History

• The initial surge of popularity that established tweed is largely credited to Lady Dunmore, who marketed the material throughout the United Kingdom in the 1840s, according to Fiberarts.com.
  
  

Features

• Traditional tweed is a durable and warm fabric that, with proper care, can last for decades. It is made in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
  
  

Production

• The production process for tweed has many steps. The wool must be washed and dried before being dyed. It then must undergo carding, blending and spinning into yarn. The yarn is then used by individual weavers to create tweed.
  
  

Geography

• Under British law, no tweed may be sold as Harris Tweed unless the wool used is grown and the entire production process occurs in the Outer Hebrides, small islands of the northern coast of Scotland.
  
  

Fashion

• According to Fiberarts.com, tweed originally was worn in rural communities, but it was adopted by the British aristocracy as outdoor wear. According to Fashion-era.com, recent trends of producing a lighter version of the fabric has increased its popularity in the fashion world.