Viyella

By: Eric Langlois

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.

​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.