Matching textures; an outfit's feel

[OC Richard]

This is going to sound strange I know, but a revelation of sorts hit me when I got my first tweed kilt, and began pairing it with my three tweed jackets.

I was drawn to one particular jacket not only because the colour seemed to compliment the kilt, but also because that jacket has a fuzzier tweedier richer texture than the others, which exactly matches the feel of the kilt.

It's not something I had ever thought about or experienced before. My 16oz wool kilts had always felt like kilts feel, and a Barathea kilt jacket and a tweed kilt jacket had always felt like those things feel. No two things felt alike.

That jacket and that kilt just go together, they just do. I piped at a funeral yesterday and there was no question that that was the outfit I was going to wear.

Is this totally alien to you? Or is it something you've experienced?

(Here they are)

[KennethSime]

Absolutely.

With kilts, I've noticed that P.V. tartan goes well with t-shirts, while wool tartan almost demands something more substantial like a chunky sweater or jacket.

On more of a layman level, I've noticed my Carhartt work pants, which are made of a thick cotton duck cloth, tend to look best with a Carhartt shirt which is similarly thick & tough.

[Jock Scot]

I don't know the technical terms of weaving and tweed, but all tweed cloths are most definitely not the same. In my experience the tweed that many of us wear for shooting, fishing etc. are very heavy weight often 22oz plus and tend to be quite normally on the slightly hairy side. Harris tweed can be extremely hairy, like my own kilt jacket and the lighter weight Harris tweed cloth tends to be less hairy. Light weight tweed generally tends to be on the smooth side in my experience.

As an afterthought, I know of no one who actually troubles to match textures, I must confess that it has never occurred to me.

[Tobus]

I talked about this a while back, that I had drifted more towards pursuing texture pairings rather than colours. I don't really want the textures to match per se. I want them to work together for visual interest along with the patterns and colours. Like a knit tie with a patterned tweed jacket. The play of light on the different textures and sheens provides complexity that I like to experiment with.

Admittedly, I like my tweed jackets to be coarse and fuzzy.

[OC Richard]

the tweed that many of us wear for shooting, fishing etc. are very heavy weight often 22oz plus and tend to be quite normally on the slightly hairy side.

In the case of my tweed kilt and that one tweed jacket they have the same amount of hairiness (which is a good way to put it). I know the kilt is 18oz so the jacket quite possibly is too.

My favourite non-kilt jacket is a very heavy Harris Tweed, it's wonderful. It has that quality of keeping me warm if it's cold yet breathing enough to be comfortable if it isn't cold.

I know of no one who actually troubles to match textures, I must confess that it has never occurred to me.

I had never occurred to me either, until I handled that kilt and that jacket. But there wasn't any trouble because I would have chosen that jacket anyway: it fits better and looks better than the others.

I've been selling off the things that don't get worn so now that jacket is my only tweed Argyll. (Not counting my disreputable-looking one with some mothing...)

[McMurdo]

I must confess I've given this little or no thought either. Having said that, this would be the outfit closest to what you mean from my closet at the moment baring of course my kilt suit



The coarseness of the 126 year old tweed is a close match to tartan of the military kilt from the 1950's.