Review Harris Tweed Scarfs Handmade by Ten 10 Creations on the Isle of Skye!

Harris Tweed has over the last decade been finding it's way into more than just sports coats and men's suits.  I have noticed (and enjoyed) its being incorporated into everything from Home furnishing fabrics to tennis shoes to stuffed animals and must say that it brings a touch of class to every application I've seen.  Used in combination with leather fittings, it makes a great material for wallets, shoes and travel bags ladies purses, etc.  If you think you like the look of tweed, but don't necessarily want to take the plunge into sports coats or whole tweed outfits, accessories made of the Harris Tweed are a great way to incorporated the look and classiness of Harris Tweed without fear of looking like a cast member from Downton Abbey (not that that would be a bad thing - you could do a lot worse!).  And if you are a dedicated tweed fanatic such as myself, it's a way to keep our favorite cloth close at hand.  One company committed to the worldwide proliferation of this wondrous cloth is Ten 10 Creations.  They specialize in men's pocket flasks (I can see one of these babies in my near future), messenger bags, backpacks, ladies purses, tote bags and wonderful scarfs (the later which I am featuring here).  Indeed, any number of small, well priced accessories that have been ennobled by the decorative addition of my favorite Harris Tweed can be found at Ten 10 creations, finely crafted and ready to add a bit of dash to any gentleman's or lady's accoutrement.   All are handmade by the good people of Ten 10 Creations, on the beautiful Isle of Skye, Scotland with the utmost attention to detail.

I must have one of these:

(Come to Papa!!)

While the light beige herringbone with orange and blue overcheck is was the first scarf I purchase from Ten 10 Creations a few years ago and is still my favorite, it's always a good idea to have variations in color to incorporate into different outfits so I've also purchased the grey check and the green herringbone.  Now I will admit that these scarfs are a little scratchy when compared to some butter-soft lambswool and cashmere scarfs I have, but they are all ten times as stylish as those and well worth a break-in period for the style they offer. I hand washed these in Woolite last year and noticed they became much softer after as well.   Of course being true Harris Tweed, they are also quite durable as well.

The close-ups: 
Provided for my own enjoyment and for that of my tweed obsessed brethren: Beige Herringbone with orange and bleu overcheck:

Grey with red and blue overcheck:

Green Herringbone with rust, red and blue over check:

Ah, the Isle of Skye, is there anywhere on this beautiful blue planet of ours that conjures up a more idyllic environ for our favorite cloth to be made into accessories that we treasure?  Harris Tweed is woven in the Islands of the Outer Hebrides, just a short hope to the West from the Isle of Skye.  The Isle of Skye - is all rugged coastlines, rocky spires, ancient stone circles and impossibly green hills and dales.  And 'windswept', what description of this Isle could possibly be complete without the use of the word 'windswept'?    I imagine our friends at Ten 10 Creations sitting back, having ended a long day making our beautiful accessories, tippling a dram of Talisker whiskey (which originates on the other side of the Isle - a mere half hour's drive away) by a glowing fireside.  With the quiet confidence of knowing that they have spent their day helping to spread the passion for the good cloth and to them I raise my glass in gratitude!

Here adding a touch of class to a simple blue shirt and Navy V-neck sweater, they all look great in their own distinct color way:

Today's outfit: Harris Tweed - Grey Herringbone

(It is very sunny today, which is why the sunnies;-)

Today's outfit features one of the first Harris Tweed jackets in my collection it's a Blue-Grey Herringbone with red and orange overcheck - this description sounds really loud but as you can see from the photos, it's quite subtle.  This jacket was made-up by Tom Rusborg of Copenhagen a review will be coming quickly on the heels of this post so I won't delve too deeply here.

• Harris Tweed Jacket by Tom Rusborg of Copenhagen
• Harris Tweed green herringbone scarf with orange and blue over-check by Ten10creations
• Blue Chambray Shirt by Charles Tyrwhitt
• Navy pullover by Lochcarron of Scotland
• Chino/jeans Twill Selvage by Bravestar Selvage
• 'Ryan' Boots by Grenson
• Eyewear: Persol PO3007-V 1056 with Clip-on Persol PO3007C-905/55 Light Gold
• Cognac peccary Diving gloves by Hungant 
• Wool Pocket square from Krawatten Hoff Munich (one of my favorite local store run by the lovely Elisabeth Maier - I'll be doing a full write-up on this little treasure of a store soon!

Plus: 

• PAM 288 on Racing Tan Teju Lizard strap from the Dangerous9straps Manufacture Collection.  These straps design specifically for PAM Radiomir looks stunning I think on my PAM288.  Dangerous9straps has these straps in current stock and available for immediate shipping.  

These Ryan boots by Grenson have treated me really well.  I originally bought them a few years ago in a very light brown and over-dyed them myself to the color you see here.  I also had my cobbler add some non-slip rubber pads to the leather soles which have the added benefit of incredible durability.  I think these are one of my favorite boots in my collection and are no doubt the ones that get the most wear and yet with reasonable care given to the uppers, will essentially last forever.

Closeup - Harris Tweed - Vintage Green Barleycore with Over Check and an eBay buyers guide

Hi tweed heads, I wanted to share some photos of one of my favorite vintage Harris Tweed acquisitions from the past couple of years.  It's a green barleycorn pattern with a subtle over check in blue,  red, gold and rust.  Given the way this jacket is cut the very subtle blue and red alternates on the horizontal while the Gold and Rust alternates on the vertical (I will provide close-ups below to help you spot the colors).  One of the things that I love about tweeds in general and about Harris Tweeds, in particular, is the color details you can find in the weave.  To me, it's quite frankly almost mesmerizing.  Tweed looks great from across the field or town square and the closer you get, the better it looks - nearly to the granular level, to me it's just a feast for the eyes.  Any lover of tweed will know exactly what I'm on about.  So in order to celebrate the beauty of this fine fabric, I intend in my tweed reviews to include some wide, medium, closeup, and even super close-ups so that my fellow tweedheads can enjoy these marvelous weaves to their fullest (dare I say 'tweedgasm'?).  No, I dare not - but I'll write it.

The Closeups:

This jacket came to me,  like many good things in this, our modern age, via the worldwide purveyors of goods of all description - E.& Bay.  And I will say here, that this can be a fantastic way to get your hands on some wonderful tweeds.  Just search 'Harris Tweed' and your jacket size and like magic hundreds of possibilities appear before your very eyes; each one more beautiful and alluring than the next.  But like living next to a Whisky store on one side and a high-class bordello on the other, self-control and moderation must be exercised, lest one find oneself both broke and divorced (discretion dear readers, discretion and self-control!).

This beautiful weave, I know not when it was woven nor when the jacket made-up.  If I had to guess, based upon the cut and general condition, I would say the in this current century, as there doesn't seem to be anything particularly untoward about the cut, neither too wide or narrow of lapel or to wide of shoulder (I tend to avoid too wide lapels or very low button stances, too padded shoulders, etc.).  The leather buttons show some slight wear, but otherwise, I think it looks very snappy.

The lining is in good nick:

If someone knows how to use the number (weave number) to find more info., please let me know:

I have no idea who Peanuts classic fashions are, but they've done good work here:

Buying Tweed Jackets or sports coats on the internet:
The most important thing you need to know is your measurement!!  And the best way to get them for the purposes of buying online is to take them off a jacket that you own and of which you like the fit.  There are only about 5 you'll really need to have (I recommend writing them down and keeping them handy).  All these can be taken with a standard household measuring tape or a tailors tape either will work.  Lay the jacket you wish to measure on the bed or other flat surface or hang it on a hanger and hang that from the back of a door and button the center button.

A= Back length - Center back from top of collar to hem of the jacket or sometimes from the bottom of collar to hem of the jacket - this depends on the purveyor.
B= Chest width - Directly under the sleeves from pit to pit
C= Waist  - Across jacket at the narrowest point -typically the top or center button level.
D= Shoulder width  - From seam where the top of sleeve attaches across to the seam of the opposite sleeve.
E= Arm length - From the top of shoulder seam to cuff):
F = Not depicted below, but sometimes given - Underarm sleeve length (from pit to sleeve cuff).

That's it!  Most eBay sellers (and this is true of Germany, England, and American eBay sites) will provide this information (although in Germany, the measurements are given in centimeters) and if they don't for whatever reason have it on their listing, just move on, they are not serious sellers, and I probably wouldn't trust them to get the measurements done correctly.  With these measurements, you can purchase a jacket or sports coat and be reasonably certain that it will fit or be with able to fit with some minor tailoring.  

Please also be aware that in most instances the Harris tweeds and other sports jacket that you'll typically buy will be cut a bit more roomy than most modern cuts that you'll find these days.  This is all to the good as far as I'm concerned:  The sleeves are not so narrow, the chest and waist not so slim, the shoulder might be very slightly wider and the length will be a bit longer (classic suit tailoring proportions).  This would be more of a classic fit all around.  For instance, I typically wear a 42R jacket, which means that these will be the most common measurement for vintage/pre-owned Harris Tweeds:

Chest: 23 inches

Shoulder: 19 to 20 inches

Waist: 21 inches

Sleeve: 25-26 inches

Back length: 30-31 inches

Now I'm OK with more of a modern fit for lightweight summer jackets, but for tweeds, I really would like to layer my look, so if it's a bit snug in the chest, too narrow of shoulder or slim of sleeve, wearing an Aran or Fair Isle jumper under it has been rendered impossible, without me looking like an overstuffed sausage.  This makes the vintage/traditional cut far preferable than what you'll often find today even if I go up to a 44R and sometimes a 46R.  At the end of the day, I know that if the jacket has the above measurements I'm golden.   

The last thing I would say is to look very closely at the photos and carefully read the description provided by the seller of the condition of the item.  Many of these sellers specialize in selling men's wear and tweed jackets (especially in the UK eBay) and so are fastidious about providing details about their wares.  It best to know the condition of the item before you bit!  Good luck and happy hunting!

Today's outfit: Triple Tweed!

Today's outfit:

• Jacket: Vintage Harris Tweed in green barleycorn with orange and maroon over-check
• Trousers: Puppies-tooth Tweed made to measure by Spencer's Trousers (they've got a great new website:-)
• Boots: Fred Brogue boots in Tan by Grenson
• Jumper: Aran in Ecru by Michael Ross
• Scarf: Harris Tweed tan herringbone with orange and blue over-check by Ten10creations

Plus: Breitling Seawolf on Sahara Tan African Goat skin strap from Dangerous9straps' Manufacture Collection.  These straps are in stock and available for immediate purchase.

Nice detail of the watch and strap as well as the Tweeds I'm wearing today for my fellow Tweedheads:

Love these trousers from Spencer's Trousers - I'll be doing a review on them very soon and the Grenson Fred boots as well - 7+ years in service and still going strong.  I think I've got them burnished up nicely: