Article: A Tweed Story with a City Twist

A Tweed Story with a City Twist
Back in 2011, the late A A Gill visited Fox Brothers in Wellington, Somerset, to create something unusual. He wanted tweed, but not the kind that blends into the moors. His idea was to design a cloth for the city.
Gill had long admired tweed for its warmth, its strength and its quiet character. He saw it as a truly British cloth, worn by everyone from country gillies to university professors. For him, it was as much a part of our national identity as a Savile Row suit.
At the mill he explored our archives, page after page of patterns that tell the story of two and a half centuries of cloth making. He watched the looms at work, each shuttle carrying the skill of our weavers into every inch of wool. Together we developed an urban palette. The tones came from London streets after rain, the stone of old pavements, the glint of blue from a road sign and a soft hint of mauve in honour of traditional dyes.
Once woven, the cloth travelled to Anderson and Sheppard where it became a traditional three piece suit. The result was something with a confident presence and an easy elegance. Gill wore it with pride, knowing it was entirely his own.
Tweed has always had the ability to adapt. It is as suited to Bond Street as it is to the Highlands. This collaboration from more than a decade ago remains a wonderful example of how the traditions of Fox Brothers can thrive in both the city and the countryside.
Picture above: Artist interpretation of the late A. A. Gill wearing a windowpane tweed cloth.
This story is inspired by A A Gill’s article “Suits You Sir: A Man of the Cloth,” originally published in The Sunday Times on 13 March 2011.
Reading time: Approximately 1½ minutes