Tweed is a high-quality fabric, sustainable and a classic. However, it’s also often associated with conservative, old-fashioned. This post covers how you can look modern in tweed creating a young and hip, open-minded impression in this fabulous fabric.
- Tweed Dreams and Nightmares
- Tweed Is an Often Overlooked Classic
- Stylists’ Tips to Look Modern in Tweed
- Create Cool Looks with a Tweed Jacket, Blazer, or Coat
- Try a Tweed Skirt with (fake) Twinset for a Modern Business Casual Look
- Add Interest by Wearing It Your Way
- Wear a Tweed Skirt/Dress beyond the Office
- What to Wear with Coarse Wool Pants
- Wear Tweed with a Pop of Color
- Further Outfit Ideas
- How Not to Wear Tweed over 40
- In a Nutshell How to Look Modern in Tweed
Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.
Tweed Dreams and Nightmares
Fashion has its great tweed moments. Which girl has never dreamed of a Chanel tweed jacket? How awesome did Jackie O. look in her tweed skirt? Tweed is a classic stylish material. Tweed is a classic and it is so versatile. A high-quality tweed skirt is worth the investment. However, it’s important to know how look great in tweed over 40, to not look old-fashioned or Old Lady.
The reason is that tweed is also associated with often boring conservative winter clothes (e.g., suits, skirt suits with a hem below the knee). Furthermore, tweed was what our mothers wore for Sunday’s Best when they were our age. Some of us may have worn a tweed (skirt) suit with pumps to our first job interview.
Tweed Is an Often Overlooked Classic
Tweed is a classic stylish coarse wool fabric and versatile to style. An item in this material is worth the investment. However, don’t wear it your mother’s way or like in the 1980s. Instead, strive for a modern look in tweed over 50. For instance, pair it with the color of the year. Go for interesting cuts like a motorcycle jacket or details like cutouts. Wear a tweed skirt in an non-conventual way with a bomber jacket or a floral top.
Tip: Create interest by wearing classic pieces in an unexpected way.
Stylists’ Tips to Look Modern in Tweed
- Try to style a straight, just above-the-knee tweed skirt casual with a sport vibe by adding a belted cable knit sweater and statement sneakers.
- Wear a tweed jacket with a white button-down shirt or turtleneck sweater and jeans or leather pants and pumps for the office (if your dress code allows denim and leather).
- For date night try a distressed denim just above the knee skirt with sequin top and a tweed blazer, a clutch and black patent leather pumps.
- If you can pull off high waisted pants, try a pair in tweed and pair them with a turtleneck sweater and pumps. Think a modern interpretation of Marlene Dietrich’s signature style from the 40s.
- For the daring, try pairing a tweed skirt with a floral top. So unexpected.
- Get your tweed piece in an unexpected cut, for instance, cut as a motorcycle or bomber jacket. Style it like you would style a piece in that cut.
- A tweed coat in a classic cut works with nearly everything. Add a pop of color with your accessories. More on styling outerwear.
- Wear a straight tweed skirt with riding boots, opaque tights, a crew-neck sweater, a bomber jacket and chandeliers as Casual Friday outfits.
Create Cool Looks with a Tweed Jacket, Blazer or Coat
A tweed jacket provides instant chic Business Casual Style with a white button-down shirt or turtleneck sweater and jeans or pants and pumps for work. A Chanel-type tweed jacket with a graphic Tee plus distressed jeans make a cool Casual Friday look. A just above-the-knee denim skirt with sequin top and a tweed blazer are perfect for going out for drinks with the girls on Friday night. A tweed coat in a classic cut works with nearly everything and is great for a capsule coat wardrobe. It looks so posh chic with a pop of color.
Try a Tweed Skirt with (Fake) Twinset for a Modern Business Casual Look
A coarse wool skirt always looks stylish with a fine knit sweater, opaque tights and loafers. More on how to wear knits.
Stay with the basic classics: A sweater, cardigan, tight, boots and the American Classic tweet skirt. Go for an unexpected fake twinset with sweater and cardigan in the same material, but different color. Either go with matching colors, color blocking, or one of the two having a pattern where you pick up one color. Use one color to ground your look. In this example, the gray occurs in the skirt, sweater, tight, and cardigan.
A belt gives shape to a twinset business casual style look.
Add Interest by Wearing It Your Way
Tip: Glam up your tweed clothes.
Accessorize your way like in the examples with the Chanel-inspired sheath with three brooches or the sheath with cutouts and carved gemstone American Native necklace.
Another option is wearing a sheath as skirt with belt.
Wear a Tweed Skirt/Dress Beyond the Office
A straight, just above-the-knee tweed skirt with nude pantyhose, a twinset, pearl necklaces and flat loafers are an evergreen classic. To not look dated make sure the skirt’s cut and shoes are modern; the colors are neutrals or the current It color.
Stylist tip: Take inspiration where you see it and twist it your way.
Create a casual sporty weekend look with a cable-knit sweater and statement sneakers. A coarse skirt with floral top is an eclectic style Must-do. Or wear a straight tweed skirt with riding boots and motorcycle or bomber jacket, opaque tights, a crew-neck sweater, and chandeliers.
What to Wear with Coarse Wool Pants
Style high waisted tweed pants with a turtleneck sweater and sturdy heel pumps. Wear them with a sweat-shirt or tee, lace-up oxfords, pearl necklace, and diamond studs.
At the ski resort, coarse wool pants look fabulous with a colorful fake Fair Isle sweater or Norwegian lice jacket and loben boots for dinner or drinks at the bar.
Try a British-inspired outdoor look: Slim tweed pants, Wellingtons, a paisley button-down shirt, and leather patches corduroy jacket.
Tip: Wrap the cardigan around your shoulders.
Further Tweed Outfit Ideas
The floral weave of the Ann Taylor skirt shown below looks unexpected. The unmatched suit combination creates a modern vibe.
The Coarse Weave Looks Great with a Pop of Color
Tip: Tweed fabric is as versatile as denim. Wear it the same way for instant style.
How Not to Wear Tweed over 40
- Matching skirt and/or pants plus blazer as this combination was the go-to in the 80s for the twenty somethings. Thus, this look lets us over 40 look old-fashioned/trapped in time.
- Wearing it like your mother did. It would send the message that you never developed your own style and/or ideas. Copy-cat alert in the worst sense!
- Wearing a straight tweed skirt with lace flat shoes and a matching embellished twinset or a boxy long (shapeless) jacket.
In a Nutshell How to Look Modern in Tweed
The main secrets to create great looks in tweed clothes are:
- Unmatch your suits,
- Add bold color or prints,
- Glam them up,
- Find unusual cuts,
- Accessorize your way.
You may also like to read about how to create a posh monochromatic look.
Photos: G. Kramm
© 2013-2023 Nicole Mölders | All rights reserved
