Tweed in Town and Country
Tweed’s flexible texture and robust durability have been
tried and tested by the very best of Saville Row’s tailors and
that’s why it really hasn’t faded from our high streets over
recent years. With this in mind it is no wonder that Anna
has expanded her opportunities by offering a Made to Order
service to her clients. The Butler Stewart Made to Order
service is in high demand allowing you to create a unique
garment tailored to your individual taste, offering hundreds of
the UK’s finest tweeds, stunning linings, vibrant under collar
felts and colourful button hole stitching.
It is Anna’s love of country life that has influenced her designs
from start to finish and being able to fashion a Butler Stewart
piece in both city and rural life is crucial to Anna simply
because of her back and forth living over the years, “Tweed
is often associated with muddy farmers and English gentry
but my aim is to help change this perception by designing
beautiful timeless garments than can be worn with your
everyday wardrobe” says Anna.
The functionality of Butler Stewart items and how they can be
worn for every occasion
Tweed is an icon of traditional British country clothing;
customarily used for upper-class country clothing
like shooting jackets, tweed became popular among
the Edwardian middle classes who associated it with the
leisurely pursuits of the elite. Due to its durability tweed plus-
fours were a popular choice for hunters, cyclists, golfers and
early motorists, hence Kenneth Grahame's depiction of Mr
Toad in a Harris tweed suit.
It was not uncommon for members of long-established British
and American land-owning families to wear high quality
heirloom tweed inherited from their grandparents, some of
which pre-dated the Second World War. It’s flexible in texture
and is made with the purpose of withstanding harsh climates
and outdoor activities.
Pioneering designer Anna Butler, founder of Butler Stewart is
young and talented; she has created an individual get-up-and-
go clothing line for both ladies and gentlemen; designing for
the seamless move between town and country and merging
modernity with tradition.
Thanks must surely be extended to the likes of Channel, Ralph
Lauren and Hackett for modernising tweed and securing its
place in the forefront of British fashion.
86 | The Gentleman Magazine
Textiles is part of the Butler family antiquity dating back over
200 years. Anna was brought up in the Essex countryside
surrounded by her ancestor’s legacy which goes back as far as
the 18th century. George Courtauld & Co. was founded by her
relative George Courtauld and was a manufacturer of fabric,
clothing and artificial fibres.
Many of the linings used in Anna’s beautiful garments
are made from viscose (an artifical silk) which
Courtaulds acquired a patent for in 1904. The fabric was
highly successful and was responsible for transforming
Courtaulds into the world’s leading man-made fibre
production company. Hundreds of years later Anna follows in
the footsteps of her successful forebears.
Anna previously used to work for the likes of Chelsea
stalwart Oliver Brown hence her genuine interest and vast
knowledge of tailored tweed. The Butler Stewart tweed and
shirt collections are made up of effortlessly beautiful and
timeless pieces for your everyday wardrobe. All the “everyday
wear” pieces are made in Europe while the detailed shooting
collection is made in England m aking it even more desirable.
All the fabrics that Anna uses are sourced from Yorkshire and
Scottish mills which contributes to the evident high quality of
each garment as well as the significant attention to detail.
One of Anna’s bestsellers is the men’s Watson jacket, mainly
because although it is tweed it does not conform to the
usual ‘muddy’ green palettes and is a lesser state of loudness.
Designed with a seemingly Italian influence with muted tones
and a slimmer fit it is perfect for the city types and occasion
wear.
A vast majority of the Butler Stewart’s following can be
spotted at the races or out in the field but essentially her
pieces can be styled for a winter wedding or simply worn in
day-day life. You need to include Butler Stewart into your
wardrobe because it is beautifully made and totally timeless
with the added bonus of a not so whopping price tag!