BUILDING YOUR WARDROBE: TWEEDS

Hello everyone! I’m back after a month hiatus! I’m going to give you guys a modest sized blog post this week since I’m just getting back into the swing of things. So here we go!

Tweed is actually one of my favorite textiles. You can really make yourself look luxurious with it. This is because it can really look elegant and classic with the right colors and style. One of my strategies to get tweed clothing use to be to frequently check Zara’s website. I would use the search tab and write, “tweed” or “tweed dress.” I would always find a diverse selection, and there would almost always be something that caught my eye.

Since this past spring, there has been no tweed clothing on Zara. Fortunately for me, I managed to grab a couple tweed garments from them that I had accumulated in almost 2 years. Unfortunately for you guys reading this, you won’t have the same opportunity (for now – until they decide to sell more again).

When it comes to tweeds, Chanel is always known as having the crème de la crème of tweed suits. And honestly, who could say otherwise? When I visited Paris to do a fashion design master class, I had the opportunity to visit the Maison Lesage of Haute Couture Embroidery (I think that is the name of it). It was purchased by Chanel in the early 2000s. There I was informed that Chanel frequents yarn/ribbon trade shows to get unique, interesting, and hard to find pieces to make their iconic suits.

Back to the outfit: It’s a very fun and regal design of tweed that I purchased from Zara almost 2 years ago. It is perfect to make a Dolce & Gabbana inspired outfit, which I chose to do so by adding the crown and gloves. But! If I want to make it a Chanel inspired outfit, all I need to do is add some drop/chandelier earrings and a Chanel brooch.

I was saving this blazer dress for a special occasion since the day I bought it. I had this exact outfit I’m wearing envisioned the moment I saw it on Zara’s website. It is definitely a showstopper ensemble! The real question was, what grand event would I wear it to? It turns out that was an easy question for me to answer: For my 30th birthday of course! Every person should always transition into a new era of their life in style.

Overall in the grand scheme of things, I wouldn’t say buying tweed is a necessity for your wardrobe; unless your style gravitates toward a classic and elegant style. I have noticed this year that there is a lack of affordable stylish tweed selections. It really just goes to show that with special fabrics, such as tweed, you have to keep an eye out year round to find it without hurting your budget.

And lastly, you have to be careful when selecting tweed textiles that are age appropriate. Some tweed styles are a bit juvenile, and others are more mature. While mature women have the luxury to choose a more mature style, they can also wear more colorful and stylish tweeds as well. However, for a younger woman, the wrong tweed can either make her look like she isn’t dressing for her age. For example, a mature woman could pull off the tweed blazer dress I’m wearing above (though she would wear it with dressy slacks), while a younger woman such as myself has to stick to certain styles and cuts. If you’re having trouble envisioning what I’m talking about, I think the best brand example would be St John — Beautiful, classic, and elegant tweed suits (but not all of the styles are age appropriate for a young woman). Some of the conservative styles are better suited for mature women. Don’t get me wrong, you can still dress conservatively as a young woman, just let it be age appropriate.

Here is a visual example in case my description above wasn’t enough:

This is an example of a tweed outfit that is suited for a young woman —

Paul Ka Pink Double Breasted Blazer Tweed Dress – Bloomingdales

Paul Ka Pink Ruffled Tweed Bustier Dress – Bloomingdales

This is an example of a tweed garment that is suited for both younger and mature women —

Balmain Red Tartan Tweed Double Breasted Blazer – Farfetch

This is an example of a tweed garment that is suited for a mature woman —

St John Bi Color Tweed Knit Jacket – Nordstrom

This mindset isn’t solely for tweed textiles though, it extends to all textiles. Basically one must be mindful so you end up wearing the clothes, not the clothing wearing you. This of course is my opinion and you all are welcome to dress how you please.

Also, something about tweed textiles I’ve noticed is that the more bland looking tweeds have a stiffness to them that makes the garment not drape well on the body. I have a hard time explaining what I mean. But I guess the best way to put it is that, if you put a tweed outfit on and it doesn’t make you feel glamorous, then it is not the right pick.

Below I have some picks for tweed garments that are available currently. For those of you that don’t currently have the budget for the items below but still want to add tweed to your closet, have no fear! Let this blog post serve as an educational tool to train your eye to know when you’ve found the perfect tweed garment. When it comes to fashion, playing the waiting game is a game us fashionistas know too well. Patience is key.

OUTFIT DETAILS —

Regal Crown – Etsy (best way to find crowns like these is search on Etsy “Bridal Crown”)

Floral Earrings – Dolce & Gabbana

Tweed Multicolor Blazer Dress – Zara

White Matte Satin Wrist Length Gloves – David’s Bridal

White Croc Embellished Baby Sac de Jour – Saint Laurent

White Heels – Jimmy Choo

CURRENT TWEEDS TO GRAB —

DRESSES:

MAJE Tweed Mini Dress – Nordstrom

VERONICA BEARD Cutler Tweed Mini Dress – Nordstrom

Vince Camuto Eye Lash Tweed Dress – Bloomingdales (On Sale Right Now!!!)

ELLIATT Multicolor Tweed Dress – Revolve

ELLIATT Multicolor Mac Milos Tweed Top – Revolve

Purple Tweed Dress – Shein

Orange Frayed Floral Button Tweed Dress – Shein

SKIRTS:

Lovers + Friends Tweed Skirt – Revolve

Karl Lagerfeld Blue Tweed Skirt – Bloomingdales

Black High Waisted A-Line Tweed Skirt – Express

BLAZERS/JACKETS:

BALMAIN Ribbon Tweed Jacket – Nordstrom

BALMAIN Metallic Tartan Tweed Blazer – Nordstrom

L’AGENCE Kenzie Tweed Blazer – Bloomingdales (On Sale Right Now!!!)

Purple Double Welt Peak Collar Tweed Blazer – Shein

Like with any clothing purchased online, it may look great in the picture but once you receive it — it looks terrible. Sometimes tailoring can’t fix a garment and that’s okay. It just means it wasn’t meant to be.

I hope you all enjoyed today’s blog post, and hope you all tune in next week!

Ma’aasalaama xoxo

Nadine