Unsure of how best to wear tweed, many men imagine themselves dressed in an odd-looking or old-fashioned suit. However, they couldn’t be more wrong! The key to an elegant tweed suit is knowing how to style it properly.
With that in mind, we explain how to wear a tweed suit and share a few examples of celebrities' stylings to inspire you.
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How to Wear a Tweed SuitÂ
If you want a tweed suit that looks truly dapper, you need one that's well-tailored and made-to-measure. The suit should also feature comfortable, high-quality fabric that makes you feel confident when you wear it.
With that said, here's how to wear a tweed suit to look your best:
Match the Colour to the Occasion
Choose a tweed suit in a colour that you like, and make sure that it matches the purpose you’re going to wear it for.
To wear the suit in a relaxed, confident manner, it’s crucial that you like the colour. But the hue also needs to be appropriate for the occasion. For example, if you’re going to wear your suit to work, we’d recommend a soft, smart light grey over an extravagant red that would be better suited to a winter wedding.
Match the Accessories to the Suit
When styling a tweed suit, the usual etiquette applies:
- Choose a shirt in a complimentary colour to the suitÂ
- If the suit is pattern, opt for a plain shirt - and vice versa
- Pick a tie in a darker hue than your shirtÂ
- Make sure your shoes and belt match
Mix and Match Elements of the Suit
Don’t be afraid to use the suit for different occasions and don’t feel that you need to wear every part of the suit, every time. A tweed suit can make a great impression at a formal meeting, as well as looking fantastic on a night out with friends. It all depends on how you style it.
With a tie and white shirt, it’s more elegant, while without a waistcoat and with a tweed cap, it’s more casual.
Top tip: You don’t need to always wear the waistcoat. If you don’t feel comfortable in it, or you think the 3-piece is too formal for the occasion, feel free to leave the waistcoat at home.
Think About Presentation
 Make sure to always have the suit clean and ironed (check the label to know how to do it correctly).
You can also read our guide on how to care for tweed here.
How to Wear a Tweed Suit, as Told by Celebrities
These celebrities have cleared learnt how to wear a tweed suit! Let's explore their styles in detail to inspire your next tweed look.Â
Bet on a Classic Look
Let’s start with two English gentlemen – Film director, Guy Ritchie, and football player and businessman, David Beckham. They both present here what we would call a classic look. Their outfits are simple but, as we all know, in many cases less means more.
If ever you don’t feel confident about the colours or accessories that could match the suit, stick to the classic combinations. Tweed, as a fabric, is very unique in itself, so if you don’t have experience in styling it, there’s no need to try and make it more original.
Guy Ritchie | Suit | Tie | Shirt
Guy Ritchie chose a check tweed suit and decided to go for the all-grey look. You can see different shades of this colour in his outfit - from the light-grey tie to a slightly darker suit, with the darkest shade being used for the scarf.
The contrast is very subtle and all the parts perfectly complement each other. You’ll notice that the classic, white shirt and pocket square don’t interfere with the rest of the look. The whole outfit is elegant and timeless. It’s a great example of how to bring the beauty of a suit to the forefront.
David Beckham | Suit | Tie | Shirt
Here’s another classic styling. David Beckham went for a very well-fitted, light-brown 3-piece suit. Like Guy Ritchie, he decided to choose the tie in the same colour as the suit. However, the contrast here is more visible. A dark brown tie stands out from the classic white shirt, but at the same time works perfectly with the suit. A white pocket square adds even more charm, while the leather bag makes the whole look slightly more casual. It’s a great example of how the accessories can create the outfit.
Separate the Tweed Suit Elements
We've mentioned before that parts of a tweed suit can look perfectly fine when they’re separated. Time to prove that statement!
Justin Timberlake | Donald Glover
On the left, Justin Timberlake gives us an excellent example of finishing the outfit with a tweed jacket. He smoothly mixes the dark-blue colour of his shirt and trousers with the brown coloured jacket and shoes. The whole thing looks casual but, at the same time (thanks to the tweed blazer!), smart enough for a red carpet event.
On the right, Donald Glover shows how to pair tweed trousers with an elegant sweater. While the trousers are plain, the sweater is what makes the outfit original - thanks to its pattern. There’s no need to complement this combination with much more, so he just adds brown slip-ons with no socks. The styling seems to be perfect for a spring cocktail party.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
Okay, you had to see this coming, right? After all the tips on how to wear a tweed suit for a classic and elegant look, we had to finish with a bit of extravagance.
There’s always an exception to the rule, and this time we have three of them! Of course, it doesn’t mean you should forget about the classic style - just sometimes it’s also okay to experiment if you feel confident enough to do it.
Rod Stewart | Johnny Depp | Jared Leto
You can pair a tweed suit with an extravagant accessory, as Rod Stewart has, or you can match a tweed coat with the bohemian look - like Johnny Depp. Alternatively, you could choose an eye-catching tweed fabric for your suit, as seen here with Jared Leto. Some people need to express their unique personality with clothes and, even though tweed is associated with a more formal style, it can also be creative and original if needed.
Shop Tweed Suits From Tweedmaker
Hopefully, you’ll now feel more confident about how to wear a tweed suit - and maybe you’ve even been inspired by our celebrities’ outfits.
We know tweed may seem like a difficult material to work with, but believe us it’s not. It’s a delight to wear and there should be no doubt in your mind when deciding whether to buy it.
Choose a tweed suit for yourself and feel free to share your stylings with us - we’d love to see them!
