Style top 25: The pick of the season’s best pieces and the brands to keep on your radar
Lean into autumn with our selection of the most wearable clothes, shoes and accessories. These are the labels to watch out for.
Monocle’s annual edit of seasonal essentials and the names to know will prepare you for the coming months, whether that means a sharp new jacket, a heritage shoemaker’s latest release or a rising label worth watching.
1.
The travel jacket
William Frederick, USA
Designer William McNicol, who founded his brand William Frederick in 2018, champions US manufacturing heritage. The label makes elevated workwear inspired by silhouettes of the American heartland – think baseball caps, ringer T-shirts and office-ready shirts – in Cleveland, New York, Detroit and Long Island. This aptly named lightweight cotton-and-linen Airport jacket features corozo buttons, plus a double-welt pocket deep enough to hold a passport. Its functional design will keep you organised on the move.
williamfrederickclothing.com
Right: Jacket by Suntosons, key holder by Montblanc
2.
The rising independent
Suntosons, UK
South London’s Suntosons, founded in 2025 and open to visitors only by appointment, is an independent retailer of emerging menswear brands, as well as its own namesake label. Japan-born, London-based Keita Hiraoka (formerly of Beams Japan and a buyer at Trunk) reimagines staples such as poplin shirts and relaxed chinos. Much of its first collection is inspired by vintage pieces in Hiraoka’s wardrobe and produced by Japanese clothes makers. “We adjust them in a way that feels right for today’s lifestyle,” says Hiraoka. This dark-khaki fatigue jacket is made from heavyweight Japanese denim that’s given a gentle wash for a lived-in finish.
suntosons.com
3.
Suave eyewear
Paloceras, Finland
Paloceras, which was founded in 2022 by Mika Matikainen and Alexis Perron-Corriveau, makes colourful eyewear designed in Helsinki and made in Finland and Shenzhen. “Glasses sit somewhere between fashion accessory, industrial product and medical device,” says Matikainen. The brand makes frames using layered acetate. “A green might take on a champagne hue; pink turns into yellow.”
paloceras.com
4.
The instant classic
Hermès, France
The French luxury house’s newest addition to its range of bags is this leather Clou de Forge piece. First unveiled in March at the Hermès autumn/winter 2026 womenswear show in Paris, it discreetly nods to the brand’s 19th-century origins in crafting high-end harnesses and saddles for horses. Made using structured calf leather, the front-flap design is embellished with distinctive metal clasps – a direct reference to the brand’s horseshoe-shaped Clou de Forge bangle. The metal detailing has been reinterpreted as hardware by the Hermès director of womenswear, Nadège Vanhée, providing extra edge to this sleek yet sturdy accessory.
hermes.com
5.
The creative director
Sage Toda-Nation, YMC, UK
YMC is celebrating 30 years since its first collection. Sage Toda-Nation joined the London-based brand as creative director in 2024 after the death of Fraser Moss, YMC’s co-founder. He and surviving co-founder Jimmy Collins have stuck to the brand’s spirit during a challenging time. Now settled in his role, Toda-Nation tells us about what’s next.
What is your creative process?
I’ll build a mood board and look at a lot of styles from early YMC. This season, the musician Arthur Russell and the band Suicide were muses.
What does YMC represent today, as opposed to 30 years ago?
I have seen how the founders’ aesthetic evolved from when they started in their twenties. A lot of the early designs were made in London. Everyone was partying, everyone was super-skinny – the older samples are absolutely tiny. But we have evolved with the customer and brought in new ones since I joined.
And your ambitions for the brand?
The name is so respected but we haven’t grown into the business that I think we should be. We could have a much bigger impact – and on a global scale.
youmustcreate.com
6.
The shirtmaker
Charvet, France
Autumn means a return to work – and there’s nothing like a sharp Charvet shirt to smarten up your office wardrobe. This one comes with the Chanel seal of approval: the luxury fashion house acquired France’s oldest shirtmaker in July. On a visit to the Paris shop on Place Vendôme, the brand’s sibling co-directors Jean-Claude and Anne-Marie Colban welcome us into the colourful world of Charvet, with its shirts in pastel hues and crisp whites. “It’s important to touch the fabrics, look at the colours and put them next to your face,” says Anne-Marie. While a return to formal workwear is welcome, ties and all, Jean-Claude believes that a button-up suits every occasion. “There are so many ways of wearing a shirt, whether with jeans or a suit,” he says.
charvet.com
7.
The shop refresh
Casey/Casey, France
Parisian label Casey/Casey has reinvented its 7th-arrondissement shop with local designer Simon Chaouat. “I simply wanted a change,” says founder Gareth Casey. Whitewashed floors and raw-plaster walls frame furniture and objects gathered over time. The approach mirrors the label’s clothes, with fabrics washed, dyed and finished by hand. “Nothing too polished, nothing too finished,” says Casey.
caseycasey.eu
8.
The alpine touch
Maison Douillet, France
Though it’s based in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, Maison Douillet is a brand that draws its inspiration directly from the French Alps. Founded in 2021 by Isère-born brothers Clément and Germain Douillet, the label creates a limited range of unisex, ready-to-wear clothes that are made from high-density natural fibres, including hemp, linen and wool. With a focus on localised production, the Douillets work with suppliers based across France, Italy and Austria. The result are pieces such as loosely cut jackets with utilitarian pockets or this checkered cotton-and-linen gilet with a rounded collar that evokes autumnal walks in the French mountains yet would look equally at home on a Parisian terrace.
douillet.com
9.
The retail hub
Friend Friend, Thailand
Friend Friend sits in the former car park of Bangkok shopping mall Emporium. It was founded in summer 2025 by Suchada Peanpiriya, Worapun Sinakhom and Tanchanok Thitisaksakul, who met while working for Emporium’s owner, The Mall Group. Friend Friend offers retail, dining and workshops that cover everything from pasta-making to gardening. Products include bowls by Aoon Pottery (a ceramic studio in Bangkok’s old Chinatown), handmade combs by British hairbrush manufacturer Kent and contemporary tableware from Japan’s Sekisaka.
622 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110
10.
The new minimalism
Ain Amor, Germany
Ain Amor is a new label under the creative direction of Sophia Lewis, who cut her teeth at Jil Sander under the tutelage of Sander herself. At Ain Amor, Lewis is creating minimalist staples for both men and women. Trench coats and shearling jackets are reversible and include details such as detachable lapels and hoods. “We invite the consumer to make some design decisions,” says Lewis. Collections are made in Romania – an increasingly important luxury production hub – using European and Japanese textiles such as cashmere-wool blends for coats and organic cotton for trousers. These are cut into garments with a looser, unisex fit. “You can share a piece with your partner and each of you wears it in different ways,” adds Lewis.
ainamor.com
Right: Jacket by Ten C x Comoli, shirts by Ten C, trousers by Graphpaper, shoes by Crockett & Jones
11.
Elevated outerwear
Ten C × Comoli, Japan
The quietest garment in the room often has the most to prove. A case in point is this field jacket, the result of a collaboration between Italian outerwear house Ten C and Japanese label Comoli. “When a garment says so little, every proportion, texture and detail has to be right,” says Federico Melchioli, the creative lead behind the collaboration. This jacket is cut from Ten C’s signature Original Japanese Jersey (OJJ), a fabric that softens in humidity and firms up in dry air. It has been tailored by Comoli to offer a more fit-driven style. Elsewhere, the two brands’ signature fabrics meet in a reversible suit, with Comoli’s cotton flannel on one face and Ten C’s OJJ and crinkle nylon on the other. Each element of this wider nine-piece collection comes in black. “Black removes the noise and lets the shapes, surfaces and construction speak,” says Melchioli.
tenc.com; comoli.jp
12.
Essential accessories
Éternel Parisien, France
As its name suggests, accessories brand Éternel Parisien draws inspiration from the city in which it’s based to create leather goods and silk scarves. “French style is not too ostentatious,” says the brand’s founder (and former Balmain and Jean-Paul Gaultier employee) Gilles Rosier. “But there’s also this couldn’t-care-less attitude that makes it sophisticated.” This dark-green leather tote bag is named Beauvau, after the public square in the 8th arrondissement. One of Éternel Parisien’s bestsellers is the Montebello wine-bottle holder – a reference to the quay on the Left Bank where Parisians can often be found enjoying an apéritif on a sunny day. “I’m inspired by the French art of living,” adds Rosier. “I like to play with the snobbish side of the Parisian too.”
eternelparisien.fr
13.
The high-street find
Uniqlo, Japan
It’s hard to ignore Uniqlo’s dominant position in the fashion world. With a total revenue of ¥3.9trn (€20.8bn) forecast for this year, the retailer is competing with high-street giants such as Swedish behemoth H&M Group and Inditex, the Galician owner of Zara and Massimo Dutti. Quality comes first for Uniqlo, as demonstrated by its new padded blouson. Available in autumnal tones, this versatile, boxy basic is perfect for transitioning seasons, while its subtle checked lining reinforces the Japanese brand’s eye for detail.
uniqlo.com
Right: Trousers by Graphpaper
14.
The natural designer
Jiyong Kim, South Korea
Seoul-based designer Jiyong Kim uses sun, wind and rain – rather than chemicals – to create a patina on one-of-a-kind pieces. His clothing is sold at Dover Street Market in Paris and Singapore, 10 Corso Como in Seoul and GR8 in Tokyo. “People would see timeworn garments as having lost value – I saw the opposite,” says Kim, who studied in Tokyo and London, then worked at Louis Vuitton and Lemaire in Paris. He launched his label in 2021, was a 2024 LVMH Prize semi-finalist and appeared as guest designer at Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence. This season, he introduces light-responsive fabrics. “Rather than trying to control every outcome, we respect nature’s unpredictability,” he says.
jiyongkim.net
15.
The tastemaker
Yuki Matsuda, Japan/USA
Yuki Matsuda is a Japanese-born designer who is best known for founding Meg Company. Established in 1989, the California-based studio houses his four brands (Monitaly, Yuketen, Chamula and Epperson Mountaineering) that blend American workwear with Japanese craftsmanship.
What differentiates your brands?
Monitaly is the clothing that I need for the way that I want to dress. Yuketen is about making shoes that are better than anything I had ever worn. Chamula is a brand that deeply values craft and folk art, especially from Mexico. Epperson Mountaineering is classic American outdoor pieces.
How do your roots influence your creative process in reinterpreting American vintage?
After the war, Japan learnt many things from the United States – both good and bad. My generation, born in the 1960s, was deeply influenced by American culture. In Japanese, we have a phrase, wayo setchu, that means mixing Japanese and Western elements. For me, that feels completely natural.
Could you offer an example?
We looked at old jeans and discovered that the fabric, stitching and fading changed depending on when they were made. My generation of collectors and designers understood the value of the differences emerging with time and created the category of “vintage denim”, which the whole world now appreciates.
megcompany.com
16.
For the outdoor
Nappa Dori, India
New Delhi-based label Nappa Dori’s Arc Pack 01 bag combines sleek accessibility with the charm of old-world hiking clobber. Made from a hardy nylon and with a mesh zipper pocket for secure storage, it’s a take that the brand has dubbed “Indian minimalism”. The small sling bag is a harmonious example of form and function meeting for a day’s hike. But Nappa Dori’s design, which was initially made for meandering along country trails, really comes into its own in urban landscapes, where the heft of a typical hiking bag is reduced to the bare essentials of what can be easily wielded within its zipped pockets.
nappadori.com
17.
Cyclists’ choice
Ketta, Japan
Ketta is a new Japanese brand giving cyclists smart solutions for their daily commute. Founded in Gifu, Ketta means “bicycle” in a dialect from the Tokai region. Suit trousers feature natty fasteners to prevent cuffs from becoming caught in bike gears, while this hooded jacket will protect from the elements in style. Its blend of functionality and formality will carry you seamlessly from bike to boardroom.
hirota-ap.com/ketta
18.
The fit-first label
Recto, South Korea
When designer Ji Yeon Jung launched Recto in 2015, her aim was to create womenswear that “felt both refined and easy to wear every day”. With an emphasis on fit and fabrics, Recto took a unisex approach to tailoring and utilitarian outerwear until Jung introduced a menswear line in 2021. Recto is now a go-to for tuck-pleat trousers, boxy shirts and loose-fit blazers. Next, the brand is moving into China and Japan. “Our goal is for our customers to be able to discover Recto in environments that reflect our identity,” says Jung.
recto.co
Right: shoes by John Lobb
19.
The mountain coat
Weekend Max Mara × Robert Rabensteiner, Italy
A stylist and former editor at large for L’Uomo Vogue, Robert Rabensteiner is behind this autumnal collection for Italian label Weekend Max Mara, titled Into the Forest. As its name suggests, the collection draws inspiration from woodland walks, while retaining a city-appropriate feel for those who like to escape to the mountains on a Friday after work. True to Rabensteiner’s style, the collection favours clean, classical silhouettes, with bold colours and opulent textiles such as silk and wool.
weekendmaxmara.com
20.
A last look
Alaïa, France
This coat is part of Pieter Mulier’s last collection at Alaïa after a five-year stint in which the French fashion house’s profits soared and its retail footprint increased almost fourfold. Mulier’s final show took place in March at the Fondation Cartier in Paris and served as a homage to everything that he learnt throughout his tenure at Alaïa. As the first designer to lead the brand after the passing of its founder, Azzedine Alaïa, Mulier’s architectural approach to fashion design is defined by draping, cascading fabrics referred to by the designer as “clothes that cry”. As one chapter closes, another one begins: Mulier’s debut as the creative director of Versace is due to take place in February.
maison-alaia.com
21.
New name to know
Amayi, UK
In her London showroom, Zimbabwe-born Joanna Masiyiwa welcomes customers looking for colourful womenswear, from patterned silk dresses to beaded bags. Since launching Amayi earlier this year, she has worked with ateliers from Poland to India to release limited-edition collections. “There’s nothing like knowing that you’re one of the few people to own something,” she says. “It took time to articulate this concept to people who could help bring it to life.”
amayilondon.com
22.
The heritage hero
Church’s, UK
If the sudden arrival of inclement weather has you dodging puddles and dashing for shelter, you’re probably wearing the wrong shoes. These leather Shefford boots by Prada-owned, Northamptonshire-based shoemaker Church’s feature a hardy rubber sole and hook eyelets for laces inspired by Alpine footwear. The padded tongue, contrast stitching and high-top profile add up to a piece built to see you through the colder seasons. We’re particularly fond of this forest-green version.
church-footwear.com
Right: trousers by Suntosons, socks by Thunders Love
23.
The comfort shoe
Sanders, UK
English legacy label Sanders, which has been around since 1873, has created curling boots in homage to Jämtland, the Swedish province known for skiing and Sámi culture. These shearling-lined numbers – crafted from premium water-resistant suede, with a sturdy crepe sole – are more than a match for winter.
sanders-uk.com
24.
The menswear switch-up
Toteme, Sweden
Toteme, known for luxe womenswear, has expanded into men’s clothing. Co-founder Karl Lindman says that it was time to broaden the Stockholm label, 12 years since he launched it with Elin Kling. “We’re working with suppliers who can offer high-quality fabrications and authentic details that will appeal to a sophisticated menswear customer,” Lindman explains. The collection includes a cream shearling-lined parka inspired by Swedish army jackets and a cashmere scarf-collar cardigan. “The purity of the palette, the weight of the knitwear, the sense of pragmatism – those Swedish elements are in conversation,” he adds.
toteme.com
25.
The folk hero
Samuel Snider, USA
American folk craft found in New England’s antique shops inspires Samuel Snider, who recently relaunched his brand. “In a world of algorithms and everything feeling the same, you have this little corner of treasures,” says Snider, who divides his time between New York and Maine. His clothing, produced in New York’s Garment District, pairs clean, timeless silhouettes with Irish tweed, Italian cotton, hemp yarn and British waxed cotton to stand the test of time. “My connection to pieces from the past has made me think of the future,” he adds.
samuelsnider.com
Stylist: Kyoko Tamoto
Hair & make-up: Liz Daxauer
Models: Finley Graham, Takayuki Suzuki, Christina Teufel
