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You don’t have to be posh or clever to put on tweed, but historically if you’re wearing it, you are one or the other. Even now when you slip on some tweed it’s impossible not to look as if you’re making a sartorial statement about intellect or class. No matter how many hipsters wear an ironic flatcap, it will always belong to the country set. Tweed overcoats will always belong to the erudite or aristocratic, to Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who or Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham. When Coco Chanel used the fabric for womenswear in 1924 she was inspired by the wardrobe of her lover, the Duke of Westminster. You don’t get much posher than that.

It’s annoying because, as well as being an emblem of status or ability, it’s a useful fabric: tough, waterproof and attractive with its houndstooth, herringbone and windowpane weaves.

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It will be interesting to see if the new season’s take on tweed makes any difference. This year designers have really, really tried to look at its plaids and checks in a whole new way. At House of Holland and Roberto Cavalli the traditional patterns were stamped on sequinned material and Lurex. The islanders of Harris would not approve. At Dior the coats came in acid green and the once demure skirts had multiple splits, which made the tweed feel refreshingly different. Young British designer Simone Rocha showed voluminous dresses in red and black and Miu Miu had it all ways – unusual clothes in typical tweed and crazy colours for traditional tweedy garments, such as overcoats and suits.

The high street has jumped on the bandwagon with enthusiasm. And why not? Adapting and modifying the fashion status quo should be part of what middle market retailers do. Kurt Geiger has some lovely trainers in bright pink tweed – though I do wonder

if they’re as waterproof as the original fabric. If there are materials and colours to be fiddled around with, then Cos is always happy to have a go and this is no exception. Look on the website for some interesting reinterpretations, but this fading check sweatshirt is my favourite.

Also, good on Marks & Spencer for creating this fondant-yellow jacket. I feel sorry for M&S. Every time the store’s sales rise or fall it’s reported as some sort of insight into the mores of the middle classes or evidence of the fallibility of a crumbling British institution, instead of just information about a shop which, you know, gets it a bit wrong now and again. It must be hard to focus on creating a strong brand against that backdrop. But this season promises to be a good one for fashion at M&S, so make sure you browse its rails long and often in the coming months.

Keeping an open mind about tradition is important, whether it’s tweed or M&S. The posh people might not like it, but it’s the clever thing to do.

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