Brocade is a beautiful fabric for a waistcoat because hundreds of different colourways and patterns that can embellish a man or women’s waistcoat.
Brocade Waistcoats

Brocade is a beautiful fabric for a waistcoat because hundreds of different colourways and patterns that can embellish a man or women’s waistcoat.
The word Tweed is derived from the Scottish word Tweel or twill which is a way of weaving cloth. Tweed is a natural fibre textile with a weave pattern that can be plain, twill, check or herringbone.
In 1830 a London merchant misread a letter from Scotland which mentioned the fabric as tweels. The merchant thought it was a brand name referring the river Tweed that flows through the Scottish textile region. So the products where advertised as Tweed. The name stuck and it is called that right through to today.
Made to measure
With reference to clothing this term means the garment is made specifically to fit the person who has order it, or has it custom-made.
Because a waistcoat is a close fitted garment it very important to get the sizing more accurate than other garments. For example a jacket could be slightly too big or too small and it doesn’t really show or feel too uncomfortable. But a baggy waistcoat quickly makes the wearer look overweight. If it’s too tight then it can restrict movement. Conversely a jacket has a much larger ‘body-ease’ and tolerance, plus it doesn’t have to be buttoned up.
The great beauty of a union jack waistcoat is that it is NEVER going to go out of style. There’s a few hundred years of history to support that statement.