What Is Harris Tweed?

How is Harris Tweed made?

Harris Tweed is made from wool that is dyed, blended, carded and spun in mills in the Outer Hebrides, handwoven on a loom in a weaver’s own home on the islands, then returned to the mill to be finished, inspected and stamped.

The legal definition

Section 7 of the Harris Tweed Act 1993 says “Harris Tweed” means a tweed which:

• has been “handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides”;
• has been “finished in the Outer Hebrides”;
• is “made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides”; and
• has any further characteristics that the trade-mark regulations require before a Harris Tweed trade mark can be applied to it.

The Act defines the Outer Hebrides as the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra. The name points to one island, but the cloth comes from the whole chain. In Gaelic, the Authority calls it the Clò Hearach; its Gaelic site also calls it An Clò Mòr, which the history page translates as “the Big Cloth”.

From fleece to finished cloth

1. Wool. The greasy wool is a mixture of Blackfaced, Cross Bred and Cheviot sheep. The Harris Tweed Authority says most of it comes from the Scottish mainland.
2. Scouring and dyeing. The wool is washed in soap and washing soda, then dyed before it is spun, not as finished yarn. That order is the reverse of garment dyeing, where the colour goes on last. Natural dyes can no longer be used, because the vegetation they came from is now protected.
3. Blending and carding. Dyed and white wools are weighed in set proportions, mixed and oiled, then carded between toothed rollers.
4. Spinning and warping. The fibre is spun into yarn, and thousands of warp threads are wound onto beams.
5. Weaving. Warp and weft go out from the mill to weavers, who weave the cloth on a treadle loom at home, not at a mill.
6. Finishing. The cloth comes back to the mill still greasy. Darners mend flaws by hand; the cloth is washed and beaten in soda and soapy water, then dried, steamed, pressed and cropped.
7. Inspection and stamping. An independent Harris Tweed Authority inspector checks the cloth. If it passes, the Orb certification mark is ironed onto the reverse.

What are the properties of Harris Tweed?

Harris Tweed is an all-wool cloth whose colour is blended in the fibre before spinning, so a single yarn mixes dyed and white wools. The performance claims below are the Authority’s own.

• Weather: the Authority says the wool needs no added finishes to be breathable, wind and waterproof, and flame resistant.
• Durability: the Authority describes the cloth as durable and long-lasting, needing little laundering.
• Weight and width: in the early 1990s the industry introduced a double-width loom and a wider, softer, lighter tweed.

How is Harris Tweed graded or certified?

Harris Tweed is certified by inspection rather than graded on a scale: a length of cloth either passes the Authority’s inspection and receives the Orb, or, according to the Authority, it cannot be deemed genuine Harris Tweed. The Authority calls the Orb “a registered Certification Mark, not a logo”, and says only cloth that bears it is genuine.

How the protection was built

The 1909 date belongs to the Association and the trade mark, not to the Act; the statutory definition dates from 1993. The Act gives the Authority a general duty to further the industry “as a means of livelihood for those who live in the Outer Hebrides”, and a duty to stop cloth that fails the definition being passed off as Harris Tweed.

How does Harris Tweed appear on a clothing label?

Genuine Harris Tweed products carry an Authority label bearing the Orb; the rules set which label a product may use and what it may be called. The fibre itself is fixed: the Act requires pure virgin wool, and the Authority’s pages call it 100% pure new wool.

• Garment label: for clothing, the outer must be made entirely from Harris Tweed cloth. As a guide, the Authority says more than 1 metre of double-width cloth should be used.
• General-purpose and large-accessory labels: for items with more than 600 cm² and more than 300 cm² of Harris Tweed respectively, which must also cover more than 50% of the external surface.
• Small-accessory and seam labels: for small items, or items under 50% Harris Tweed. As a guide, the Harris Tweed should cover at least three times the area of the label.
• Swing tags: card tags with a short definition and a security hologram, for products more than 50% Harris Tweed.
• The name: a product may be called a “Harris Tweed” bag, coat or similar only if more than 50% of its exterior is Harris Tweed, excluding buttons, trimmings and linings.

The label must be sewn onto the Harris Tweed part, never glued, and must not mislead a buyer into thinking the whole item is Harris Tweed.

How do you tell genuine Harris Tweed from a copy?

Genuine Harris Tweed is identified by the Orb, not by look or feel, because only certified cloth may carry the mark. Check it in this order:

1. Find the woven label. Look for the Orb and Maltese Cross above the words “Harris Tweed”. Official woven labels are polyester, with ultrasonically cut edges, in five styles.
2. Check how it is attached. It must be sewn. A glued-on label breaks the Authority’s rules.
3. Check where it sits. The label belongs on the Harris Tweed itself. On a jacket with a garment label, the whole outer should be tweed.
4. Check the swing tag for a short definition of the cloth and a security hologram.
5. Look for the maker’s own mark. Makers who buy additional labels must put a personal, permanent mark on their products.
6. Buying cloth by the metre? Turn it over. The Orb is ironed onto the reverse after inspection. The Authority advises buyers to question the authenticity of cloth from a supplier who does not offer labels.

Red flags: a label glued on; an Orb label stitched onto a lining or a non-tweed panel rather than onto the tweed; a small Orb label on a non-Harris Tweed item where the tweed is only a patch, pocket or appliqué; an item sold as a “Harris Tweed” bag or coat where the tweed is only a trim; loose labels or tags offered for sale, which the Authority forbids.

How do you care for Harris Tweed?

Care for a Harris Tweed item by following its maker’s care label, which covers the linings and trims as well as the cloth. The Authority describes the cloth as needing little laundering.

The Authority does not produce, sell or repair Harris Tweed products; take a damaged or faulty item back to its maker or the shop.

Is Harris Tweed sustainable?

Measured as sustainable fashion, Harris Tweed’s verifiable strengths are a single fibre and an origin fixed by law; its environmental claims come from the industry body, not from independent life-cycle data.

• What the Authority claims: the cloth is 100% British wool, “naturally renewable, biodegradable and recyclable”, and long-lasting with little laundering.
• Local livelihoods: as of 2025, the Authority gives annual output of 1–1.5 million metres, supporting 150 weavers and 160 jobs in the wider industry. Under the 1993 Act, the Authority has a duty to further the industry as a livelihood for people in the Outer Hebrides.
• What is missing: the Authority’s sustainability page gives no figures for energy use, emissions or waste.