Cover photo credit: Roger Moore and Anne Archer in “The Machination” by Bryan Forbes, 1984. (IMAGO / Allstar)
Starting with this new Reel : it's a puzzle game, for those of you who like to play detectives! Would going in search of tweed coats at the cinema be mission impossible? Yes and no, but we must admit that it is not as simple as that.
Quick reminder, if you need advice on winter coats , you can take a look here:
In cinema, you'll find tweed on the backs of a huge number of actors and actresses, especially in blazer form and sometimes even in full outfits . Look for example at Sean Connery , here in “ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ”:
Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” in 1989. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
Note, however, that the subject of material compositions of clothing in cinema is quite complicated : few or no resources available, sometimes contradictory information, etc. All that remains is the expert's eye, flair, deduction...
Is it a coincidence that the legendary Sherlock Holmes was often seen wearing tweed on screen? The question is open. In the meantime, let's try to unravel the enigma of tweed in cinema through this selection of around ten films. Style and possible tweed coats: we decipher it all together, with the help of David, our community manager, and Julien, our collection manager.
But actually, what is tweed? Well, it's rather complicated to define. Take a look, for example, at what Julien says on his blog :
If I am often asked what tweed is, the definition is not easy. I would say that it is a rather rustic fabric, with a vaguely rough feel, which smells of undergrowth . Technically, tweed would therefore be more of a carded wool, that is to say little worked . But most drapers use more refined worsted wools to obtain fluffy and soft fabrics. Tweed also refers to the notion of solidity...
Donegal tweed at BonneGueule
Houndstooth Check tweed at Drake's
Harris tweed herringbone Beams+ at Jinji
We can recognize some of them by eye , like here above. We can also guess others, make some assumptions depending on the historical context, but this is not always reliable, especially in the image or on the screen. David, our community manager who is passionate about technique and materials, will tell you that tweed is a material for him:
- In carded wool therefore with short fibers which stand out a little
- With a certain appearance, a little rough/raw
- Often with color (several colored threads) and certain tweeds are characteristic, Donegal or herringbone
In short, tweed is truly a world apart, which is both old and perfectly current .
What's exciting is that there are more than eight different types of tweed and that each one is linked to know-how and a little piece of history .
1. “ The Hound of the Baskervilles ” by Terence Fisher, 1959
It's one of my favorite films from Hammer, already mentioned in Reel through the example of the sartorial style among vampires . “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is a fantasy detective story set in the English Dartmoor moor.
In the cast: Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, magical tandem of horror films from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The atmosphere is as magnificent as it is foggy. The charm of the film comes from the very British way in which the characters dress.
And of course, like here with this green tweed suit set , from Peter Cushing:
If you know a little about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, none of this will really surprise you: we are most often (very) well dressed , we wear a suit, a tie or a bow tie . Hats are everywhere and so is tweed!
In the specific case of the character played by Peter Cushing, it is even an emblematic hat: the deerstalker . You can find it in the photo below, along with an astonishing coat that the English call "Inverness cape" :
From left to right: John Le Mesurier, Andre Morell and Peter Cushing in “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Terence Fisher, 1959. (IMAGO Collection/Everett Collection)
It's halfway between the cape and the coat , and it's another style trait specific to the character of Sherlock Holmes. However, let's not lose the thread of our investigation: is it really a tweed coat?
For Julien as for David, it is possible, but the definition being broad, we can also make a mistake without having the piece in our hands. What we do know, however, is that Peter Cushing is a lover of tweed and that we very regularly find it in his outfits in the cinema.
It is also a subject that both English cinema and the character of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are fond of . Last historical point to consider: the Inverness cape is known to be often made of tweed. So, what do you say: tweed or not tweed?
2. “ The Victim ” by Basil Dearden, 1961
Another English film. Be careful, this is a gem, especially if you are interested in style ! It is also an important work from a sociological point of view: the film would have indeed contributed to moving the lines on homosexuality in Great Britain
What is “The Victim” about? Of people being blackmailed, including a brilliant lawyer played by Dirk Bogarde. If you were ever looking for a dandy and inspiration, this is definitely your man: the suit and tie is impeccable here.
If the haircut possibly reminds you of someone, look no further: former Smiths frontman Morrissey is a fan from the start!
The film is fascinating, with a rare subject for the time and a very charismatic actor. Although he is also very well dressed, it is difficult to say whether the coat he is wearing below is actually made of tweed:
Sylvia Syms and Dirk Bogarde in “The Victim” by Basil Dearden, 1961. (IMAGO / Ronald Grant)
It's an overcoat type coat, three buttons, rather long, with pockets similar to our Salvis coat, and as you see with pattern. Very chic, very well worn. But what do David and Julien say about it? That it could why not be a tweed coat but that it's difficult to judge as it is. So, tweed or not?
We do not know. What is certain, however, is that it is a very English film, with a sense of tailoring quite typical of the early 60s, and that tweed is not completely foreign to the style either. world of Dirk Bogarde.
He has in fact already been seen wearing tweed jackets, pants and coats. If you don't know him yet, take a look at the cinema of Joseph Losey or Luchino Visconti, for example.
In a completely different genre, you can also watch “ Ipcress, immediate danger ” by Sidney J. Furie in 1965: there you will find another clothing lover in the person of Michael Caine. It's a spy story and the main character is called Harry Palmer. He is a rather sarcastic cousin of the famous James Bond
Beyond the history, you will discover pretty costumes, some of which are made of tweed . And then also this coat, which we are pretty sure is not tweed
Michael Caine in “Ipcress, Immediate Danger” by Sidney J. Furie, 1965. (IMAGO / Everett Collection)
3. “ Do you like Brahms… ” by Anatole Litvak, 1961
A rarity, with three great cinema stars: Ingrid Bergman, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins. The film is adapted from a novel by Françoise Sagan and tells the adventures of a 40-year-old woman with a young man of 25, transfixed with love, and a middle-aged man, unfaithful and cheeky.
Obviously, this story promises to be complicated and you will see that morals have changed a lot since then. On the other hand, the magic of cinema is there, as here on the set of the film:
The style is not to be outdone, whether at Ingrid Bergman dressed by Dior or at Yves Montand, always very comfortable in his suits and other tuxedos. Note that he also wears a type of sweater that is slowly coming back to the forefront lately: the sleeveless sweater. And what about this coat:
Ingrid Bergman and Yves Montand in “Aimez-vous Brahms…” by Anatole Litvak, 1961. (IMAGO/Everett Collection)
We can distinguish the chevron. According to David and Julien, it could be tweed based on the image.
It's a rather loose and long coat that couldn't go better with a suit : it's the fourth star in a film that's already well-stocked in this area. This is confirmed in any case: it's not always easy to discern the materials on the screen.
4. “ An Unusual Couple ” by Francesco Maselli, 1968
Another track, another rarity, for those who never tire of Claudia Cardinale's appearances on screen. It's often beautiful and full of inspiration, especially for style.
This is again the case in this little Italian film by Francesco Maselli, which tells the fate of a young woman from a good family who becomes a highway thief. The character played by Rock Hudson is there to lead the investigation. It also acts as a protector, and this is a possible but more surprising use of the winter coat :
But it's not this coat that interests us. Instead, look at the photograph below: Claudia Cardinale, a hat, a blouse and a pretty gray herringbone coat. You don't see it in the picture: she's also wearing a skirt and boots. In the background: Rock Hudson, with big-rimmed glasses and dressing gown. Calm :
Claudia Cardinale and Rock Hudson in “Un Ordinary Couple” by Francesco Maselli, 1968. (IMAGO / Everett Collection)
What do David and Julien think? It could be a tweed coat. The particular grain of the material is a good indication. It's not smooth, it feels sturdy. We can sense ease in the cut and it goes very well with a hat:
We can't really confirm it, but we're finally getting closer to what we've been looking for since the beginning of this Reel: tweed!
By the way, just for fun and without having any more certainty than that, also take a look at this pretty brown and chevron character coat , here worn by Anna Mouglalis in “ Romanzo Criminale ” by Michele Placido in 2005:
Stefano Accosi and Anna Mouglalis in “Romanzo Criminale” by Michele Placido, 2005. (IMAGO/Everett Collection)
The film looks at the history of the Magliana gang, a Roman criminal organization very active in the 1980s. Anna Mouglalis plays a prostitute. Red dresses, fur coats, ankle boots, a lot of Chanel…
But also, here and there among the characters in the film, Belstaff , Church's and a pretty Valstarino type jacket . It's interesting and the coat presented above could why not be made in tweed.
In any case, there is something in the appearance that appeals: several colors of thread, brown and perhaps also red, texture. This piece is immediately vintage and a little dreamy too. But isn’t that one of the advantages of beautiful clothing ?
5. “ Don’t look back ” by Nicolas Roeg, 1973
For those of you who don't know Julie Christie well: she is a great English actress and a fashion icon from Swinging London. You can find it in “ Doctor Zhivago ” by David Lean in 1965, “ Farenheit 451 ” by François Truffaut in 1966 or even in the magnificent “ Le Messager ” by Joseph Losey in 1970.
“Don’t look back” is a classic of Nicolas Roeg’s cinema. We have already mentioned this filmmaker in a previous Reel on shirts , through “ The Man Who Came From Elsewhere ”. It's not about aliens here but about a couple haunted by the death of their daughter.
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie play the leading roles in a film that is as anguished as it is distressing. Comfort is to be found in materials and clothing . Look for example at this very pretty set:
It's elegant, timeless and yet vaguely quaint. There are skirts and turtlenecks , blazers, cardigans and coats . And among all the pieces worn by Julie Christie in this film, there are also a lot of tweed things. Look at this belted coat for example:
Donald Sutherland, Massimo Serato and Julie Christie in “Do You Return Not” by Nicolas Roeg, 1973. (IMAGO/Prod.DB)
Wouldn't that be tweed? It's very 70s in the cuts and materials but the film has lost none of its original strength. By the way, we can feel his influence even in the famous “ Casino Royale ” with you know who . If this story is still unknown to you, take a look: there is some great inspiration there if you are particularly interested in women's fashion.
6. “ Hard Country ” by David Greene, 1981
It's a couple's story but above all a woman's story. It is also the first film for actress Kim Basinger, who dreams here of another life, far from routine and her little town in Texas. She shares the poster with the future pilot of the “ Supercopter ” series Jan-Michael Vincent.
If you like country music, western style and the Levi Strauss universe, this film is for you. Fringed shirts, cowboy hats, beautiful belt buckles and western shirts are on the program, like here:
Among the film's great moments, a sequence between a trendy music producer and Jan-Michael Vincent's character. The first wears moccasins but no socks . Seeing this, the second is surprised and hastens to offer him some, just in case. On that topic, you can take a look here if socks and moccasins intrigue you.
That being said, Kim Basinger also appreciates the western shirt or the cowboy/cowgirl inspirations here. You will find skirts, blouses, cardigans, sandals and fringed suede jackets in her wardrobe. But the most notable piece is this very pretty brown coat in probable tweed:
Kim Basinger in “Hard Country” by David Greene, 1981. (IMAGO / Everett Collection)
Only likely? We can see several colors of thread on this coat, a particular material, which pretends to show its great age. If we stick to these two pieces of information, there is a good chance that it is a tweed coat.
The style is interesting, full of character and we can see a pink checkered blouse , a color that men's fashion brands are also investing a little more recently.
7. “ The Machination ” by Bryan Forbes, 1984
Roger Moore is the epitome of the English gentleman on the big and small screen. Watch his performances in the series “ Le Saint ”, “ Amicalement Vous ” or even his James Bond period in the cinema: you will find a very large number of inspirations for your own outfits.
“The Machination” is a little-known American film from the 80s. Few of us imagine Roger Moore capable of saying “bastards!” at the assembly. And yet, it's one of the many surprises in this tense film, in which the actor plays a psychiatrist who someone in town is definitely trying to eliminate.
He also wears here everything that some people still found old-fashioned or old-fashioned not so long ago: blazers in brown corduroy or gray tweed, very yellow parkas, big glasses and turtleneck or V-neck sweaters. colors more daring than the current average. A partial overview here:
In 1984, was Roger Moore moving to the "grandpa" side of the force? Yes and no. Once again, we must try to look at things differently.
Starting with the highlight of the show, which you will only discover at the very end of the story: a balmacaan-type coat in brown tweed .
If you don't know what it is, Jordan gives you some explanation here . Roger Moore wears it with a green turtleneck sweater and a red scarf that you can see a little here:
Roger Moore and Anne Archer in “The Machination” by Bryan Forbes, 1984. (IMAGO/Allstar)
We can clearly see the material of the coat here and we all agree that it is indeed tweed that you see there. As David told us in the introduction, we can indeed distinguish several colors of thread, one of the characteristic points of tweed, as well as this patinated, aged appearance, as if this piece had had several lives.
Roger Moore's coat here has raglan sleeves and a nice length, below the knees. But you've probably noticed: it's something that you don't find much these days.
8. “ Hannah and Her Sisters ” by Woody Allen, 1986
There are often lots of interesting things to draw from in terms of style in Woody Allen's films. “Hannah and her sisters” is one of the good vintages. In the cast: Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Max Von Sydow, etc.
Woody Allen is also there and you will find here the same kind of character as that of “ Annie Hall ”: funny, a tad hypochondriac and subject to multiple existential anxieties. It is also, above all, about three sisters, their journey and their romantic relationships. But what will particularly interest us here is this long winter coat and the looks that go with it :
“Hannah and her sisters” is full of pieces with which we like to construct our looks: chambray shirts, large knit cardigans, shaggy dog-style sweaters, blazers with character, corduroy pants , shirts checkered , etc.
This is precisely what we find at Woody Allen here, all enhanced by this very beautiful coat. Generous lapels and falling a little below the knees , below worn with a likely V-neck sweater and a checked shirt like you find at brands like Brooks Brothers or Gitman Vintage :
Mickey Sachs and Woody Allen in “Hannah and Her Sisters” by Woody Allen, 1986. (IMAGO / Allstar)
Is it a tweed coat? David and Julien would happily bet a ticket on that. What we do know is that Woody Allen and tweed are a big deal in general , especially when it comes to blazers. Here, the material of the coat displays a somewhat nondescript color, predominantly brown . And visually, we must admit that it still looks a lot like what we're looking for.
Note that if you're curious about tweed, and Donegal tweed in particular, you can take a look at Colin Firth's long brown coat in Richard Curtis' 2003 romantic comedy " Love Actually ":
Can you visualize this speckled material ? It is not impossible that we see here another tweed coat, worn in this film in a rather casual manner.
9. “ Withnail & Me ” by Bruce Robinson, 1987
Another nugget, rather little known in France but an object of worship among some on the other side of the Channel. To tell the truth, it is a typically English film, which mixes black comedy and social drama, punk style and the imagination of the gentleman farmer .
We discover the adventures of two broke and frankly struggling roommates. The story takes place in London at the end of the 1960s and continues in a small corner of the countryside, very green and very humid. No Ventile parkas here. But long leather or tweed coats :
Stylish? We know from the first images that we have an interesting film in terms of clothing: the character who opens the film is wearing a shaggy dog type sweater.
But the one that interests us more particularly only appears a few minutes later, in bad shape and completely destroyed: the character of Richard E. Grant (on the right below) is the more broken-down of the two and we can see in him a sort of punk dandy, both very dressed and completely neglected :
Paul McGann and Richard E. Grant in “Withnail & Me” by Bruce Robinson, 1987. (IMAGO/Everett Collection)
Here and there he wears suits tailored at Saville Row, ties or scarves, saggy shoes and a long patterned Harris tweed coat , the color changing according to the light. It's a pretty magnificent piece that he takes absolutely no care of.
His coat thus takes on the fleet, cigarette ashes or body cream. It serves as an outdoor piece AND a dressing gown .
It's simple: here is everything we don't recommend for clothing care . However, it is a lively, caustic film, which allows us to take a step back, among other things, on the way of experiencing clothing. And that feels good!
10. “ The Untouchables ” by Brian DePalma, 1987
He is one of the most elegant tweed wearers in cinema . If you don't know Sean Connery's career well and want to look further than his interpretations of James Bond, you can take a look at this dedicated Reel .
Suit set, blazers and/or pants, newsboy cap, bucket hat, coats : we can say that Sean Connery was a great ambassador of tweed in the cinema . To convince yourself of this, you can immerse yourself in the classic by American director Brian de Palma: “The Incorruptibles” in 1987.
Eliot Ness, Al Capone, 1930s Chicago and its beautiful formal outfits : it's all there. The cast is worn by Kevin Costner, Robert de Niro, Sean Connery and the film has no shortage of interesting pieces, even if I grant you that this particular outfit is a bit stingy:
Is this to be attributed to Giorgio Armani, partly in charge of the costumes here? Side question: Would Jordan manage to do anything with this jacket and cardigan? While waiting for a hypotheticalPanache dedicated to grandpa's outfits, we can happily delve into this set below.
A green and blue scarf, a newsboy cap like you find at Thomas Farthing , A Piece Of Chic or Tonton & Fils , and a brown coat, definitely tweed and rather short :
Sean Connery in “The Untouchables” by Brian DePalma, 1987. (IMAGO / Prod.DB)
David and Julien were not mistaken. Underneath: shirt, shawl collar cardigan , wool pants and combat boots . Rustic, but effective. Note that we are wearing high-waisted pants here and that here too, fashion is making a slight return to this type of wear here and there. We will not complain. And we can even imagine tweed for even more character.
What to take away from this little treasure hunt? That you often have to be careful with clothing in cinema , whether in terms of material composition or names. We have already been able to mention certain existing confusions in our previous Reel on the Harrington .
The coats shown here are probably not all tweed. But through this little treasure hunt, you may be a little more familiar with this material and its world, with the added bonus of some look inspiration for winter.
Note that tweed can be found in many brands, in particular Walker Slater , SJC London
