Tweed

Tweed is a material that has a historical relationship with a very particular ideal of masculine identity; one coupled with connotations of tradition, and which denotes a certain class and social stature. The story of tweed is tied to a series of social and political shifts that have molded its development. This book considers the historical and social factors that helped to shape, change and define the characteristics of the group of fabrics that we call tweed since its emergence in the 1820s. Progressive changes in gender relations as well as the impact of globalization are explored as major factors in tweed's evolution into what is now a truly modern and flexible fashion material. This book is the first of its kind to recognize the resiliency of tweed and its importance in textiles and fashion today.