Good deal on Harris tweed...

[Nathan]

That seems a decent price for a new Harris tweed jacket, but still too rich for my blood. I got lucky at the thrift shop recently and found one for $7

Nice! I paid 14.99 each at Value Village recently! You know how to find a deal, Colin!

[Farmer Jones]

Nice! I paid 14.99 each at Value Village recently! You know how to find a deal, Colin!

It seems that you also know how to find a deal. The best I have done was $21.00 at Value Village for Harris Tweed in blue herringbone by Alexander of London.

[ASinclair]

Last Summer, I was lucky enough to find two Harris Tweed jackets at one of our local Goodwill thrift stores. They were $4.99 each. They are hanging in my closet, waiting to be altered into kilt jackets.

[Farmer Jones]

I have been browsing the Muldoons link that CameronCat posted, looking at the regular sizes. I must say, I like the cut and style of the jackets, but I am confused by something. Take this rather beautiful item as an example:

http://www.muldoons.com/Harris-Tweed...IIMAIP/Product

If you read the description it says that it is Harris Tweed and it also says it is made in China.
The quoted prices are not dissimilar to a tailored Harris Tweed jacket made in Scotland. I have not seen their jackets to be able to read the labels and am wondering if this is simply a mistake on the part of the store.

[frank_a]

My first Harris Tweed find was 10USD, and VMac did an awesome job of tailoring that into a kilt jacket for me. It was basically gray, but with those purple and red threads running through it. A great find for a big guy like me. Then recently I picked up two that fit me from a Craigslist ad for 40USD, but they included nice wool trousers that fit me fine. My local seamstress wanted to try converting one into a kilt jacket for me, so I'm having her do the brown one. The gray one is fully medium gray, and I'm just keeping it for wear to the office. Nothing like a good deal, eh? Cheers! Frank

[piperdbh]

It's perfectly logical that these jackets are made in China from 'arris tweed. A tweed weaver told me a couple of years ago that a company was buying all (or nearly all) the tweed he could weave, shipping it to China, then selling the jackets online. Apparently this is it.

[CameronCat]

A tweed weaver told me a couple of years ago that a company was buying all (or nearly all) the tweed he could weave, shipping it to China, then selling the jackets online.

Yes, this seems to be it exactly. The fabric is woven in Scotland but is then sent to whomever cares to buy it and make garments from it. But based on my jacket, the wholesaler/garment producer seems to hold the Chinese tailors to a high standard. Mine has many nice touches and the totally-official Harris Tweed label on the inside. Additionally, courtesy of Muldoons, mine came on a broad, solid wood hanger and in a zip-up travel caddy.

In fairness, I believe Muldoons is only a retailer of these and not the producer; there are many vendors on-line offering the "Barva" and other HT jackets sewn in China. I found bunches -- just none at such a good price. Looks like they're all buying from the same supplier. (Which may also account the recent appearance of HT at Wal-Marts, but that's just a guess.)

And for all y'all that got your tweed jacket for a "dollar-ninety-eight, down the street", you're either easy to fit or damn lucky. Perhaps both, but my money's on the latter. <wink>

[tpa]

I have been browsing the Muldoons link that CameronCat posted, looking at the regular sizes. I must say, I like the cut and style of the jackets, but I am confused by something. Take this rather beautiful item as an example:

http://www.muldoons.com/Harris-Tweed...IIMAIP/Product

If you read the description it says that it is Harris Tweed and it also says it is made in China.
The quoted prices are not dissimilar to a tailored Harris Tweed jacket made in Scotland. I have not seen their jackets to be able to read the labels and am wondering if this is simply a mistake on the part of the store.

It also says: " dyed, spun and finished in the western isles of Scotland and hand woven by crofters in their own homes on the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra."

Definitely confusing.

[ASinclair]

It also says: " dyed, spun and finished in the western isles of Scotland and hand woven by crofters in their own homes on the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra."

Definitely confusing.

The Harris Tweed cloth can be made into a jacket somewhere else, like China. I have two Harris Tweed jackets that were made in the USA.