A$AP Rocky has already perfected the art of wearing aspirational dad outfits, even when he's on the go. But, on the eve of his 35th birthday, the impeccably-dressed rapper evolved his dad style into grandad style.
Rocky and Rihanna headed out for a late night in New York on October 3, as they rang in Rocky's 35th year with a private dinner at downtown staple Carbone.
Rihanna was dressed in her typically effortless glam: hair up, sunglasses on, earrings hooped, and tiny cropped jacket over some pantashoes. Quality stuff, as always.
A$AP Rocky, at first blush, looked like he was dressed as an extremely cool designated driver. This is yuppiecore personified, as Rocky levels up his dad steeze to full-on grandpa, complete with elderly sweater over a shirt 'n tie.
But the divinely-dressed devil is always in the details. This is telling: one of the signs of excellent taste is the ability to consistently devise outfits that both look good at face value and reveal spicy details on the zoom-in.
Rocky wore a lotta Bottega Veneta with pearls splashed all throughout his hair — grandma meets grandpa? It's a perky counterpoint to his comparatively sober outfit, though a more detailed analysis reveals why Rocky looks so good and why I'd look like a thrifted mess if I tried to mimic the look.
Rocky's blazer is intentionally oversized, a perfectly slouchy counterpoint to his pooled "jeans" (a pair of Bottega Veneta's trompe l'oeil leather pants). You'd normally open those still-stitched-shut pockets before wearing but nothing Rocky does is accidental, clothing-wise. He's left those bad boys closed, creating a neat visual contrast against the jacket's beige plaids.
Another nice bit of visual clash comes from Rocky's pink Andiamo bag, its large-scale rose-toned weave gently jarring against the jacket while meshing neatly with the soft blue of Rocky's leather pants.
Even Rocky's Bottega boots have purpose, delivering a heavyweight anchor to the layers above, a meaty pillow for the pants' drape.
This is a masterclass in effortless dressing, just another example of how Rocky is unmatched in making a tricky look appear thoughtless. Your grandpa could never.
