The Gentleman Magazine Issue 20 | April 2020 | Page 85

Anna Butler, Founder & Designer, Butler Stewart
Often associated with muddy farmers and English gentry,
tweed is one of Britain's most loved heritage fabrics. Butler
Stewart is a designer label majoring in fashionable tweed
clothing and accessories, so who better to explain the
captivating history behind this versatile fabric, than their
Designer & Founder, Anna Butler in this exclusive feature.
"Tweed originated in Scotland in the 18th century and is
traditionally a heavy coarse cloth woven from pure virgin wool.
It's hard-wearing, and moist-resistant properties made it a
perfect cloth for outerwear for the Scots to endure the harsh
winters." Explains Anna
"Tweed was initially known as 'tweel', the Scottish meaning of
twill, but was misinterpreted by a London merchant in the
1800s and the name has remained ever since."
However, as Anna explains, the fabric's evolution into a fashion
fabric was fast approaching;
"During the First and Second World War tweed really started
to make the transitional phase where it became a fabric of
choice for practicality and fashion. Women were expected to
work during the war years introducing the change in traditional
gender roles and thus a change in their wardrobes which would
include boiler suits and two-piece suits with a jacket and
trousers. This new wartime wardrobe was a crossover of gender
and class."
Further into the 1900s tweed took the catwalks by storm thanks
to designers like Prada, Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel and Karl
Lagerfeld. Tweed's royal connections influenced women's
wardrobes, and the fabric which used to be linked to the
countryside gentry became fashionable and sought after. The
once robust and abrasive British cloth was now renowned for
its colourful, intricate designs and lighter weight.
"As a Designer working with this fabric, it has an incredibly
special place in my heart. Tweed will forever be a timeless
fabric due to its easy transition between function and fashion.
The huge variety of weights, colours and designs that can be
woven by British mills allows what was once a coarse and heavy
fabric to now also be a lighter vibrant fabric that can also keep
up with trends and fashions. The traditional fabric will continue
to adorn those participating in country pursuits and outdoor
activities, but the contemporary fashionable side of tweed
means garments continues to be a favoured fabric of choice
from the high street through to haute couture."
Butler Stewart launched in 2015, focusing on designing refined
styles with tweed fore fronting their stunning men's and ladies’
collections. Anna had a vision of taking the traditional British
fabric originally known for its earthy tones and introducing
fresh designs with striking tweeds complimented with vibrant
trimmings.
"Butler Stewart is continuing to grow year on year due to the
endless opportunities to reinvent tweed time and time again,
from the weight and style to the patterns and colours.
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