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Some Interesting Articles On Fashion

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The Accessory Shift in Menswear

By Sarena Sambo

There’s something happening in menswear that feels subtle, but it’s changing everything.

If you take a closer look at the runways and red carpets this year, the men who stand out aren’t just wearing clothes, they’re finishing them.

If you’ve been following the past newsletters and blogs, you’ll start to notice a pattern.

We’ve talked about fabric — how weight, texture, and quality are quietly redefining menswear.

We just explored color as storytelling, how tone sets the mood before a word is spoken.

And now, there’s another layer emerging. The finishing layer.

Look closely at recent red carpets and runways and the pattern becomes obvious.

Connor Storrie’s glasses at the Golden Globes didn’t just sit on his face, they elevated classic tailoring into a standout style statement.

Similar touch with Jacob Elordi; the eyewear isn’t random, it reframes the entire outfit.

Even at Ralph Lauren’s Milan runway, sunglasses weren’t thrown on for drama. They tightened the narrative. They made classic silhouettes feel intentional.

Glasses, clear or tinted, are becoming the modern finishing move and suddenly, the look has a point of view.

And then there are the bags.

For years, men have relied on pockets or backpacks, keeping utility separate from style. But the runway tells a different story.

On the Louis Vuitton Spring 2026 ready-to-wear runway, the bags weren’t just used for a practical add-on, they were central to the look.

Structured crossbodies, soft leather totes, handheld pieces are all styles that are slowly adapting in modern menswear—proving that a bag doesn’t compete with masculinity, but sharpens it.
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Outside of fashion week, not every man is carrying a handbag yet. But the shift is happening among the fashion-aware because hesitation is fading.

What’s changed is this: accessories aren’t decorative anymore, they’re more directional.

The right pair of glasses can sharpen a suit instantly. A well-chosen bag can rebalance proportions and give tailoring a modern edge.

The shift from simply getting dressed to actually having style happens in that final decision — what he adds before he walks out the door. It’s a deliberate choice, and it reads that way.

As menswear continues to evolve, those choices feel less like extras and more like essentials. The future isn’t about louder statements, it’s about precision.

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A SINGULAR TAKE ON FASHION

Viyella

By Eric Langlois

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Today we’re awash in blended fabrics. Most blends contain at least a small portion of synthetic fibers, often polyester which has been called the “workhorse fiber” due to its ability to be mixed with other materials without significantly affecting the feel of the garment.

Fibers are often blended in order to strengthen the resulting material or to counteract other characteristics in the primary fiber, such as creasing.

Cotton or wool/linen blends are popular for summer suiting, retaining the breathability of linen while helping the fabric to resist linen’s characteristic wrinkles.

Wool, which has to be carefully laundered to prevent shrinkage, is often blended with other fibers to allow machine washing, and one such attempt resulted in one of the oldest branded fabrics in the world: Viyella.

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The practice of blending fibers is a very old one. In 13th century India, the Muslim faith opposed the wearing of pure silk garments, encouraging the faithful to wear simple linens instead of flashy brocades and velvets.

For the stylish yet pious, it was allowed to wear materials that merely blended silk with other fibers, particularly cotton. In western India, these materials came to be known as Mashru, meaning “permitted,” and Mashru was noted as being easy to launder.

In 17th century France, ambassadors from modern-day Thailand introduced a fashion for lightweight cotton/silk blend materials commonly known as Siamoise (Siamese-style).

These easy-wearing summer materials were often dyed in patterns that borrowed from the traditional Southeast Asian Ikat designs that remain popular today.

In 1893, at a mill on the Via Gellia in Derbyshire, England, James and Robert Sissons developed a cloth in a blend of 55% merino wool and 45% cotton.

They named it after the road that the mill was on, altering the name slightly into “Viyella,” and the trademark was registered in that name the following year.

Viyella was created as an alternative to pure wool materials like flannel and challis, with its cotton content significantly improving a garment’s durability while the wool provided necessary warmth.

Viyella was immediately successful, and was marketed as being stylish, warm, durable, and “guaranteed unshrinkable,” a strong assertion in a time of shrink-prone wool clothing.

Viyella can be seen as a predecessor to modern technical fabrics, providing a previously unavailable mix of advantages over pure materials.

When the First World War broke out, officers who purchased their own clothing often bought Viyella shirts for their warmth and easy laundering characteristics.

Originally sold as cloth by the yard, the Viyella brand quickly diversified into ready-made clothing.

Besides shirts, Viyella sold nightgowns, dresses, slips and other underclothing, and even branded yarn in the same famous blend.

In the mid-20th century, Viyella was a popular material for children’s clothing, keeping them warm while still being easy to launder.

Lighter-weight versions were also created, particularly Clydella, an 81% cotton blend named for the River Clyde where Viyella had several mills.

Despite a consistent reputation for cosiness and a fanbase among those who enjoy vintage style, the original Viyella company struggled in the 21st century.

The 2008 economic downturn caused Viyella to enter financial administration until the brand was purchased by historic British fashion retailer Austin Reed.

Today, Viyella exists mainly as a heritage menswear brand, selling wool sweaters and plaid shirts in wool/cotton blends, albeit an 80% cotton blend similar to the old Clydella sub-brand.

I’ve owned a couple pairs of Viyella shirts, one a modern Canadian-made 80/20 plaid, and another vintage shirt in the classic 55/45 blend.

Both are comfortable and wear nicely in a casual cold-weather way. While the 55% wool version is scratchier than cotton, it’s a lot smoother against the skin than my all-wool winter shirts, and I can imagine it was a miraculous breakthrough material in its time.

Today’s Viyella shirts come in understated plaids which add a sense of quiet style, hearkening back to the British countryside.

They can be found at retailers specializing in heritage menswear, or from vintage sellers where the characteristic Viyella durability has kept many garments in rotation for decades.

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Reginald V. Ferguson

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