Tweed
Tweed is the name given to a type of thick cloth that was first developed
by farmers in Scotland and Ireland.
Long pieces of wool are dyed different colors
and then put together to make a cloth with a pattern.
The weather in Scotland and Ireland is often cold and wet,
so this warm, waterproof material was very popular
with the farmers as they worked in the fields.
Tweed did not become well known outside farming communities until the 19th century.
At that time, wealthy English people were buying large areas of land in Scotland.
These were known as estates, and they were used by their owners for hunting and fishing.
Hunters became interested in tweed because it is mainly brown, green, or gray,
so wild animals find it difficult to see people wearing clothes made of the material.
The wealthy English owners began having patterns of tweed made for their estates.
After Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, had a unique pattern made
for the people
on a royal estate in Scotland,
the cloth became famous throughout the United Kingdom.
Clothes made from tweed became standard items for wealthy people
to wear in the countryside.
Men would wear blue or black suits when doing business in towns and cities,
and tweed suits when they went to relax on their estates.
Ordinary people began to imitate them by wearing tweed for outdoor hobbies
such as playing golf or cycling.
The fashion for wearing tweed also spread to the United States and the rest of Europe,
and tweed became even more popular in the 20th century
when various famous fashion designers used it for their clothes.
Tweed remained fashionable for many years, though by the start of the 21st century,
its popularity had dropped.
However, tweed is now starting to become popular once more.
One reason for this is that it does little harm to the environment.
In addition to being made from natural wool, it is strong enough to last for a very long time,
so people do not often need to buy new clothes.
Indeed, some wealthy people in the United Kingdom still wear their grandparents’ tweed suits. |
英語検定 ２級(2022年第1回No.4)