Tweed Is Back – And It’s Had A Gen-Z Makeover

‘Dressing for the occasion’ is an idea that the British have refined over centuries of defined codes that sartorially speaking, signalled a sense of time and place. But with life now shifting gear to a more modern beat, the lines of those hard and fast rules have become increasingly blurry as we expect our clothes to work harder for us, as we ourselves, work harder – in our 24/7 culture, function in fashion is the ultimate trump card.

It explains why clothing once reserved for greener pastures has transitioned to the metropolis. ‘The versatility and practicality of country clothing is central to its popularity in urban settings and the idea of country life as idyllic and aspirational,’ says Marcus Janssen, executive director of Schöffel Country, famed for its ‘Chelsea lifejacket’ – aka the gilet. Once largely seen around stable blocks and shooting ranges, it’s now a firm fixture of the Tech Bro and banker uniform. ‘They offer bulk-free breathable warmth and can be layered over shirts and knitwear, worn under a coat or jacket, or thrown over a T-shirt, regardless of the situation, or season,’ explains Jensen.

Country Clothing: What’s The Appeal?

The inherent functionality of ‘country garments’, with their surfeit of pockets, robust fabrics and weatherproof elements make them suited to travelling light in the frenetic throng of the metropolis, come rain or shine. The field and safari jacket – which inherit their functional merits from military dress – are prime examples, ever since Yves Saint Laurent made them a focal point of his collections in the 1970s, with the designer himself often sporting one on the streets of Paris.

Then of course, there was Princess Diana and later, Indie kids and festival folk that brought the classic waxed Barbour field jacket to the King’s Road and Deansgate. ‘For those who don’t wish to have the added imposition of a bag, the many pockets of these jackets can carry almost everything – save for a laptop,’ adds Stephen Humphries, creative director of luxury safari outfitters Westley Richards.

Daniel Fletcher – one of the UK’s most prolific young designers, who has his own label alongside roles as creative director of British-Chinese brand Mithridate and Royal Ascot – incorporated field jackets styled with lightweight cotton boxer shorts for his preppy SS26 collection. For Fletcher, there’s an emotional appeal to country attire, which is influencing young urbanites to adopt it. ‘There’s been a shift in fashion towards things that feel more real and meaningful. As city life speeds up and becomes more digital, we find ourselves wanting something more grounded and I think country pieces give us that,’ says Fletcher.

Tweed has left the estate for more urban locales, too. Giles Deacon, who was recently appointed creative director of gunmaker and field sports outfitter, Purdey, made his name with his avant garde collections that broke the moulds of contemporary fashion. For AW25, Deacon has designed a signature house tweed woven in Scotland named after brand founder, Tom Purdey, which blends tradition and modernity. It’s also been used in accessories with a more youthful spin, like the Tom Purdey tweed baseball cap, which makes a solid pairing with a denim trucker jacket and a crisp white tee in town.

‘The tweed is designed with both aesthetics and practicality in mind and offers a robust, but refined look. In a city setting, its subtle design feels authentic and well dressed, without being overdone,’ explains Deacon, who cites David Hockney’s habit of wearing tweed jackets over rugby shirts as a benchmark of how to wear it. Tweed also has natural virtues that make it ideal for wearing beyond a bucolic backdrop. ‘It’s hard wearing, self-cleans and doesn’t crease – all qualities that mean it can withstand the Northern Line as well as it can a thicket,’ says Justin Sumrie, menswear buyer at Cordings of Piccadilly, the country outfitter co-owned by Eric Clapton, who likes to mix country outerwear with Japanese selvedge jeans. ‘And in lighter weights such as a 10oz, it has a fluidity and breathability that competes with cotton.’

Tweed’s Stylish Comeback

For Emmanuel Guegan, clothing and accessories manager of gunmaker and clothier Holland & Holland, the visibility of tweed in media and pop culture has played a big part in its rediscovery by young urbanites. ‘Series such as Peaky Blinders and The Gentlemen have popularised the look for younger generations, while figures like David Beckham have made the country lifestyle acceptable and aspirational.’ There’s also a more multifaceted wearability to tweed today, in a casual post-Covid world, according to Guegan. ‘A tweed sports jacket in a 14oz cloth is your go-to. Paired with dark-wash jeans, a plain shirt and tie, you’ll be able to move from a business meeting to a dinner in town, while maintaining a distinguished active and sporting look.’

If you needed further proof that tweed has shaken off its fusty image, Jonathan Anderson’s debut SS26 menswear collection for Dior saw the designer dress his models in Irish Donegal and double-breasted tweed jackets paired with distressed denim, white tie dinner shirts, capacious culotte shorts and hi-tops. Gen-Zers in tweed? Stranger things have happened in fashion.

Jonathan Anderson sent a Donegal tweed jacket down the runway at Dior for his debut collection.

‘No brown in town’ was the mantra that dictated only black shoes – and Oxfords in particular – were acceptable in the city. Earthy shades and brogues with their brawnier, heavy-duty construction were for tackling country quagmires. But now that sneakers have conquered all walks of life, there’s license to switch up your smarter footwear – it’s more common to see brogues on asphalt rather than in a claggy field.

They’ve even made it onto the feet of professional men famed for their conservative weekday clobber. ‘Menswear has been undergoing a transition from smart to smart-casual for an entire century,’ says James Fox, marketing director of Northampton shoemaker Crockett & Jones. ‘City bankers and lawyers still have a “uniform” of sorts, but not all City boys wear suits these days. Broguing adds design interest and style.’

While wearing breeks to your office desk might be a step too far, taking your tweed sports jacket or brogues – styled for an urban setting – will see you through a day in the city. And doesn’t your hardworking ‘country’ kit deserve an outing in town, once in a while? Just remember to scrape the mud off your brogues before dinner at The Dorchester.