The menswear fashion week season has officially wrapped up, making way for Haute Couture Week, which officially begins today at an unusually earlier date in light of the upcoming Olympics. Alas, festivities in Paris appeared, from an outsider’s perspective, remarkably uninterrupted, as the impression of the city’s men’s fashion week would have us believe.
The same could be said for competing fashion cities, London and Milan, with all three collectively drawing in typically bustling and star-studded crowds that took over their streets for a two week period. Here are some of the core accessory trends that came out of the SS25 season’s bountiful fashion congregation.
Bags: Grocery store chic and the mini retains its title
In the way of handbags, there were certainly some striking choices. Yet it was the impossibly miniature bag that managed to maintain its crown as reigning bag of choice, a title it has continued to hold season-after-season at this point. An update for SS25, however, came in the inclusion of similarly statement-making straps, for which beading was a primary material of choice. A sense of personalisation was further evident in heavily customised bags. From teddy bears to Trollz to unicorns, there were no limits to the choice of keychains, or amount.
Departing from the overabundance to the more simple, alas similarly surprising, was the appearance of what could only be described as “grocery” bags. These, however, were not your usual grab-and-go totes. While some adorned eye-catching prints, others seemingly descended from luxury brands themselves. One attendee, for example, appeared to be dragging what looked like a baguette –literally– bag with Fendi’s logo emblazoned on the front.
Scarves: From French à la mode to contemporary Babushka
Scarves cemented their presence in two principal uses. One was that of the cravat, a classic necktie look styled using either silky, vintage-look square scarves or traditional bandanas that neatly framed the neck. Another look placed the scarf at the front and centre of whole outfits. Reminiscent of a Russian Babushka, many attendees took to draping larger scarves over their head and tying them at the chin. The style has already been favoured by celebrities, namely the trend-setting Hailey Bieber, yet its prominence at each of the men’s fashion weeks only reaffirms its return to relevance.
Trappings: Animalistic add-ons and tech-centric styling
Aside from their prints, a more literal take on animals was of clear influence to fashion week attendees. While many of these furry –or sometimes reptilian– friends popped up in bag form outside of JW Anderson’s show –notably the designer has taken to releasing such designs as part of his latest collections– they also materialised at other shows, making this bizarre trend a regular occurrence. Elsewhere, there were more practical approaches to accessorising. In the seeming pursuit of easy-to-access necessities, and in place of a bag, men attached their most useful items –keys, lighters, USBs or even pens– to belt loops, reaffirming this practical streetwear trend.
Of course, for many, fashion week calls for a more on-duty attitude to dress. In this sense, small tech items became accessories in themselves. Those out on the street, models but also street style photographers, became the muse of their peers, many loaded up with differing camera types, bulky headphones and, in some cases, trusty Kindles.
Hats: Gondolier-esque and return of the beret
As always, hats played an imperative role in the realm of the menswear wardrobe. Reflecting the curiously unstable weather, which has been unpredictably jumping from frosty evenings to scorching days, headwear also presented a sense of erraticity. While some took to woven hats in straw-like materials, many reminiscent of Venetian gondoliers, others –notably most located in the much colder London– opted for oversized fluffy trapper hats, a handful taking on overexaggerated proportions.
A more subtle hat choice was that of the beret, which returned to the menswear closet as a means of tying an outfit together. The beret’s presence wasn’t only limited to its home turf of France, however. The classically Parisian design could also be spotted on the streets of Milan and London, where attendees arranged the piece to take on varying silhouettes, sometimes personalising the item with adornments like badges.
Sunglasses: Streamline shades contrast bug-eyes
There was also not one way in which sunglasses were explored. Volumes for these accessories conflicted with one another per attendee, yet there were still some silhouettes that withstood the trend test. Streamlined sportswear-like glasses, for example, received a fashionable refurbishment: some with bright colours, others with puffy frames.
On the less practical front, bug-eyed sunglasses were popular across both male and female attendees. The oversized shape was typically constructed with wide-set frames. There was also a colour that secured its place at the top of the fashion food chain: bright white. The hue could largely be spotted in sleek cat eye frames, but continued to crop up throughout the fashion weeks in an array of formats.
