British Isles Tweed Still Retains Its Fashion Pre-Eminence

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 86, 25 August 1948, Page 3

British Isles Tweed Still Retains Its Fashion Pre-Eminence

Britain’s eleven leading couturiers, members of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers, demonstrated in the showroom of the International Wool Secretariat this month that tweed from the British Isles—the cloth with a more distinctive character than any other in the world—is still the lovely, versatile and fashionable fabric which for years has merited its pre-emin-ence wherever good clothing is worn. In the mannequin parade, each of the ‘Big Eleven’ demonstrated models interpreting the ‘Role of Tweed in 1948” (says the New Zealand Wool Board News Service). , The models were made from cloth ranging in weight from about 28oz to the square yard to as little as 8. For tweed is not longer of necessity a ‘heavy’ cloth. Modern technical resources, combined with the skill of the world’s finest weavers, have made possible the production of tweeds as light as some of the finest worsteds. “To conform with the newest fashion lines, the tendency of tweed • today is to become lighter,” a leading designer said. “Tweed is still the most durable of all fabrics. Perhaps no other cloth can boast the twin virtue of being so informal and yet so elegant.” Lovely Cheviots in both ‘rough’ and ‘close’ finishes, native homespun Irish tweeds, Lintons, fine. Shetlands, soft Saxonies, reversible tweeds in plain tartan for overcoating, and a wide range of the world famous Harris—all were exhibited in the show. * • One thing the display demonstrated above all else is that the long and honourable tradition of hand woven tv/eeds is as jealbusly guarded by the “haute couture” as it is by tile cottage weavers and the artist craftsmen. # Harris tweed, the designers say—this lovely cloth with the official description of “tweed, hand-spun, hand-woven, and dyed and finished by hand in the islands- of Lewis, Harris, Uist, Barra, and their several purtenances, and all known as the Outer Hebrides”—is in greater demand than ever throughout the world. It is one of the many essentially British products which cannot be surpassed. Like the wool from which it is made, it has no substitute.