YOU CAN TRUST A MAN IN TWEED
By Jacques de Mesterton
The name comes from tweel, a Scottish interpretation of the word “twill”. The legendary cloth was baptised for posterity when a London merchant, ‘round 1830, equated the tweel on an invoice from Hawick with the famed river Tweed, which flows through the Borders region of Scotland and England.
Tweed is rugged, highly breathable and drapes magnificently; the stuff is available in countless colours and patterns. Tweed can also be secured to match the challenges of current climate extremes, indicators of a coming Ice Age. Gentlemen may choose from an impressive array of cloth weights to handle everything from the coldest winter to summer’s often unpleasant temperatures.
Tweed is supremely adaptable to a wide range of human activities. It is the country gent’s cloth of choice in places where traditional sporting values are maintained. But Tweed looks every bit as good in town as it does on a Highland stalk. And Tweed inspires confidence in the wearer—you can trust a man in tweed.
The cloth suggests strength, dependability and thoughtfulness. Indiana Jones wears tweed. And in the real world, so did Teddy Roosevelt, the very model of a dashing and adventurous American president, the man who ranched in Dakota Territory, was inducted into the British Royal Society for leading a party to the summit of Mont Blanc, won the Congressional Medal of Honor, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and saved the Grand Canyon. Tweed is the cloth of choice for men of action.
Bookster, located in Herefordshire, England, was founded by Peter and Michele King, spirited equestrians, who once bred rare cattle (Peter King’s book, “An Introduction to Keeping Cattle”, is a reference for anyone interested in humane and intelligent cattle management).
Peter and Michele developed a passion for selling classic and vintage Tweed, finally launching Bookster1UK—the name came from a book-selling venture and stuck—a web-based made-to-measure firm dedicated to the propagation of authentic British Tweed throughout the civilized world.
Bookster makes superior Tweed at accessible prices, craft-tailored exclusively in England from the finest Scottish cloths for town and country wear. The Bookster cut, with its comfortable soft shoulder and flattering shaped silhouette, looks attractive on men of all sizes (elegant women’s jackets are also available). Manifold options allow a client to personalize jackets, vests and trousers to a considerable degree. The comprehensive Bookster web site, http://tweed-jacket.com, launched in 2007, is evocative and easy-to-use.
King Edward VII was renowned for his “tweedy opulence”, in the words of his grandson Edward, Duke of Windsor. The king, a corpulent man of sophisticated tastes, was the inspiration for the later Windsor style, which for decades exercised great power over the minds of men everywhere. The Duke of Windsor was devoted to well cut clothes made from heavy Tweed cloths.
David, as he was called by Wallis, his American-born duchess, was the most important influence on the way men dressed in the 20th century; and his memory is with us still in this new age. Bookster sells Tweed suits and separates fit for a king at accessible prices, clothes which you may depend upon in these increasingly complex times. Equip yourself for the road ahead—wear the reliably tasteful cloth of presidents and kings: wear Tweed!
© Jacques de Mesterton
Jacques de Mesterton in Elegant Bookster Tweed Suit
Copyright de Mesterton 2009
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