Chic Maree coat in pure Scottish wool Harris Tweed, hand woven in the Outer Hebrides in the season’s favourite country hues of green, teal and grey

About Harris Tweed

There is something special about owning a unique, luxury product, and a garment made using genuine Harris Tweed is indeed a luxury. The delight of Harris Tweed is the creativity and beauty which it draws on from the natural world, with colours and textures influenced by the windswept Scottish Highlands and Islands. And with so much raw wilderness as inspiration, it’s hardly surprising there are seemingly endless different types and styles of Harris Tweed in existence today.

However beautiful and varied is the tweed, some things remain constant. Harris Tweed is, and always has been, made from pure wool. In its early days weavers used fleece shorn from local island sheep, the expansion of the industry meant the tiny islands could not keep up with the demand. Today, most of the yarn is taken from the virgin coats of Scottish Blackface and Cheviot sheep reared on the Scottish mainland, but some local crofters do still provide a small amount during the summer months to bolster the supply.

Harris Tweed is not only made in Harris, but in the Outer Hebrides islands of Harris, Lewis, Benbecula, Barra, and both North and South Uist, as well as a few smaller islets dotted inbetween.

One of the fundamental aspects that make Harris Tweed so unique is the dedicated production of its spun yarn, and to do this the wool they use is made specifically for their trade in one of three mills which are owned and operated by public companies working closely with the Harris Tweed Authority. These three mills—The Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd Mill, Harris Tweed Hebrides and the Carloway Mill—are all located on the northern island of Lewis, ensuring every aspect of this time-honoured process is located within a few miles of each other.

Harris Tweed is a shining example of a true luxury product which attracts a premium price, but that cost isn’t just a reflection of its well-known brand name. In fact, for the most part, the reason Harris Tweed has such an elevated price point is more to do with its unique production techniques and set-up rather than its celebrity status in the world of haberdashery. Every weaver who contributes to the Harris Tweed industry works as a self-employed artisan, either for one of the three mills or as an independent contractor who very often works from home. They are trained in the time-honoured method of this weaving process using an approved brand of treadle mill, and receive yarn directly from the mills themselves. When the fabric is complete, it is evaluated by the Harris Tweed Authority to confirm it meets the required high standards of the brand, before being granted that all-important Orb Mark trademark which is ironed on the finished product as a proof of authenticity. Included in this lengthy, but very necessary process, are darners who inspect the fabric for flaws which must be fixed, and a specialist cleaning process to remove the build-up of grease and oils created by weaving the wool.

With every one of these expert artisans earning a fair wage for their part in this painstaking process, the full retail price commanded for Harris Tweed is a reflection of the skill, time and hard work of the islands’ weaving community.

If you plan to buy a Harris Tweed garment you will want to be certain it is is genuine, and these will always carry the Harris Tweed Authority Orb Mark as a label ironed or sown on to the fabric. In fact, the label is now as iconic as the fabric itself.