How to Wear a Green Donegal Tweed Suit

Compared to worsted wool, tweed is thick, durable and warm. Which makes it perfect for winter.

Do you own a tweed suit? Here’s how I wear my olive green Donegal tweed suit from Oliver Wicks.

This made-to-measure suit from Oliver Wicks is actually my first tweed suit. Like my brown flannel suit (also from OW), it’s perfect for cooler months.

suit | tie | square

Here are the specs:

• One button, two vents
• Half canvassed, unpadded shoulders
• Half lined (Italian Blue Bemberg)
• Slanted flap pockets
• Slim notch lapels (2.5″)
• Flat front trousers, no cuffs
• Suspender buttons and side tabs (no belt loops)

I’m a recent convert to soft (unpadded) shoulders on suit jacket and blazers, and I’m not going back.

It might just be my build, but jackets sit much more naturally on my shoulders without a bunch of extra padding.

glasses | portfolio (similar)

Over the past couple of years, I’ve dialed in my measurements with Oliver Wicks. So, other than the sleeves being a tiny bit short (my mistake), the fit is on point.

Let’s talk about the fabric. You’ll noticed that it looks different in different lighting, but this next picture is pretty accurate:

Tweed, like flannel, is a wool fabric that tends to be heavier, more textured and more casual than, say worsted wool. But here’s the thing:

There are countless varieties, weights and classes of wool. And honestly, I’m not an expert when it comes to the subtle differences between fabrics.

If you want to take a deep dive into the history of tweed, read this article from Gentleman’s Gazette.

If not, just know that tweed suits are inherently more casual than regular wool suits, and they’re generally reserved for colder weather.

This suit is made from a specific type of tweed called donegal tweed (originally manufactured in County Donegal, Ireland).

You can recognize donegal tweed by the color flecking throughout the fabric. The way it’s woven produces this cool heather effect.

The main color is olive green, but this suit has flecks of blue, red, orange and gold. This makes it really easy to pair with shirts and accessories.

watch

Speaking of accessories, how cool is this tie? It’s a navy silk tie with a green and gold duck print, and it pairs perfectly with the olive tweed.

There’s something oddly appealing about ties with little birds on them. Is it just me? Anyway…

Since the suit has green, red, blue and gold in it, I have my choice of different pocket squares. I went with gold, since it pairs nicely with the aforementioned waterfowl.

I almost went with brown suede Chelsea boots for this shoot, but in the end, my trusty Park Avenues were calling to me.

shoes | socks

The Park Avenue is a cap toe Oxford, which is pretty formal. But these are in walnut (light brown), which is more casual than black or dark brown.

I think they’re a classy choice for this suit. What do you think?

Speaking of classy, I made sure to customize the jacket with a pen pocket:

You know I’m a fan of Oliver Wicks, but I have to say: I really like this suit.

There’s something about a tweed jacket with unpadded shoulders. It almost wears like a cardigan, and it’s warm enough to wear without a second layer in the fall (at least where I live).

Plus, it’s casual enough to wear separately (as a sport coat) with jeans, chinos or odd trousers. You could wear the trousers separately too, even with more casual shoes (like suede boots).

Do you tweed?

I’m pretty happy with my first tweed suit. I think it will serve me well in the cooler months. If you’re in the market for a tweed suit, I suggest checking out Oliver Wicks.

Do you own a tweed suit? Would you buy one? Leave a comment below!