Creating a Scottish Jacket Here In Scotland
- Michelle's Monologues
- Nov 4
- 3 min read
I have been contemplating investing in a Scottish Harris Tweed® jacket for some time, but the cut, style, and length haven't been quite right. Last year, while escorting a tour group around the beautiful Scottish Islands of Harris and Lewis, I spotted a new vibrant shade of Harris Tweed. Here is how you too can create a Scottish jacket here in Scotland.
Creating a Scottish Jacket Here In Scotland
About Harris Tweed®
The Scottish Island of Harris, located in the Outer Hebrides, is the official home to Scottish Harris Tweed®. The fabric's name is legally protected by the Harris Tweed Act of 1993. Made from 100% pure virgin wool that is dyed, spun, and hand-woven by islanders in their own homes, then finished at one of the local mills. You can identify if it is an authentic Harris Tweed by the beeswax Orb stamp at the start and the end of your roll of Harris Tweed®. A Harris Tweed® Certification Mark (Orb) woven label found on or inside a product is the perfect identifier of genuine Harris Tweed®. Lady Catherine Murray, Countess of Dunmore, is often cited as the driving force behind the development of the Harris Tweed® industry in the nineteenth century. Though Harris Tweed® has been around far longer, produced by farmers and their families, as it is the ideal cloth for the Scottish weather (warm in winter and cool in summer).
Why not explore the beautiful Scottish Islands yourself before visiting Harris Tweed Hebrides, located on North Beach Street, Stornoway. They have a great selection, you can purchase by the metre, and everyone is super friendly and helpful. Once you have a staple Harris Tweed wardrobe piece, I am sure it will be a 'Faithful' favourite like that of Claudia Winkleman's and BBC's The Traitors. Did you know that, as well as purchasing a beautiful garment, you will also be wearing a highly skilled legacy piece? Harris Tweed® is renowned for being a world-class product, available in both traditional and contemporary patterns, that exceeds modern standards of sustainability!
The next step was finding a tailor... J&K Tailoring came up trumps! The jacket was crafted beautifully over a couple of months. J&K will keep you right with the quantity of materials and the best type for your project. With a vision already in mind, I headed to Edinburgh Fabrics. I purchased purple satin for the lining, purple velvet for the cuffs, lapels, and pocket flaps. If you haven't visited Edinburgh Fabrics, I highly recommend it. They have an incredible variety of fabrics, buttons, and other haberdashery essentials.
It was then a tough decision about what kind of buttons to buy. I was researching for a piece I was writing on the intrepid Scottish female explorer Isobel Wylie Hutchison. When I stumbled across a range of exclusive products handcrafted by local artisans, each piece referencing a different aspect of Isobel's life and adventures. One of those was ceramic compass buttons. So excited, I placed my order with Carlowrie Castle. As they say, the rest is history.
Looking forward to seeing your Scottish jacket made here in Scotland.
As always, I love hearing from you. Get in touch with your questions and queries, and I will answer them in the next vlog.
Until next time..happy travels,
Michelle:)
P.s Thank you to the team at Carlowrie Castle.
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