BOTH SIDES OF THE TWEED! - Show us your tweed suits, sport coats and pants

[Two Types]

Here is a Harris Tweed jacket I have just picked up at 'Levinsons' vintage shop in London:







It was by 'Jacksons' (who were later taken over by Burtons)

[Oldsarge]

Gee, that's quite the hobbit-ish country squire look there with the ascot inside the waistcoat. I kind of like it.

[Two Types]

Gee, that's quite the hobbit-ish country squire look there with the ascot inside the waistcoat. I kind of like it.

Cheers. But it isn't an ascot, it's a nice warm wool/cotton mix scarf. The weather here is dreadful (it seems to have been raining for an entire week - and there's a cold wind blowing). I've had to go back into full winter mode.

[Oldsarge]

I understand completely. We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the last two weeks. The highest it ever got was 59 and that was eight degrees above the average high. Needless to say turtleneck, tweed coat, corduroys and a good scarf with an Akubra Stylemaster on top was most appreciated. Now I know why my distant ancestors got as far north as southern Italy and stopped!

[Hal]

I understand completely. We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the last two weeks. The highest it ever got was 59 and that was eight degrees above the average high. Needless to say turtleneck, tweed coat, corduroys and a good scarf with an Akubra Stylemaster on top was most appreciated.

After all, it's only April! Celebrate your opportunity for wearing such garments! I know that Two Types enjoys his winter wardrobe as much as I do mine. Partly because I wilt at temperatures over 25C (I don't understand Fahrenheit) and partly because I very much prefer the clothes of the cooler seasons, I am delighted that I don't have to endure the high temperatures that you Americans experience!

[Oldsarge]

To roughly understand Fahrenheit, double the Centigrade and add 32. It's not exact but will do for comfort zones. And, yes, I really love it when I can dress in the clothing that evolved in the UK with UK temperatures. Here in Mediterranean California that is at most about five months of the year. As a rule of thumb, if it's over 75F (22C) it's too hot for a tie and over 80 (24C) forget the coat. Here the latter is about 3-4 months of the year. There are reasons why aloha shirts are so popular in the U.S!

[Hal]

...I really love it when I can dress in the clothing that evolved in the UK with UK temperatures. Here in Mediterranean California that is at most about five months of the year. As a rule of thumb, if it's over 75F (22C) it's too hot for a tie and over 80 (24C) forget the coat.

Except that I - and, I think, most Britons - would discard the jacket (after all, that's an extra layer) BEFORE the tie, your analysis makes excellent sense.
And, with regard to "comfort zones" - 0C = freezing, 10C = still a bit cold, 20C = delightful, 30C = far too hot - easy! And, I understand, Celsius has been the official scale of the USA since 1842 or so. Living in Britain, I'm of course familiar with Fahrenheit; but being a scientist, I have always worked with metric measurements and I consequently prefer to use them in everyday life as well.

[AntonAAK]

Except that I - and, I think, most Britons - would discard the jacket (after all, that's an extra layer) BEFORE the tie, your analysis makes excellent sense.

Some of us would never discard either! There's no need to let standards slip just because of a little discomfort. We're not barbarians.

And, with regard to "comfort zones" - 0C = freezing, 10C = still a bit cold, 20C = delightful, 30C = far too hot - easy! And, I understand, Celsius has been the official scale of the USA since 1842 or so. Living in Britain, I'm of course familiar with Fahrenheit; but being a scientist, I have always worked with metric measurements and I consequently prefer to use them in everyday life as well.

As far as ambient temperature is concerned I come from the transitional generation where as children we were taught Centigrade at school but our parents used Fahrenheit. Consequently you will find that a lot of people of my age in the UK use Fahrenheit in the summer (70, 75, 80 etc) and Centigrade in the winter (cold temperatures approach zero, milder ones are in the early teens). I think I switch at about 16/61 - 17/63.

[Two Types]

I'm part of the same generation - except that the two systems just confused me. So I never bothered with either. There are three temperatures: too hot, too cold, ok. I go for the 'stick my head out of the front door and judge the weather' approach.

And yes, in hot weather the tie can be abandoned - if favour of a cravat. Last week my son told me off for going out without my neck covered: even though I was only driving him and his mum two miles down the road, and was dressed in my scruffy gardening clothes.

[Chasseur]

I've bought too many vintage clothes (and hats and shoes...) these past couple of months and I need to sell some items. I'll be posting some tweed next week in the classifieds.

1950s nice Oxxford tweed suit with a subtle red windowpane.




Probably a 1950s tweed/fleck sportcoat or two as well.

Probably a couple of pairs of plus fours and twos as well: