by Dads are regularly at the bottom of the story. From hilarious (thankfully decadent) TV commercials about the restless old “butt” and his inability to do basic household chores, to Father’s Day cards featuring images of beer and football (one-dimensional and boorish, no ?), dads get it in the neck. Especially when it comes to style. I’m quite frankly – not 50+ or not a dad – as guilty as anyone of writing about how to avoid looking like “dad on holiday”, for example. I’m sorry about that.
British entrepreneur Julian Dunkerton is here to replace the likes of Millennium; as he navigated the waters of delisting his Superdry brand to save it from administration, he agreed, in an interview with The Telegraph, that the British label was a “dad brand”. “I’m not ashamed to have a 50-year-old consumer as long as a 16-year-old is coming through too”, he said. The Telegraph. What it means is that it gives something desirable among a certain class of men who do not want to dress as their fathers did, but are nevertheless not great; we’re talking leather or an outdoor jacket, a brush of gray in the trunk, it’s more likely that jeans will be cut to boot than straight. Richard Hammond and his team Top Gearbasically, or every other British man like them.
Superdry, which grew from the early days of a market stall in Cheltenham in 2003 to become a £1.7 billion business by 2018, has a particular resonance with men – particularly British men – aged over 50. as such a uniform for the early ones. A man from the 00s who would happily attend Coldplay and Keane gigs in his boldly branded outerwear and jeans. But that loyalty means those stylish young things are now 50-something Cotswolds dads with Land Rovers and school fees. And that shouldn’t be the kiss of fashion death for your brand.
“‘Dad dressing’ is being used in a derogatory way here – like, you’re middle-aged, you’ve let yourself go, and you’ve given up,” says Johnny Davis, style director at Esquire and father himself. “Machine Gun Kelly was made for dad when he was 18, but as far as I know, his sense of style has never been called ‘dad dressing’. You would have expected us to have moved beyond these terms – I find it insulting.”
But what exactly defines “dad dressing”? It emerged as a fashion term in response to the deliberately “controversial” high fashion trends that seemed to be worn by stereotypical dads. Terms associated with dad dressing include “normcore” (average Joe done the luxe way), “Gorpcore” (dress like a geography teacher on a field trip) and the preppy trend where your look might refer to dad . for a round of golf or to embark on a sailing trip. As a result, cagoules, sweatshirt jackets, rugby jerseys, straight-leg jeans in a light wash, sandals and “uncool” trainers were swept under the umbrella of dad-wear, and show no sign of being rehabilitated anytime soon. early.
But considering that older men are the ones with the spending power, maybe it’s time to reframe dad’s dressing modus operandi. After all, fashion has changed in recent years to ensure that the high-spending woman over 50 is well looked after (do we hear the phrase ‘mom dressing’ used in derogatory terms? Sometimes, but not so). Maybe it’s time the older man gets the same amount of attention to his wardrobe.
“Superdry has been lumped in with Next as ‘naff’, ‘not ambitious’ and ‘not as cool as it used to be’,” continues Davis. “That may be true, but I would say that it is possible to shop at Superdry and Next and still be well dressed – maybe not head to toe in either brand – but I wouldn’t recommend doing that in Cactus Jack or Dolce & Gabbana either. This is all about the consumer, not the shops – of course, you can dress however you want, whatever your age.”
To be fair, there has been a change in this regard in recent years; see the catwalks of Zegna, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana using models and characteristic personalities, older men, instead of the fresh-out-of-the-box, babyfaced types. Then there’s the shift in style towards something more mature and sophisticated after a decade of street-centric clothing. The suit, for example, is making a comeback with rising sales, and the humble old tie is finally making a comeback. Likewise the quiet luxury trend that was leading after Succession; Logan Roy soft power cardigans, padded jackets and trainers.
We may be in an era where dad wears 2.0; Gone are the unshapely jeans and orthopedic trainers, and in their place a focus on clothes that work the extra mile for the man over 50. Keep the solid, outdoor cagoule jackets by all means – a staple of Superdry, after the life – but with a slim cashmere sweater underneath.
Jeans are a case in point; older men tend to stick to what they knew in their 30s, which were start-cut shapes that look rather outdated today. It is best to stick to a straight leg in a dark wash. Likewise trainers; for adults, luxe versions in leather and suede will do better than the overly sporty types associated with Gen Z. For outdoor jackets, or leather jackets. This is great if you’re getting off your motorcycle mid-crisis, but not so much in other environments. A suede bomber or lightweight Harrington jacket is just as dynamic, but less overt in trying to convey your outdoorsman flair.
Some of the most stylish 50-plus men I know know how to combine ease with panache. Look at the stealthily stylish Gildo Zegna – CEO of the Italian behemoth – who wears a slim uniform of chore jackets with polo shirts, and relaxed suit trousers with trainers, at 68. See also Idris Elba and David Beckham, who, at 51 and 48 under instead, got a style groove; Elba chooses casual shirts and trousers in loose, flowing cuts, and sports trainers. Beckham has always been known for suits, but now he dons slips and soft structured Loro Piana knitwear.
Davis raises Paul Weller as an example of how wrong our assumptions can be. “Weller was asked in a recent interview if he kept a pair of Crocs by the front door, to put the rubbish out. The question was clearly meant to be investigated – as if the Modfather would ever stoop so low. Even in the privacy of his own home, on bin day. ‘No,’ he answered, firmly. ‘No slippers either. I wear trainers in the house. Except Adidas, old school Adidas. One has to hold up some kind of standards.’ If there was one piece of advice I would give any father, that would be it,” says Davis. “One has to hold up some kind of standards.”
Dad dressing shouldn’t be a dirty phrase, so give the old boys a break. And good luck to Dunkerton too; many British-born brands that employ local communities have fallen by the wayside in recent years.
Stylish Dad
Get the look
Cashmere jumper, £89.90, loner; Suede bomber, £249, Massimo Dutti
Straight leg jumper, £139, Ralph Lauren; Leather trainer, £435, Vienna
