Release the Hounds!
Houndstooth tweed is featured heavily in our fall collection - from stylish Blazers to heirloom quality, statement Outerwear (both available in single and double breasted styles) to elegant Accessories - and is as iconic a material as they come, with a history as rich and as interesting as the mesmerizing pattern itself.
A staple of cold weather collections both fashionable and functional for generations, due to its particular prominence with the wool-heavy weaves of the world's most renowned tweed mills, Houndstooth has its origins far from the runways and retail racks of the modern fashion world.
Formerly known as Shepherd's Check, Houndstooth first rose to prominence in 19th century lowland Scotland, as an innovative weave offering a bit more movement and dynamism due to its unique two-over-two-under weft pattern, featuring heavily in wool outerwear garments worn primarily by shepherds and others who plied their trade in Scotland's cold, damp outdoors. It gained notoriety as the century wore on, at least in part, due to its conspicuous presence within the crosshatches of the vaunted Glen Check pattern, or as it came to be known toward the close of the 19th century and into the 1900s due to is favor with Edward VII (prior to his ascension as King): Prince of Wales Check.
Perhaps due to its utilitarian origins, it did not make its way into the world of high fashion until the 1930s, and was not given a grand stage until nearly two decades later when it made its mark via the discerning eye of two fellow Frenchmen: legendary fashion designers Christian Dior, who debuted it in his spring/summer Haute Couture line in 1948, and Roger Vivier, who brought back a scaled down version of the pattern on a pair of heels for Dior 11 years later.
Pursuing as we do our founder's mantra of "There is no future without the past,", and inspired as we are by the more vintage and utilitarian elements checkered throughout menswear's illustrious history, we proudly work this now legendary pattern into our modern take on Preppy classics with refined regularity.
And in doing so, we have helped shepherd in a renaissance in the more urbane aspects of menswear - heirloom quality suiting, elevated outerwear, and the finest in shirting, pants, sweaters, and accessories - taking the most elegant elements of the past and reimagining them for a modern, sophisticated, gentlemanly clientele. Explore our fall line, and experience Houndstooth and other rich woolen patterns by the mouthful (sorry, truly...).