By: Olivia Robinson

Olivia Robinson — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 18:43:32 +0000

Julie and Elena, I also didn’t realize the utilitarian origin of tweed. The story of tweed illustrates specific fabrics (or other materials) can take on meaning that is very far from it’s origin, yet still retain aspects of it. For instance, tweed was used initially as men’s outdoor rugged cloth. When it was first made, the fact that it was British didn’t really mean very much. But once it was apart of the global and colonial stage – it began to be associated with the British Empire and even sold itself as part of “authentic” British (Scottish) goods. What are the other associations you have with tweed? I also associate it with Ivy League colleges, New England elites, aristocratic sports such as horseback riding and grouse hunting for sport — all of these things also (I believe) root back to England. What other kinds of textiles do you think have histories that vary from our contemporary associations with them?

By: ecrites@andrew.cmu.edu

ecrites@andrew.cmu.edu — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 21:20:52 +0000

I also enjoyed reading this article and was fascinated to hear about the history of this textile, since I too think of it as a staple in ‘women’s’ fashion specifically, though of course it is used in ‘men’s’ fashion as well. I would never have thought of it as revolutionary for women to start wearing tweed without this historical context, so I found that to be really interesting as well. I also agree with what you said about the British manufacturers choosing names that made them sound more Scottish – I guess it’s not all too surprising that this happened, but it’s certainly thought-provoking that consumers will trust a product more based specifically on its branding.

Comments on: Cultural Garments: Tweed

By: Olivia Robinson

By: ecrites@andrew.cmu.edu