Is there a possibility that these changes will affect the availability of Harris tweed in the short term? In March I was discussing with Patrick Chu of W.W. Chan the possibility of ordering a heavier tweed jacket (something in 14- or 15-ounce weight, probably) than the 12-ounce Shetland tweeds I've been getting, the heavy jacket being for our very coldest weather and should I happen to visit colder climes. He advised me that Harris tweed would no longer be available. I said I found that very hard to believe, for the reasons set forth above. He said that's what they had heard at Chan, and they had been advised of this by Harrison's, who had evidently been their supplier of Harris tweed.

Anyway, I'll see what Patrick's got when I meet with him a week from Friday to select a fabric for my heavy jacket and also find out what his understanding of the situation is.

I have no idea why this stuff is as popular as it is. But it is. I think that the only thing thatll kill the industry is if Americans stop buying it.

The problem is that "bespoke" is in common use and so it is impossible to protect. If it had only ever had one meaning it may be possible but in a world where you can have bespoke computer programs I'm afraid that ship has sailed. Harris Tweed manages it because it was protected from before when people tried to pass off imitations so it never entered common use.

The history of Harris Tweed is a fine example of the Victorian ethos where the upper classes and factory owners were considered to have a duty to care for their tenants and workers. While is was widely ignored it lead to the building of model villages for the workers and projects like the promotion and protection of Harris Tweed. Proper protection came with the introduction of the trademark act at the turn of the century when Harris Tweed was one of the first products trademarked - it stopped the mill produced Harris Tweed overnight.

It's possible to get Harris Tweed that is entirely produced by one person from spinning to finishing but that's very rare now although I knew of one lady who used to do it. The traditional finishing process is not for the squeamish and involves soaking the fabric in urine.  For the most part the mills provide the yarns and the weavers make them up into the raw cloth before it's returned to the mill for finishing (by a method not involving urine!). The mill then sells the finished product on the weavers behalf. Occasionally someone will commission a particular pattern, as Surgical appliance did, but for the most part the mills produce what they always have. I know the KM Group had a lot of stock that had been built up over the years when they sold out to the current owners, I often wonder what happened to that.

'...The history of Harris Tweed is a fine example of the Victorian ethos where the upper classes and factory owners were considered to have a duty to care for their tenants and workers...'

This type of philanthropy was indeed quite popular amongst middle class Victorians, however, I think it often went beyond a sense of duty and care and became a type of 'serfdom'. Henry Ford had similar idea's in the U.S.

Here is Sir Titus Salt (great name, worthy of Dickens) who constructed a 'model' village called Saltaire next to his mill to house his inmates....er....sorry...employees. The village is just north of Bradford in North Yorkshire.

Here's the man...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Titus_Salt

And Saltaire...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltaire

Interestingly Salt was apparently the first to weave Alpaca wool...We British eh....?