"Worsted Tweed"?

[JLibourel]

Recently, I read an account of a man who was seen wearing a "worsted tweed" suit. What is "worsted tweed"? Does it even exist--it sounds like a contradiction in terms to me? Or am I merely displaying my sartorial ignorance? Perhaps the author meant a "faux tweed" like Porter & Harding's "Glorious Twelfth" (now discontinued, I believe)* or Hardy's Alsport. Anyway, can some knowledgeable personage please enlighten me?

*Update, just realized that it was the "Solway" collection that got the axe (IIRC), not the somewhat heavier Glorious Twelfth.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Recently, I read an account of a man who was seen wearing a "worsted tweed" suit. What is "worsted tweed"? Does it even exist--it sounds like a contradiction in terms to me? Or am I merely displaying my sartorial ignorance? Perhaps the author meant a "faux tweed" like Porter & Harding's "Glorious Twelfth" (now discontinued, I believe) or Hardy's Alsport. Anyway, can some knowledgeable personage please enlighten me?

Probably just means a tweed with a 'hard' finish, such that the wool isn't quite so hairy and loosely woven.

I have a tweed jacket like this which was made in London - a nice brown herringbone, but from a distance looks almost like worsted. The cloth isn't necessarily any lighter for having a smoother finish.

 

[double00]

to me, colloquially, tweed typically refers to a woolen-spun yarn made up in a twill pattern weave

BUT in reality most *woolen spun* yarns are actually semi worsted, a true woolen spun is quite directionless in terms of how the fiber is arranged in the single and these days rare. there is still hand-spun and a handful of spinning mules in operation but the vast majority will be something between a woolen and a worsted yarn.

worsted yarn is combed to be highly and uniformly directional between carding and spinning, during spinning the air is pushed out of the twist, and so is yes harder n chatoyant etc (think ropier)

i have had older, likely british, sporting type cloths (wool fiber) that i'd have no problem calling worsted tweed, especially if left un-napped etc. $.02!

 

[dieworkwear]

Yes, it basically refers to fabrics such as Alsport.

 

[TheFoo]

Worsted Alsport and Alsport are two different things. The former is “worsted tweed”.

 

[9thsymph]

Porter & Harding “glorious twelfth” book is also worsted tweed. These cloths are often considered city tweeds since they are lighter and smoother than their country brethren, but maintain similar colors and patterns...