Fall Tweed Looks

On a recent search for new inspiration, I came upon a tweedesque skirt in my local thrift store. It reminded me of the popular Chanel tweed suits. The skirt was interesting, and I immediately liked it. Tweed clothing is not something that is often seen in everyday clothing stores, especially for those living in warmer climates. What I most often find in stores are patterns of tweed printed on lighter, more accessible fabrics. So, finding this skirt made me want to explore Tweed and how I could give it my own twist.

Tweed originated from Scotland. Mostly used among the aristocrats for hunting and/or horse riding. There are many colors and patterns associated with Tweed which can be seen on a mix of fabrics. Tweed is typically found on heavy, or warm, fabrics and depending on how that fabric is styled, can be either stiff or loose. You often find these patterns on coats, vests, and hats. Tweed received a revival makeover 1925 by Chanel when they re-created tweed suits, making these suits more popular, thus allowing them to become an iconic staple in their collection. Due to this popularity Chanel also inserted tweed into their shoes and their, ever so popular, purses. My first look is my personal take on the famous Chanel tweed look and my second is a more accessible look styled around a pair of leggings with a tweed pattern.

For my first look I started by using a black and white tweed pattern skirt with pearl buttons. The skirt was long for me, and because this type of tweed had a loose fabric, I chose to hem and sew parts of the skirt to fit how I wanted it to. The pearl buttons in the front where loose so I sew them tighter so that they would not hang. For the top I tried on several shirts to find what would work. The problem that I kept running into was finding a fabric that would match the look of the Tweed. I finally decided on a short satin tank top in black. I felt that it worked best with the skirt and gave it a more edgy vibe, which I liked. I had a tough time deciding between two purses for this look. The first was a small black purse and the second was a pink mini purse. I decided to go with the smaller pink purse because I felt that I already had too much black and the pink gave a different look and the fact that it's so small made it a fun accessory. Then I decided to add a small black beret to the look. I purchased this beret a few months ago and almost immediately regretted buying it because I felt it did not look good on me. I decided to try it on with several wigs and found it looked best when I used a wig that had more hair on top, allowing the beret to fit better. I love to style wigs with my outfits because they are an easy way to add something extra to any look. Wigs give you the freedom to explore different looks. It can be weird at first when you start wearing wigs, especially if you’ve never worn them before, but once you try them you see how diverse they are, and you can easily get hooked. For my shoes I settled on a pair of black boots with a pointy toe. Finally, for accessories, I was inspired by the pearls on the skirt. So, I picked out a pearl necklace and an oversized pearl ring to finish off the look.

For my second look I wore a pair of leggings with a Tweed pattern known as the ‘Prince of Wales Check’ Tweed. This Tweed is made up of burgundy and tan/brown colors, giving it a warmer, more earthy tone. I ran into a little trouble finding the perfect top for this look, but I knew I wanted to give the outfit a modern feel. Knowing this I decided to pair the leggings with my tan coat, a nude bralette, and some nude boots, making it more of a monochromatic look with the variety of nude and tan tones. For my bag I used my London Fog1927 Brown Leather Shoulder Bag. I was able to pull this look together faster because the tweed pattern had more variety in its colors, from burgundy and tan to darker brown and black, making it easier to find items to pair it with.

In the end I loved creating both of these looks and enjoyed learning about and styling these Tweed patterns and fabrics. Tweed is such an exciting fabric to me because, even though it has a classy and vintage look, it is also versatile enough that you can make it modern and fun. All the patterns and colors make it simple to find pieces and accessories to match it. So, if you are ever out shopping and come across a Tweed item, I recommend you buy it! See what fun ways you can find to make it fit your personal style and add it as a staple for your own collection.