Dashing Tweeds: As it Says on the Tin - Video

Guy Hills of Dashing Tweeds has sent me a video of his AW17 menswear collection. Using a very traditional cloth and bringing it up to date with colour and technical yarns, Dashing Tweeds has widened the range of applications for tweed to town, eveningwear and pastimes such as cycling.

Their cloths are designed in East London and made in mills around the UK. A visit to the shop in Sackville Street, London, is an experience not to be missed, but their cloths, off-the-peg and made-to measure clothing can be bought online at Dashing Tweeds.

This post is not sponsored.

A summer jacket from Dashing Tweeds: Made in the UK

I love Dashing Tweeds. Here is a brand that designs tweeds and other fabrics made in Britain. The main offering is their cloths, but they have a range of ready-to-wear and made-to-measure tailoring that provides an ideal way of accessing their fascinating collection of fabrics. 

Samson double-breasted jacket by Dashing Tweeds. Image Guy Hills

The fabrics, designed in London by Kirsty McDougall in collaboration with Guy Hills, are masterpieces of cutting-edge originality, with technical threads, clever mixes of materials and inspired patterns that allow a man to express his personality through the character of the cloth and the cut of his clothes. It's the flexibility of choice, and its very British character, that I like about Dashing Tweeds.

The jacket was made from a summer fabric (made in the Scottish borders) called Samson. Named after the largest uninhabited island of the Scilly Isles, its complex colours range from sea grey to tropical ocean blue with stabs of vibrant cobalt. The colours are also inspired by the archipelago's minerals; granite containing quartz and tourmaline and feldspar-rich sands. Across this pallet flows a slub tussah silk thread, giving a check that echoes the bright creamy sands of Scilly. The white mother of pearl buttons add to the maritime feel. 

You have to see this fabric in the flesh to appreciate how beautiful and rich in colour it is. It's an equal mix of linen and merino wool (1% silk in the check) with a weight of 185 g/sq metre, giving a soft, cool and very comfortable coat that is fun and relaxing to wear. 

Ready-to-wear, these jackets cost £610. For a little more money (£650) you can obtain even greater flexibility of choice by going made-to-measure, allowing you to select cut, style and fabrics (e.g. single or double-breasted, choice over pockets, lining, lapels etc.) I wanted a cut and shape that mixes the best of Italian style (a light summer cloth and a soft shape around chest and shoulders) and British tailoring (double-breasted, long-ish in the body and waisted) and that is what I got. Jacket from Dashing Tweeds.

Also worn:

Shirt & pocket square - Thomas Pink

Washed cotton chinos in dusk - from Spoke's summer range

Socks - Pantherella Egyptian cotton

Shoes - Loake

Bag - Tusting

Images by Guy Hill, shot in Berkeley Square, London.

This jacket was donated by Dashing Tweeds for use in their Twelve Men Project.

Dashing Tweeds - have some fun this summer

I've long been a fan of Dashing Tweeds' irrepressible style. Their collection successfully combines the qualities of its founders; mixing the extrovert nature of Guy Hills with the consummate originality and design skills of Kirsty McDougall. And, of course, it's British-made and designed, using high-quality British or Italian cloths.

Tweeds and summer don't mix of course, so the Dashing Tweeds summer range uses seersucker, wool and cotton to produce a colourful, comfortable collection that cries out to be worn on holiday or during these final summer days.

The cotton knitwear is designed by Quinton & Chadwick, whose superb designs are justifiably becoming well-known. I hope to feature them and their products another time.

Although the clothes shown here are modelled by a fairly young man, this shouldn't put off the older man. You don't need to own a skateboard to appreciate Dashing Tweeds' design and quality. These are true classics with a twist, ideal for the man who looks back at his fortieth birthday but is willing to show an element of originality in his style.

Dashing Tweeds offer 30% off their Summer Collection until 31st August. I'd buy the lot if I could, but have a particular hankering for the shorts suit - and their combination of lightweight seersucker blazer and ideal-length shorts is too tempting, particularly as the seersucker is woven in Suffolk.

Visit Dashing Tweeds website or, better still, go to their newly-refurbished shop in Sackville Street, equidistant from Piccadilly, Savile Row and Regent Street in London.

Dashing Tweeds open a shop near Savile Row

Dashing Tweeds, purveyors of just that, designed and made in the UK, has opened a bricks and mortar shop. It's at 26, Sackville Street, within spitting distance (not that anyone expectorates around there) of London's Savile Row. Here's a shot I took of DT's co-founder, Guy Hills, posing in the rain in the doorway - clad head to toe in Dashing Tweeds' products.

Although I dropped in without any warning I was warmly greeted and shown the shop and collection by Guy and his colleague, Holly. The shop positively crackles with creativity and it's an exciting experience being shown the rolls of tweed and the ready to wear clothes. 

Musettes, showing a wonderful range of Dashing Tweed colours and designs

Guy and his business partner, Kirsty McDougall, tweed designer extraordinaire, have created tweeds that are so different in feel, design, colour and texture that it's fair to say that they have revolutionised the humble cloth. There are tweeds made with merino that is so soft that they feel supremely comfortable when worn. Other tweeds have reflective threads woven into them, ideal for the cyclist or night stalker. Most have designs and colours new to the tweed world.

I'm hoping to visit Kirsty in the next few weeks to find out how she designs new tweeds; I'll report back in due course.

Dashing Tweeds caps - tweed colours and checks that you won't have seen before

I tried on a merino-based Donegal tweed pea coat. This is the sort of garment that is idea for an older chap looking for a bit of style. It's not outrageous, but it's different - a skilfully-designed take on the traditional nautical pea coat. Double-breasted, but not, it has subtly-hidden pockets along the front seams, poppers instead of cuff buttons and the sort of soft, draping, comfortable cut and cloth that makes it feel as though the coat is bespoke.

There was also a sublime Donegal tweed Raglan-sleeve overcoat that made me weep because I don't own it. For that and more Dashing Tweeds goodies see their website or visit 26, Sackville Street, London.

I tried to sneak off with this lovely pea coat, but Guy noticed unfortunately

Pea coat cuffs - showing the rich colours in the merino-mix tweed

Nautical influence - pea coat and duffel bag - the originals would have been humbler in design and materials

Dashing Tweeds being woven - a video

Please visit The Guardian Fashion Blogs Network, where I've written about The tweed revolution: from the countryside to the catwalk.

Meanwhile, enjoy this video from Dashing Tweeds, one of the companies featured in my blog post.

Dashing Tweeds - British designed and made

I've been aware of Dashing Tweeds for a while, largely because I was interested in their tweed fabrics interwoven with reflective threads, ideal for sartorial cyclists. This is just part of their range. They use British mills and tweeds for their highly original style, best described as dashing, often bright, certainly colourful and, as they say themselves, full of humour. They collaborate with a wide range of designers and others to create all sorts of applications for their superb textiles. Several leading tailors use their fabrics to make highly original and wearable garments.

A Ready to Wear range exists alongside the sale of tweeds and made to measure. I tried on a jacket recently and was very impressed by the quality and feel of the tweed - very comfortable.

Ready to Wear jacket

Grey Fox tries on Dashing Tweeds at Best of Britannia

Grey Fox had a very enjoyable day today at Best of Britannia, a three day celebration of the best of British products. I met many extremely friendly and helpful people, all of whom are selling products made and designed here in Britain.

I will be posting about some of the exciting products I saw as part of the Grey Fox Made and Designed in Britain Month. My search for style in middle age has always had a home-grown feel to it, and I'm determined to keep it so.

I spent some time at the Dashing Tweeds stand, where Guy and his colleagues told me more about their wonderful home-produced tweed menswear. I tried on a jacket from their new ready to wear range (see photo; I'm the grey one!) It was beautifully made and a pleasure to wear; all too briefly! I will be writing more about Dashing Tweeds and other Made in Britain brands over the next few weeks.