Is tweed only suited for winters…? Well, it would seem not as this season’s summer collections are talking a lot about ‘lightweight tweed’. Tweed has, over the years, continued to be a winter wardrobe staple for everyone, irrespective of gender or age. However, of late this versatile fabric, used for making jackets, trench coats and skirts, is exceedingly being used to manufacture dignified attire for spring. Breaking away from the tag of a quintessential fabric for winters, tweed is being reinvented with innovative interlacing and weaving techniques to create edgy jackets, flirty dresses, and curve-hugging shorts for summer collections. In their quest to impart newness to tweed, exporters too are attempting to translate ideas into spring collections…
Despite the increasingly temperate climate, dressing for spring – a season that bridges the gap between two extreme temperatures – comes with its own set of sartorial challenges. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to outerwear. Spring in Europe and parts of the US requires light outerwear, as the art of layering which peaks in the winters starts toning down in spring, before the heat hits fashion. The reality is that even spring weather can remain, at best, unpredictable, and this is why you need a tweed jacket. A wardrobe staple that instantly pulls together any look with a bit of polish and scholastic sophistication, tweed may be a fabric traditionally associated with the cooler months, but a tweed jacket will serve you well into the spring and beyond – as a very welcome and quite ladylike palette refresher after the prevalence of the very many streetwear-infused collections seen off and on the runways.
Adorned with a flexible texture, similar to cheviot or homespun, made in plain, twill or herringbone weave, tweed is no longer seen as a conservative winter fabric; rather, it is becoming bolder, brighter and better, season after season, so as to suit spring requirements. It is being created in a variety of patterns and is not restrained by subdued colour effects achieved through two- or three-ply yarns. Samir Jain, Partner, Devanshi Exports Pvt. Ltd. discussing the tweed trend for spring said, “For our S/S ’17 collection, we have a mix of tweed jacquard designs and striped designs which gives our collection this year a competitive edge. Spring tweeds cannot be on the heavier side, therefore, the choice of yarns are on the lighter note. We have done an unusual combination of organic paisleys and geometric twills that has never been seen before. In my opinion, with prints and embellishments getting over-used and exhausted, self-woven fabrics are the segment to watch out for.”
Current iterations in kaleidoscopic colours, with occasional outré details, new proportions, and silhouettes, be it cropped or extra-long, boxy or fitted, a subdued palette or topped off with ornate embellishments, these offer a fresh take on the heritage classic that’s anything but stuffy. Arvind Falor, Managing Director, Ethnic World Enterprises, who is creating fringed tweed clothing articles informs, “As usual, tweeds were high on demand last Fall. For our A/W ’15-16 collection, we developed tweed kaftans and jackets, but with tweed being popular amongst buyers and customers, spring translations are quite in need. We are creating diamonds with block drafting, and have loops in-between for making a fringe, which brings an unusual edge to the design for the spring tweeds. Weaving techniques open up a huge scope for experimentation, and in tweeds they facilitate newer, exciting versions every season.”
Adding fringes in their tweed styles in distinctive ways, Saraf Textile Mills has been creating tweeds in their individual styles. S.M. Saraf, Managing Director of the company explains, “We are making loops out of the loose ends and leaving the middle weaving. A lot of yarn fringes when folded together to create loops, give a chalk and cheese kind of extreme contrast effect!” Incorporating fringes on the body and hems, and the fabric manipulated in a variety of ways, is one of the popular tweed variations. The runways of A/W ’17-18 saw numerous adaptations of the fabric with fringes. Thakoon showcased a rich and textural affair where oversized tweeds came with rows of yarn fringes, which were sparsely scattered across the body of the tweed jackets creating an interesting 3D surface.
Also, now the concept of ‘season-less’ tweed is getting popular. Tweeds are being developed in lighter colours, prepared in much higher cotton content in comparison to wool content; some of them are blended with even lighter fabrics like linen as well. Owing to their property of moisture-resistance, durability and ability to withstand harsh climates, tweeds have become a desirable fabric for informal outerwear. Working upon this, Chanel, Maiyet, MSGM and other fashion giants took up tweed as the main fabric in their A/W ’16-17 collections. Promod Rathore, Partner, Indus Valley Exports, manufacturer, exporter and supplier of jackets and knitwear shares, “An amalgamation of conventionality and comfortability is making tweed a must-have ensemble for all seasons. We are creating tweeds in a variety of fibres and giving it a mélange effect, which from a distance looks very painting-like.”
No doubt, genderless and season-less fashions are huge big trend drivers in the fashion industry right now. Drawing inspiration from men’s wardrobes, especially nicely tailored tweed jackets and trousers, and overflowing into womenswear, many exporters are developing transitional pieces to suit these requirements. “Tweed is and will be a Fall favourite till as long as I can imagine! But with its versatility of being made in different fibre compositions, tweed has also become a spring favourite and can be created in bright colours to the neutrals, in a plethora of ways,” concluded, Abhishek Khanna, Partner, K. A. International.
