Our Winter 2022 outerwear showcases the best of what we do, taking our unique fabrics, designed and woven at our mill in Donegal, and creating timeless pieces.
These versatile and adaptable pieces are designed to be styled multiple ways and to integrate well into your existing winter wardrobe. We dipped into our weaving archives and revived some exciting patterns, adding a contemporary slant.
WOMEN’S
Nessa Quilted Coat
Josie Tweed Coat in Oversized Glencheck
Jessica Donegal Tweed Coat in Charcoal Grey Herringbone
Cara Parka
The women’s outerwear centres on design but also function. New to the collection, the Nessa quilted coat is a future wardrobe staple. A relaxed fit finishing mid-thigh, this is the style to wear while on the school runs or shopping at the weekend. Another new style, the Cara is a more put together take on the parka coat, a sophisticated silhouette featuring a wide, oversized collar, deep patch pockets in a wool blackwatch check, designed and woven in Donegal and coated with Teflon for protection against the elements.
Constantly developing new and interesting styles in our own fabrics, theClodagh overshirt is a triumph. Simple, unstructured, and utterly stylish, the Clodagh is presented in a modern blue check with pops of silver lurex and a luxurious baby alpaca and lambswool blend herringbone, a cloth which pays full homage to our heritage.
MEN’S
Corrib Tweed Coat in Glencheck
Melvin Donegal Tweed Jacket
Erne Donegal Tweed Coat in Blue Salt & Pepper
Sheelin Quilted Jacket in Blackwatch Check
The men’s outerwear offering is enhanced this season by two new casual styles. Ideal for seasonal transitions, the Sheelin quilted jacket is a short lightweight style available in two showerproof styles – faux suede and a luxurious Blackwatch wool check, designed and woven in Donegal, coated with Teflon. Heavily influenced by Chairman, and 4th generation family member, Lynn Temple’s love of the outdoors, the Melvin is a chunky shirt jacket in tweed, lined with a lofty fleece. A wardrobe workhorse, this style, in two rich winter checks, looks just as good in the great outdoors as it does on a city break.
Joining classic coat styles like the Erne and Corrib coats in signature Donegal Tweeds, the Moross duffle coat is a heavier weight style for colder months. The ultimate winter coat in a navy and charcoal Glen check tweed, the Moross features all the details synonymous with a duffle coat, this cosy style is a timeless investment piece.
Complete the look with our selection of scarves and pashminas, designed and woven at our mill in Donegal using the finest natural fibres.
At Magee 1866, we have been specialising in exquisite tailoring since the 1940’s. Our Made to Measure service combines our expert tailoring with our love of luxury fabrics.
Tailoring Then & Now
A 5th generation Irish family business, Magee 1866 was founded on handwoven tweed over 150 years ago. The company started by sending fabric bunches to tailors throughout the UK and Ireland. In the mid-1940s Howard Temple (2nd generation) saw an increasing demand for ready-to-wear with a decline in the tailoring trade and started to manufacture tailored garments.
Already known for our colourful Donegal Tweeds, moving to the finished garment was a natural progression. Our unique fabrics stood out from the industrial grey suiting that was the main product on the market. Magee 1866 thornproof suits and Donegal Tweed jackets stood the test of time and put us on the map for tailoring. The thornproof suit cost about 15 guineas, or £6 at the time.
Building on this extensive history, tailoring is still at the heart of our business. Alongside this, and in line with how we dress today, we have expanded our offering and developed casual lifestyle collections. However, a beautifully tailored suit or jacket is still an essential piece for every wardrobe.
Attention to detail – internally and externally – is key, with each component designed and made with care. Every piece plays a part. The elements you don’t see inside the garment are so important to how the jacket or trouser fits on the body and the linings, buttons, melton, piping, stitching, embroidery and of course, the main body fabric, bring the style together.
The Made to Measure collection also offers a wide selection of design options – for example single or double-breasted jacket or waistcoat, the number and style of pockets and buttons, lapel width and design, single or double vent as well as side adjusters and hem details on trousers.
Fabrics include our beautiful Donegal Tweeds – timeless Herringbones and Salt & Peppers, speckled with flecks of colour; classic pure new wool suiting in pinstripes, plains, checks and micro-designs; travel suiting with stretch and Irish Linens.
Our design philosophy has always promoted the concept of ‘slow fashion’ through timeless collections, where pieces are designed to be worn time and time again. Sustainable fabric and high-quality, long-lasting products define our DNA.
The Process
Our in store tailoring experts will take you through five short steps to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, be it for a wedding, special occasion, business suit or indeed a smart blazer.
1. The Fit
Get the perfect fit. Your suit is made from scratch to your measurements, based on two tailoring blocks – classic or tailored. Our in store tailoring experts will work off the best block for you and make the necessary adjustments to ensure you have a perfectly fitting garment.
2. The Cloth
Select your fabric. Choose from dozens of fabrics, many of which are designed and woven at our mill in Donegal.
3. The Details
Select the finer details. Choose from our extensive collection of linings, buttons, threads, collars, meltons and piping. Select from a variety of styling details. This is the stage where you can really make your mark.
4. Finishing Touches
Personalise it. Add the finishing touches to your suit or jacket with personalised embroidery.
5. Delivery
Ready to wear. Your order will take six weeks to arrive from the date of order and can be collected from our stores or delivered direct to your door.
Make an Appointment
Our Made to Measure service is available from Magee of Donegal, Magee of South Anne Street and Magee at Arnotts (Dublin). In addition, the service is available across selected stockists in the UK and Ireland.
The European Commission are proposing a framework to protect the intellectual property for craft and industrial products including Donegal Tweed.
At Magee 1866, we are delighted to see the announcement from the EU Commission on the preliminary steps towards providing geographical protection for “craft and industrial products that rely on the originality and authenticity of traditional practices from their regions”. This framework will cover Donegal Tweed as well as products like Murano Glass and Porcelaine de Limoges and is similar to the protection offered to Champagne, Feta cheese and the Waterford Blaa under their “Protected Geographical indication” (PGI) status.
Patrick Temple, 5th generation family member and CEO of Magee Weaving, has been active in this campaign, starting with initial submissions to the EU a decade ago. Since then, Patrick has been working closely with other weavers in Co. Donegal, with vital support from the Design & Crafts Council Irelandand marketing and business consultant Muiris Kennedy, to champion this cause. This will be of huge benefit to weavers in Co. Donegal and to the long-term brand protection of Donegal Tweed.
“Europe has an exceptional legacy of world-renown crafts and industrial products. It is time that these producers benefit from a new intellectual property right, like food and wine producers, that will increase trust and visibility for their products, guaranteeing authenticity and reputation. Today’s initiative will contribute to the creation of skilled jobs especially for SMEs and to the development of tourism also in the more rural or economically weak areas.”
Donegal Tweed is an iconic part of the counties’ centuries old weaving tradition and is unique as a woven fabric due to the contrasting colourful neps/bur spun into the yarn which is then woven in a plain or twill weave, otherwise known as Salt & Pepper or Herringbone, respectfully. Rooted in the land and seascapes of Donegal, the colours were historically drawn from our surroundings and the unique Herringbone pattern is inspired by the fish caught in the Atlantic Ocean or patterns in the sand after the tide goes out. The Salt & Pepper design is inspired by the speckled landscape of the countryside.
Today, Donegal Tweed, as a vibrant, natural fibre and sustainable fabric, continues to form a principal part of our Magee 1866 collections. Our weaving mill in Donegal Town, on the banks of the River Eske, is still the beating heart of everything we do at Magee 1866. We are proud to support a tradition of weaving and manufacturing textiles in the northwest of Ireland, bringing a contemporary edge to an age-old craft.
Green is the colour perhaps most synonymous with Ireland – our fields and hedgerows, leafy green trees and mossy banks. It’s these unique landscapes that inspire our designers when creating our fabrics and collections.
To mark St. Patrick’s Day, we’ve collected some of our favourite green pieces.
Handwoven Salt & Pepper Donegal Tweed Jacket
A true Donegal Tweed, the salt & pepper weave is rich in colourful flecks, inspired by the flora and fauna found in the Northwest of Ireland. Handwoven in Donegal, this timeless green jacket is part of a long history of handweaving in Ireland, the foundation of our fifth-generation family business and a traditional and skilled craft we are proud to support.
The colour green is really versatile, you only need to look at a bunch of flowers to see that there is barely a shade it doesn’t compliment! Our Lunnaigh Lambswool V-Neck Jumper will integrate seamlessly into your wardrobe.
These books are Made in Ireland with tweed designed and woven at our mill, this capsule collection of tweed notebooks speak to Ireland’s long literary tradition. Who knows, a future great novel or poem might be being penned in one as we speak!
The vibrant green of this Wigwam Throw, designed and woven at our mill on the banks of the River Eske, brings this intricate geometric pattern to life. Dappled with colourful Donegal flecks, this throw will add a touch of spring to your interiors.
A staple of the Magee 1866 collection, the iconic tweed flat cap is one of our most popular pieces. A must-have accessory, these timeless hats span generations.
Casual Luxe by Magee 1866 is a response to the needs and lifestyle changes of modern-day life. This capsule collection, influenced by weekends on the West Coast of Ireland, is made up of high-quality jersey basics and designed to be worn on their own or layered.
With a colour palette taken directly from the Magee 1866 brand, these pieces are adaptable for lots of weekend activities; from walking on the beach to long, lazy brunches with friends. Key finishing touches include fabrics woven by us in Donegal in our unique 1866 branding, making it a truly original collection.
These on-trend pieces are a seamless blend of luxury and casual, low maintenance and comfort, sophistication and simplicity. Our sustainable message is continued through the use of organic cottons and locally sourced linens. This is a collection to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and each piece is designed with longevity in mind.
One of our favourite pieces in the collection is the Navy Malin 1866 Full Zip Sweat featuring a relaxed fit and contemporary Donegal Tweed herringbone ‘1866’ applique. Mix and match with other pieces in the collection and style with casual chinos for the ultimate weekend look.
The use of houndstooth’s baby brother ‘puppytooth’ is a nod to our weaving heritage. The navy and grey micro pattern of the Puppytooth Malin Full Zip Sweat and Seahill Crew Neck Jumper, adds a twist to classic styles. Both pieces are designed to be layered over a t-shirt from the collection or a casual linen shirt for off-duty comfort without compromising on style.
Super soft cotton, a relaxed fit and curved hem make the Clogher t-shirt a wardrobe essential. In the signature Magee 1866 brand colours, you can choose from navy or grey melange, rich stripes or a herringbone tweed ‘1866’ applique.
The colour pink can be romantic and beautiful but also bright and vivacious. Its adaptability is just one of the reasons we love to incorporate pink into our cloths and collections.
This season we celebrate the full spectrum of the colour – from the hot and brave pinks with riotous colour bursts reminiscent of the joyful Holi Festival of Colour (and the addictive Candy Crush game), to the relaxed and delicate blush tones that evoke a tranquil vibe powerfully rooted in the authenticity and assurance of nature.
The Subtle Pink Twist
The Grace coat has returned with a luxury multicoloured twist. The exaggerated cotton, wool and silk blend sharkskin weave, features dusky pinks, aqua and sea blues and off-white chunky yarns, interwoven with contemporary gold and silver lurex for a little bit of dazzle!
The Hot Pink
Our hot pink Lily Donegal Tweed jacket provides a luxurious burst of colour to any outfit. The lightweight tweed, designed and woven at our mill by our skilled weavers, is dappled with flecks of teal and purple. The jacket’s princess seams, peak lapel and a cut-away front give it a flattering, feminine appearance without sacrificing on comfort.
Floral Pinks
Soft pastel colours of violet, ochre and aqua are contrasted against a soft pink base in a wonderfully ornate Liberty Kew garden’s floral print on our Tracy tailored fit shirt. Designed and drawn in the Liberty of London Fabrics studio in a fine line style, this print offers a dreamy and delicate interpretation of Kew Gardens’ tropical flora. Liberty of London Tana Lawn Cotton’s distinctive hand-feel and translucent softness make it a versatile favourite.
Picks for Him
A summery blend of cotton, silk and linen perfectly showcase the dusky pink check in this classic fit Liffey jacket. Designed and woven in Ireland, this opulent fabric blend is light and airy. Styled with a crisp white Irish linen shirt and chinos, this jacket is an ideal way to introduce some colour into your summer wardrobe.
If you’re still a little shy of colour, a great way to dip your toe in, is with knitwear. Styled under jackets or over shirts, a pop of pink, like our Carn Cotton ¼ Zip Jumper, elevates an outfit while keeping you comfortable and warm.
Pink in our Home and Accessory Collections
Another reason we love pink is because it reminds us of home. This time of year, the roses in Salthill’s garden (Mum’s) are in full bloom and provide endless inspiration for our accessory collection.
Pale pink checks and herringbones in the softest blends of wool, cashmere and alpaca, woven in Donegal by us bring a touch of luxury to your interiors.
Colour is at the heart of what we do at Magee 1866, in the 1960’s our mill started to focus on more colourful fabrics, moving away from the functional, hardwearing tweeds which sometimes lacked colour into more design lead cloths, inspired by our surrounding land and seascape. The ‘true Donegal tweed’ is a salt and pepper which is speckled with bright colours – gorse yellows, sea blues, sky greys, mossy greens, fuchsia pinks and leafy reds and oranges.
Timeless salt & pepper and herringbone Donegal tweeds.
Blue is one of my favourite colours and a seasonal classic – summer or winter and a colour that works across men’s, women’s and home accessories. We take much of our inspiration from nature and in Donegal we are surrounded by blues – the sea, the sky (albeit often grey!), flowers and our landscape. The mountains near Donegal town are aptly named the Bluestack mountains.
Murvagh beach with the Bluestack mountains in the distance.
The Mya dress
The Emma coat
We use blue across many pieces from the more formal to casual. It is an easy colour to wear and has such an amazing colour palette from classic navies to mid-denim to pale blues. I love this herringbone mid-blue Emma coat – with a soft creamy white contrast.
Blue is a beautiful colour to incorporate into your home, on its own in varying shades or mixed with oats, greys or creams.
One of my favourite accessories – our Donegal tweed teddy bears – this one is made in a beautiful blue salt & pepper tweed.
When it comes to braving winter weather, your favourite coat – the one you’ll be reaching for, year after year – needs to check some essential boxes: beautiful quality that wears well with age, it needs to be warm, and the silhouette should withstand the test of time, from the workday commute to weekend adventures.
For us, there’s no better answer than a Donegal Tweed coat. Donegal Tweed is designed to keep you warm, and at our weaving mill, we have spent years experimenting and designing to create tweeds that are luxuriously warm, timeless and made with natural fibres. For a behind-the-scenes look at our weaving mill, look no further…
This Autumn Winter 2019, we have launched some new shapes and styles of coats for men and women, in Donegal Tweeds designed and woven at our mill in Donegal.
All new this season, the Alexa is designed to make a statement. Mid-length, with raglan shoulders and deep hand-warmer pockets, this coat is meant to be worn over anything, to anything, whether it’s work or play.
The fabric is an over-sized red and white check, inspired by the Irish Brigid’s Cross. It’s designed and woven at our weaving mill; take a look at its journey through our weaving mill, from warping to mending and final examinations above.
“This is one of my favourite Magee women’s coats, we have a similar men’s raglan sleeve coat – the Corrib which we have run in our collections for years and people often asked me can you do a women’s version! Here it is – the Alexa is a timeless coat that can be worn year after year. I just love this oversized fabric design, which showcases what our mill do best – intricate designs in beautiful natural fibres.” Charlotte Temple – Creative Director
It’s no secret thatthe Emma coat is one of our favourites. It’s easily styled for day or night, and can be worn over trousers and a blouse, or a dress with heels. Worn unbuttoned, the coat has a bit of movement to it that we love.
This season, the Emma coat comes in two Donegal Tweed colourways: a classic black and white herringbone, and a herringbone in mulberry and camel.
For occasions and outfits that call for a polished look, the Linsford is the perfect option. Princess seams help the Linsford sit close to the body, giving a fitted silhouette. The Nehru collar can be worn standing up, or folded down to reveal a pop of velvet in the lining.
The Moross duffle coat is all new to the Magee 1866 collection this season, effortlessly fusing contemporary styling with our heritage salt-and-pepper Donegal Tweed.
Our designers have given the ever-popular duffle coat an upgrade, with a quilted brushed cotton lining, real horn toggle fasteners, and of course our own Donegal Tweed, designed and woven in Donegal.
There’s no doubt that men’s style this decade has taken a lot of inspiration from BBC’s Peaky Blinders, and the Corrib coat is the perfect answer to it. A long silhouette and raglan sleeves make it the perfect winter overcoat, from workdays to casual weekends.
There are few looks as timeless as the peacoat. It’s been a staple look for men since the 1800s, bringing a nautical element to the winter wardrobe along with a sharp, tailored silhouette. Our Fintra peacoat comes in a navy herringbone Donegal Tweed, designed and woven at our mill.
Sustainability is very
much part of our family values and what we do at Magee 1866. We recognise that it is a not a
straightforward concept with easy solutions. Yet, as a family we are on board to drive a philosophy which respects
our environment and how we do business in it.
We have grown up in in the wilds of Donegal with the Atlantic on our doorstep for swimming and the Bluestacks Mountains just up the road for exploring. Mum and Dad have always encouraged a deep respect for this magic landscape at home and to tread with care. This culture of care for the landscape around us means putting time and effort into make sustainable choices from planting belts of mixed forestry to eating organically, growing vegetables and cycling in and out to work. This sustainable set of lifestyle values as a family translates to what we do at work. We don’t leave them at home!
Lynn Temple, Chairman of Magee 1866, and Rosy Temple, Marketing & Retail Manager, in Mountcharles, Co Donegal
When it comes to work, for over 150 years sustainability has been inherent in our DNA. We focus on using natural fibres like wool which is renewable and biodegradable by default. Natrual fibres create fabric and clothing which is of a high quality, a far cry from the ‘throw away’ culture of fast fashion. Today, we look to harness this sustainable core and to bring its essence through our collections. When you invest in a coat like the Emma (below), you are buying a piece which is made of wool, it is made to last and to be enjoyed season after season. As a 5th generation family business, we are not here today and gone tomorrow and neither is our clothing.
The Emma coat in a black and white herringbone-patterned Donegal Tweed
It is so encouraging to see that sustainability is now part of a more mainstream conversation around the world. I am currently in Tokyo with work and also to commiserate with Irish fans over our world cup loss…! Yesterday, I took part in the ‘Tweed Run Tokyo’.
The event was to highlight the versatility of the fabric, its sustainable virtues and to celebrate this with an emissions free pedal about the vast city. What an experience and a vibrant ensemble of bold style and panache!
Models in Tokyo, featuring our Alexa coat (centre) styled with Fishermen Out of Ireland jumper and Bernie Murphy trouser
I talked to the team from the beautiful United Arrows clothing store. They shared with me the Japanese concept of Mottainai which is a Japanese term to convey a ‘sense of regret concerning waste’ and a request to ‘not waste anything worthy’ from food to object. It was fascinating to hear of this old proverb, now being applied to today’s emphasis on moving away from a throw-away culture.
On my return from this provoking event, I bought a single banana…which was completely wrapped in plastic. As a world of consumers, living sustainably is undeniably complex but we hope that the spirit of Mottaninai will start to prevail! At Magee 1866, we hope that you will join us on the journey to create and wear clothing which pays heed to the sensitivities of the environment.
We talk to Patrick Temple, CEO of Magee Weaving and Susie Page, Magee Textile Designer about what brought them to work in one of Ireland’s oldest weaving mills and where mill’s direction is for the future.
As one of the 5th generation behind Magee 1866 and as an engineer by training, Patrick has a real affinity with the Mill. Patrick shares with us what drew him to this specific area of Magee 1866 from a young age:
‘’When I was a child, Dad and I would often call in with hand-weavers around rural Donegal, some of the weavers lived miles away and it was always a great expedition to find our way up narrow side roads in the mountainous valleys. I loved being allowed into the ‘weaver’s shed’ where the loom sat with its well-worn seat. I was always asking dozens of questions about how the loom worked and how all of those of yarns came together to form ‘Donegal Tweed’, a fabric that has been part of the local heritage in the northwest of Ireland for centuries. Donegal Tweed is a woollen fabric, distinctive in its flecks of colour and ‘salt and pepper’ or ‘herringbone’ patterns. Donegal Tweed is what our ancestor, John Magee, started buying back in the 1860s and that heritage remains very much part of who we are today.
I was also in and out of the Mill all the time, running about the warping machines and looms…health and safety wasn’t quite so rigorous in the early 1990s! As you might have guessed, I was the child with a lot of Lego and Meccano sets, so the literal nuts and bolts of weaving naturally appealed. Although, I didn’t go straight into the Weaving after school as Dad always encouraged us to go off and do our own thing before getting involved, so I trained as an Engineer in Trinity College, Dublin. This led to work in London, Sydney and then Scotland where my main project involved developing wave energy as a sustainable and renewable resource. In my late twenties, I was then ready to come back to the Weaving Mill. I was immediately involved in all of the complex areas around production, working through the logistics and operations of turning tonnes of yarn into thousands of meters of fabric each season. I work with highly skilled teams from the textile designers to warpers, weavers, finishers and menders on the mill floor. I feel privileged to work with people who have been connected to weaving and Magee for generations. Today, we work to bring all of this knowledge into our fabric and work with our designers to bring a contemporary edge to this wealth of heritage.’’
This means that an emphasis on design and creativity is key to us today and for our future. Susie Page, one of our lead fabric designers, came to us from Scotland, which also has a rich heritage in textile design and manufacturing.
“I wanted to do something connected with fabric design, so I came to Donegal, which is really renowned for its tweed and craft history. Donegal is such a lovely place to live and work, but due to the variety of customers we work with, we also have the opportunity to travel throughout the world. We get inspiration from what we see in shops and exhibitions in key cities such as London and New York, but here in Donegal, we also get the peace we need for design inspiration. It’s good to have that balance.”
When designing fabric, our design team consider both our rich heritage taken from our beautifularchive, in balance with new trends that we see coming through within the fashion world.
“We’re always trying to do something new and innovative”, Susie says, “while covering our classics as well. Each season we include new creative patterns and colour combinations. When working with customers, we sometimes get new ideas from them as well; they might request a colour combination that we haven’t thought of, and in exchange we often surprise our customers with traditional patterns used in different ways, in new colour palettes, which is exciting for them, too.”
For our fabric designers, the process begins with creating mood boards and deciding on the qualities of fabrics they want to develop that season, and the stories they want to tell through that fabric. Whether it’s a traditional Irish linen or a rich Donegal Tweed.
They then design the yarn that will make up the fabric. Working closely with our spinners in developing our own colours, our designers will select the finer details down to for example the nepps of colour that come through in our Donegal Tweeds.
Our designers then create ‘blankets’, which showcase different colour combinations, woven together in one fabric. Sometimes unexpected colour combinations can inspire a new direction for their collection, but usually they have planned the exact end result they would like to achieve.
The finalised designs then go into production within our weaving mill, where the fabric is warped, woven and finished by our expert team, ready to be shipped off into the world. This fabric is used then by our own Magee 1866 clothing collections, as well as also being exported internationally to other clothing brands, tailors, and more.
And finally, an all-important word on sustainability. Patrick’s experience in work with renewable energy together with the family’s inherent interest and respect for the environment means that sustainability has always been relevant to the Mill. Today, it is really front of mind. For Patrick, it is essential to continue working with natural, biodegradable and renewable fibres like wool, cashmere, and flax. These fibres weave together to make fabric which stands the test of time.
“Magee Weaving brings you a unique fabric which is deeply imbued with the knowledge of generations of weavers, brought to life by the vibrancy of our design and by its very nature, a sustainable choice.”
