What is the difference between tartan and tweed

That obviously would be absurd if the word Tweed is to have any real practical meaning. In early times only the best fast colours could come through the long and severe manufacturing processes unimpaired.

Now dyeing has so progressed that if properly carried out shades may be equally fast whether wool dyed, yam dyed, or piece dyed, and we have only to consider which method is the most convenient for our stocks or is most likely to produce just the effect we aim at. We did say " if properly carried out. And what are these considerations or reasons that decide the stage at which the dyeing is done?

To begin with, if you are seeking for a mixture effect it is evident that the wool must be dyed before it is spun, unless the effect is possible by the mixture of raw materials that dye differently, such as wool and rayon. If a large quantity of any particular colour is needed it may be quite economical to dye the wool even if a mixture effect is not required, but it does tend to lock up material in the yarn store; equally obviously it does tend to produce a level colour all over the cloth and prevent variation from one web to another.

Then it is obvious that if very small quantities of many different colours are needed, like striping yarns, it is easier to make one lot of white yarn and dye little lots as they are required, and thus save locking up yarn and capital. Also, as there is of course less working on the colour after it is dyed, there is a tendency to achieve more brilliant shades.

There is likewise a tendency to make more waste in the different processes of winding necessitated by yarn dyeing, and equally of course all that working on the yarn tends to weaken the thread and so may delay the weaver. In all these matters it is a balance of advantages and disadvantages that must decide. In some cloths the use of a very soft spun yarn may be an advantage - even a necessity - and it may be necessary to pay for capital and dye in bigger lots in the wool, for a very soft twist will obviously be unable to stand the processes of reeling, dyeing, and winding involved in the dyeing of yarns.

Then, lastly, we come to piece dyeing. The first and most evident advantage is that out of one white yarn you can produce an infinite number of different shades of finished cloth, and the other equally evident advantage is that by preparing the goods past the weaving stage and storing the half finished cloth a much more rapid delivery can be achieved after an order is received.

These might be called financial considerations. There are also some real advantages, such as in many types of soft or velvet finishes where raising or brushing comes in or some special milling effect is needed. Piece dyeing enables very soft yarns to be used or yarns of types of raw material that felt badly or otherwise deteriorate in wool dyeing. For example. Angora fur matts terribly in dyeing and also floats about in the dye vessels and so gets lost.

Such materials are best converted into yarn as early as possible in their evolution into cloth. And so this choice, wool dyeing, yarn dyeing, or piece dyeing, now depends on the manager and the designer entirely. If properly carried out, one method is as good as another in its final effect so far as the wearer is concerned.

Well we have not come much nearer a definition of Tweed - at least we have not found a definition that could be embodied in an Act of Parliament, or even very usefully registered for any purpose.

Tweed could perhaps be described rather than defined as a cloth of medium weight, best adapted for suits for men and women. Not very smooth in texture. Tending, but only tending, towards Cheviot qualities. The Black Watch tartan has blue, green and black checks often worn by the Highland regiments on campaigns to defend the British colonies, and to fight in the First and Second World Wars.

Stewart Tartan has been incorporated into fashion lines most notably by Vivienne Westwood who brought the punk meaning to the Stewart tartan, and has used it in collections throughout her career. Designed by Prince Albert himself in , the sett has a grey background said to represent the granite found in Royal Deeside and features red and black checks with black and white thread twisted together through the background to achieve a textured appearance.

Traditionally the Balmoral tartan can only be worn by those of royal lineage and Queen Elizabeth II is often photographed in Balmoral tartan skirts. A standard-quality kilt is heavy, durable and traditionally 7. Scrimping on quality is ill-advised when it comes to kilts so buy the best you can afford. Consider the level of workmanship involved in creating a high-quality kilt.

Kilts are finely crafted products — from chalking the fabric, to hand-stitching pleats, attaching buckles and belt loops and sewing inner linings — every stage is significant and worth investing in. At its longest, the traditional kilt should reach to the top of the kneecap. You will note that the bottom of the kilt is the selvedge of the fabric meaning there is no hem to alter the length of the kilt after the fabric is cut. Hose are typically worn in muted colours of grey, navy, dark green and black but are also available in white.

Underneath the fold of the hose, garter flashes are worn with the elastic tucked beneath the fold and the coloured fabric seen on the outside of the leg. On the feet, evening brogues or ghillie brogues are worn with long laces that tie around the ankles. Lastly the kilt pin is less functional than one might expect, existing for ornamentation alone and not meant to keep kilt flaps closed. You will see a plaid design most often in flannel, wool, or cotton cloth.

In America, a tartan design is classified as a kind of plaid. Farmhouse style has caused a resurgence of the plaid pattern in recent years. Cozy plaid pajamas have been popular for much longer. The many crisscross patterns of plaid emerged in the Scottish highlands. Later on, a wave of Scottish immigration brought plaid fabric to American shores. In the early 19th century, a clever marketing scheme gave plaid a distinctly American twist.

The company used a picture of Paul Bunyan wearing a plaid shirt to make the lumberjack look more appealing. Why do we call it buffalo plaid, anyway? According to lore, one of the Scottish immigrants who arrived in the early years of American history traded with Native Americans. He exchanged red-and-black-checked tartan blankets in return for animal pelts. Presumably, some of those animal pelts included buffalo skins!

Legend has it this led to the popular term buffalo plaid. As a final note of cultural interest, plaid has served as a symbol of resistant or countercultural style multiple times. Besides the use of tartan in the highlands, plaid often serves as a key element of the punk wardrobe. Plaid shirts worn loose and often unbuttoned also became a big part of the grunge style in the 90s. Tartan fabric is a plaid design with a name and a history associated with a specific Scottish family.

Often these unique designs are registered in historical archives or online databases as clan tartans. But first, a word about wording. Both words sometimes describe any plaid pattern with horizontal and vertical crisscrossing lines. The iconic Scottish kilt may have originated from the use of tartan blankets.

These blankets could drape over the shoulder. No one knows when the blankets became pieces of clothing involving complex pleating and belting around the waist. But this practical fashion choice allowed Scottish men to stay warm and have their hands free at the same time!

The patterns use more than two colors. They also have irregular crisscross patterns that give them a complex design. The square may include complex crisscrossing of several colors. In the Scottish highlands, most towns or clans had their own weaver to make fabric for the community.

Over time, the weavers created unique plaid patterns for the men of the town to wear as easy identifiers. In a sense, the tartan served as a sort of team uniform. The weavers often used natural dyes to create the colors they used.

This allowed them to build complex sets. These repeating crisscross patterns differentiated one tartan design from another. Scotland fought fiercely to become an independent nation throughout history. Scotsmen often wore their clan tartans as identifiers during these battles. Centuries of culture and history were suppressed. Despite the tragedy, it is interesting to note that the oppressing government saw the tartan design as a threat.

Clan patterns so strongly symbolized the culture of the highlands that the cloth itself became a threat! The ban held for more than 30 years until it was finally repealed in By then, many Scottish families had immigrated to America, seeking the chance of freedom they had lost in their homeland.

Tartan can be worn by anyone who wishes to wear it, but it is mostly only worn by Scots. Tweed and tartan, although different, can be worn together. Our Kilt Outfit range consists of many options that pair a tartan kilt with a tweed jacket.

This is a contemporary kilt outfit choice and is very popular at weddings and Scottish events. So where tartan and tweed are similar in weave and material, they also differ in the way that tartan can be tweed but tweed cannot be tartan.

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