How to Wear Tweed

Inject class into your wardrobe by adopting some quality tweed pieces for the cooler months. Associated with all manner of manly activities, tweed is a coarse woollen fabric perfect for braving the outdoors even if you have no intention of going on a hunting trip.

The tweed jacket

Tweed jackets are one of the easiest ways to wear tweed- you can dress it up with formal attire or pair it with a more casual outfit. A sport coat, which differs from a suit jacket in that it is not accompanied by matching pants and is usually in a hardier material, is the way to go for casual wear. Sport coats, like tweed itself, are associated with the outdoors so are perfect for projecting a masculine look in the winter months.

Pair it with a wool sweater and thick cotton pants for a timelessly stylish look. A shirt underneath the sweater is essential to make your outfit look smarter, not to mention more comfortable. For a more casual look, wear a turtleneck underneath instead of the jumper and shirt combination. A scarf in a heritage fabric such as tartan is a nice accessory to finish off the look. While it is essential that the jacket is tailored to your shape (or fits so well that your off-the-rack find may as well have been made just for you), it should be loose enough to allow movement and extensive layering underneath it.

The vest

For the quirkier gentleman, a tweed waistcoat brings individuality to your outfit in a setting which is dressy without requiring formal wear. A vest should always be worn over a shirt, and while it looks better with a tie, it?s not an absolute essential. There?s some freedom with what pants to wear- even a pair of fitted jeans will suit a tweed vest. Unlike a suit jacket, you can?t leave a vest unbuttoned. Beware of attempting to wear a waistcoat if you tend to store fat around your abdomen, but for everyone else it is a flattering choice.

The three-piece suit

Exude tailored luxury with a waistcoat, jacket and pants set in tweed. As tweed is most commonly found in grey, you?ll want to pair your three-piece with a tie in an interesting design so you don?t look drab. Pastel colors look great alongside grey; try a pastel blue or purple if you want your outfit to stand out. A subtly colored shirt under your suit is another way to breathe life into what could otherwise be a dowdy get-up. Avoid patterned tweed for a three-piece, as the overall look of head-to-toe check or houndstooth tweed is overwhelming.

What shoes to wear with tweed

There?s not much room to move when it comes to choosing footwear to go with your tweed attire. Whether you?re dressing it up or wearing it casually, tweed only goes with dress shoes. A pair of leather oxfords is a fool proof choice. When wearing a quirky piece such as a tweed vest, a pair of black and white brogues will go well.