Tweed Jackets which has never really gone out of fashion but if it did then it is certainly in fashion now with it always being on the catwalk and worn by fashionable men, was first developed in the mid-1800s. The Earl of Dunmore and his good wife, Lady Dunmore who owned the Isle of Harris, started selling Tweed Jackets to their acquaintances in London which was made by tenants on their looms.
What was meant to be a small type of business where Tweed Jackets was made for a select few, the reputation of the fabric quickly grew and before long it turned into a commercial enterprise.
Like in 2014 where there are many copies on the market of famous brands, where you can get a popular brand at the fraction of the price by buying it from certain market stalls and other retail outlets, Tweed Jackets in the early 1900’s due to its huge success became subject to many people make copies of the fabric. This led to people thinking they were buying the genuine article when really they were buying a cheap version. The copies were causing major problem for the reputation of Tweed Jackets with people not knowing if they were buying the real product or copies, this led to imitations and legal protection being sought to protect Tweed Jackets and to allow people to know they were buying the genuine article of a product. The Harris Tweed Jackets Association was formed in 1909 to give Tweed Jackets a greater protection with the world famous Orb trade mark which allows people to know if they are buying genuine Tweed Jackets or a copy.
As we know fashion changes all the time and even though Tweed Jackets beat the fashion crisis and was fashionable for many years, it hit a decline in the 1980s where it became less fashionable and sales dropped.
Even though during the years that Tweed Jackets was not fashionable, the fabric was still being made and people were still making it, some said the lack of sales was down to bad marketing but this was soon turned around in 2007 Tweed Jackets became fashionable again with celebrities wearing the fabric and giving a huge push for the Tweed Jackets industry.
Now in 2014, Tweed Jackets is as popular as ever and sales are booming which is thanks to great marketing, the quality of the product as well as the number of famous people wearing Tweed Jackets.
