Feel the need for tweed?

The daffs may be forcing their way out of the crusty ground and the Easter eggs piling up in Sainsbury's, but that most important barometer of seasonal change - the flesh index - reveals that spring has not yet sprung. Women are still huddled up in winter clothes.

Of course, there are winter clothes and winter clothes. And right now, the smart money's on tweed. This versatile fabric comes in a variety of weights, meaning it is perfect for carrying you through from freezing March to slightly-less-freezing April. The ultimate tweed (or wool bouclé, as they prefer to call it) most definitely comes from Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld is constantly updating the Chanel suit, most recently sending it out distressed and unfinished at the hem for a playful touch. For spring, it comes in pastel pink or lemon: a nightmare to keep clean, but a cheerful treat for the eye.

If it wasn't for Chanel, the high street would be well and truly stuffed this season, because everywhere you look there is a Chanel homage. Some of the best tweed suits are at Zara, although Marks & Spencer also has a natty Chanel-alike jacket. At the bottom end of the high street market, the tweed is truly dire - don't touch it with a barge pole.

At the recent round of shows, the tweeds were out in force among the fashion pack. So in love with her black-and-white Givenchy tweed coat is French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld that she was even seen wearing it more than once - a cardinal sin in the fashion world.

Tweed seems to have found particular favour among Vogue employees, spurred on, perhaps, by the ultimate tweed lover, American Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Some women are natural tweed wearers, and others need a bit of practice.

If it is your first foray into tweed, start off with a skirt before splashing out on a coat, and don't go for too bold a check or colour if you're feeling timid. A black and white tweed is the ultimate classic and a timeless addition to your wardrobe. The structure of tweed also lends itself well to a tailored pair of trousers, especially a wider pair.

If you are still worried about looking slightly fusty, then wear a tweed jacket with jeans for a younger look. With tweed one of the biggest trends for next autumn as well as this spring, it's a fabric worth getting used to.