TWEEDS FOR WINTER

Tweed comes into its own for winter. Like crumpets by the fire, hot toddies, and flannel pyjamas, as the days lengthen and the temperature starts to plummet, the traditional warmth and weight of tweed exerts its perennial appeal.

No man, surely, can be without a good tweed hacking jacket in his wardrobe. This season, a long, enveloping tweed greatcoat fits the style image as well as promising protection against whatever the British weather may bring. And there are tweed accessories and a variety of tweedy imitations that emphasise this wonderfully adaptable fabric is very much back in the limelight.

Though it traditionally comes in the time-honoured form of a country jacket, complete with suede elbows, perhaps a gun patch, leather buttons, and worn with a Tattersall check shirt, like the wily fox, it has long since moved into town. Lighter weights make it suitable for three piece suits. Blends and subtle patterns mean it is ideal for smart casual jackets, that keep their shape and don't crease, while there are plenty of outrageous checks and bright colourways for extroverts. So instead of that usual sombre worsted suiting, take a look at some of the tweed bunchs.

George Harrison offers some particularly attractive designs, new ones as well as traditional Scottish checks. There are seductive wool and cashmere blends in the Reid & Taylor collection, and the White Rose collection from Dugdale, produced by Johnstons of Elgin, mixes modern and classic influences in cloths woven in Saxony wool, for soft yet durable cloths. The designer here is Pat Keeney, one of Scotland's top textile talents, and this is his last collection before retiring. And for some especially bright, unusual designs, Dashing Tweeds is hard to beat.

From the top, tweed greatcoat from Charlie Allen; tweed Baker-boy cap by Bates; three-button jacket, with suede trim and leather buttons, from Cad & the Dandy; and two of Joseph Cheaney's latest shoe designs in tweed from Abraham Moon, price £265.