“Everyone is dressing like a dad now,” says Mia Mercado in The Cut. Models and influencers like Bella Hadid and Emma Chamberlain have become dad-fashion icons. Harry Styles’s wide-leg trousers and Kendall Jenner’s leather jacket look like “items you told your dad to get rid of years ago”. Hot girls are wearing “cargo pants and socks with sandals”. At its core, the “dad vibe” is all about “comfort, function, and nonchalance”.
Historically, “father” and “fashion” have been antithetical to each other. “If I were to ask my dad what his ‘aesthetic’ is, he would probably ask if that has anything to do with astrology. (Typical Gemini.)” And yet the current trend for loafers, comfy jeans and puffer jackets is “all but indistinguishable” from his daily uniform. I think we should embrace dad fashion. “There is no hint of irony, no wink to the camera.” Just a nice pair of chinos, some New Balance trainers, and “the newfound desire to talk about a boat you saw once”.