When dad becomes a style icon
Dressing like Dad used to be seen as uncool: those loose jeans, cargo pants, big varsity jackets, bulky sneakers. Whatever Dad wore, men’s fashion tended to go the other way. In recent seasons, however, he has become a fashion inspiration for designers like Demna at Balenciaga, who even had daddies with kids on the runway, sporting those oversized garments that fathers always found comfortable, and those rubber shoes that took up so much space but were sturdy and were good for sport or a great walk.
The pandemic effect of function over form and comfort above all has made the dad aesthetic something the new generation is discovering now. Here in the Philippines, dads have always been a source of inspiration, and their practical way of dressing with an emphasis on durability has always been a quality that sons as well as daughters can emulate. Dadcore, no doubt, is an enduring style.
The dad jacket
Dads’ sports and varsity jackets bring back happy, carefree days of youth that their children can easily inherit or acquire on their own and mix with their existing wardrobe. It’s a preppy style that never gets old since it has been passed on for generations.
The baseball cap
The baseball cap has always been Dad’s favorite sun blocker, whether at the golf course or at the beach or even romping around town that it has already been known as a “dad cap.” They’re soft, easy to wear and bring around. With sports emblems and other appliqués, they become collectibles and the more they’re worn, the better they look, with a weathered patina.
Cargos
Cargos are the most practical pants that fathers could never live without, whether they are on trend or not. Their kids are finally adopting them both for their utility and as a fashion statement, now that they come in luxurious fabrics as well as deconstructed versions.
Denim on denim
Denim jackets worn with jeans are the most durable for working men, but they are also fashionable again. From their roots in the American West where cowboys, miners, and railroad workers used them, they have become staples with dads all over the world.
Tucked-in shirts
Dad always tucks in his shirt; it’s an Old World quality of always being properly dressed. Compromises have been made with the half tuck or the French tuck, but there’s still nothing like the full tuck.
Dad sneakers
Dad sneaks have become so prevalent that they’re all over the runways, with Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior recently releasing the Chrono for FW 2024. They’re both athletic and stylish—and fathers have never been as fashionable as now.