This Father's Day, We Wonder: Why Do We Love Dressing Like One?
It's time we were honest with ourselves: All of us have Daddy Issues. There, I said it. Nooo, not those kind! Well, maybe actually, but that's beside the point. What I'm actually trying to get at here, is fashion's everlasting obsession with dad style.
Just by hearing these two words, we can all mentally conjure up a uniform reminiscent of what we think constitutes a certain paternal panache, if you will. Seriously, put "dad"in our search bar.
But so, why is that, exactly? And further, why do we enjoy so much to channel an elusive father figure's sense of style into our personal wardrobes? How long has this been going on for, and will we ever grow tired of his omnipresence?
As part of our investigation into the dapper dad trope, StockX thought it appropriate, too, to supply you with a top-to-toe curation of daddy dearest's selects. Without further ado then, learn what it is that has drawn us to dad style historically, and how to Xpress Ship it straight into your current closet within a matter of days.
Father Knows Best (Sometimes): A Lesson in Dad Style
Unlike many a TikTok era micro trend before and after it, dad style, or dadcore, or whatever you'd prefer to call it, has been sitting comfortably tucked in our aesthetic consciousness for years now.
Other outlets have tried to pinpoint its exact origins, to varying avail, but have theorized that once sitcoms à la Seinfeld's original on air runs felt long enough in the past to deem their costume design 'of the era', dad style had a universal point of reference. If you're in your 20s or 30s reading this, then a quick ravage through your parents' 90s vacation pics will offer plenty of mood board material as well.
In 2011, Normcore was coined to verbalize a state of mind, though its sentiment quickly bled over into an own visual language of sorts. One often and justly conflated with dad style: Inconspicuous, trend-averse clothing that was noteworthy because it had absolutely no aspirations of being considered so.
In other words: Sun-bleached trucker hats, raggedy Disneyland tees, cropped khakis, and shoes your old man used to mow the lawn in. Now very much part of the ironic, anti-fashion canon, this did, at one point, stand in somewhat radical contrast to other things going on at the time.
Un-purposefully timeless and accidentally cool, it's the getup I'd say allows for the one and the only(!) time it's okay to use the phrase "Who's Your Daddy?".
The Baseball Cap
First things first: You cannot and should not miss out on the headgear. A baseball cap – or straight up dad cap as some call it – is the king's crown. It is to protect your eyes from light, and will look its best having done so over long bouts of time – faded and worn in.
The Button Up
A boxy cotton is a non-negotiable within the dad style repertoire. Plain or striped or checked, bright whites or deep blues. There's little to do wrong here, as its whole point is to traverse effortlessly between out-of-office and more put-together states of dressing.
The Sweatshirt
If, like me, you've already robbed your actual dad of every one of his sweatshirts, chances are you'll need replacements soon. Take to something like the above for a slouchy but stylish, cool but comfortable look.
The Denim
A trusted pair of straight legged jeans or jorts simply belongs in papa's rotation.
The Leather Lace-Ups
We love straightforward, low-maintenance, goes-with-everything footwear. And so does pops, obviously.
The Mesh Sneakers
The final boss of dad style. The holy grail of dadcore. A type of shoe that has shifted culture, frankly, with its grip on high fashion and high street, everyday and athletic wear, men's and women's. There is not one without the other. It's chicken and egg.
Head to StockX's Father's Day Shop for more dad styles.
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