Quality Fabric of The Month

Harris Tweed goes high-tech in Nigel Cabourn's Dry Wax-coated Lined Cameraman Jacket.

The handwoven tweed cloth that bears the name of Harris, one of the Isles of the Outer Hebrides off of Scotland's northwest coast, is celebrating the centenary of the first stamping of the cloth with the orb and Maltese Cross trademark that certifies the fabric is handwoven using locally dyed and spun virgin wool and finished in the Outer Hebrides. Originally, wool came only from island sheep and was hand-dyed, -blended and –spun.  The cloth has been made for centuries, originally for local use, but it began to receive wider recognition in the mid-19th century, when Lady Catherine Dunmore commissioned local weavers to produce tweeds in her family tartan to make into jackets for workers on her Isle of Harris estate. She also promoted Harris Tweed among her circle of friends and worked to upgrade the production processes. In 1909, the Harris Tweed Association Ltd. was formed to promote Harris Tweed and certify its quality. The trademark was granted in 1910 and the first cloth stamped the following year. 

source:http://www.textileworld.com/Articles/2011/December/Nov-Dec_issue/Departments/QFOM_Harris_Tweed.html