade-name taken from the name of the river Tweed. This name left till today.
Harris Tweed industry had it`s beginning in 1846, Lady Dunmore, widow of the late Earl of Dunmore, had the Murray tartan copied by Harris weavers in tweed. This proved so successful that Lady Dunmore devoted much time and thought to marketing the tweed to her friends and then to improving the process of production.
Harris Tweed must be made from 100 per cent pure virgin wool. Now the wool can be imported from different countries but all harris tweed is hand woven by the weavers at their own home, finished in the Outer Hebrides. Only dying is made in factories, usually the same one where the material for scottish kilts and blankets are being dyed too.
Now Harris Tweed is a textile with great class and history, well known on the whole world and appreciated by the movie stars and one of the biggest sport concern, Nike.