Grandpa’s going grocery shopping, and we’re tagging along. Pull up those corduroys, wear your stripes and slap on that baseball cap. Don’t forget to throw on your favourite vest or oversized jacket for good measure. To really make the look your own? Slip into that pair of old loafers; the more beaten-up, the better. If you haven’t caught on already, the zeitgeist is officially obsessed with recreating yet another aesthetic—only this time around, it’s one that’s actually close to home. Meet: grandpa-core.
For a sartorial generation that has been devoting themselves to recreating the youthful, elusive allure of the ‘00s—from its sparkly Y2K trends to the indie sleaze renaissance—the questionable switch might catch you by surprise. Instead, we’re seeing Pinterest mood boards pile up with outfits quite literally modelled after our granddads. Much like some of the more recent crop of microtrends however (librarian-core, we’re looking at you), its core essence suggests a celebration of certain characters in our lives, and the accompanying mood that comes with it. In this case then, it’s easy to see why the unfussed, serene lifestyle of dearest grandpa is ever so desirable in our times of chaos.
As for the brief? A mish-mash of all the vintage wardrobe staples you’ve developed a soft spot for; those wide-legged trousers you wear to death, a kooky splash of unorthodox prints delivered via your choice of knitwear and all those lived-in denim options. Bundle yourself up in even more shaggy layers and accessorise sensibly: think comfy footwear and a hat or two that’ll actually shield you from the sun’s glare. Most importantly? Dress for leisure, and dress for yourself. A couple of celebrities have recently retired into their favourite granddad-core outfits—think Gigi Hadid’s myriad of knit-led ensembles—whilst others, such as Alexa Chung and fashion’s favourite father figure Pedro Pascal, have long been working their eccentric layers and comfort-led choices into their style game.
Between a more striking retro-esque aesthetic of exuberant hues to giving the style an elevated twist with certain tailored separates, see below for a masterclass on how to ace the in-look of the season, grandpa edition.
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Comfort first, always: Taylor Russell
Should there be one method to approach the dress code, it would be to prioritise comfort over anything else, nevermind if the colours seem to ‘clash’. The key to this would hence be baggy, airy ensembles—best achieved via wide-legged trousers, and the eternal grandpa favourite: a corduroy pant.
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Comfort first, always: Zoe Kravitz
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Citizens of Humanity wide-leg corduroy pants, $505
Available at Net-a-Porter.
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Playful, but sensible: Elsa Hosk
A huge part of grandpa-inspired dressing is derived from their typical choice of accessories—that may run the gamut from baseball caps to their little colourful ties when they’re going for a dressier look. Elsa Hosk works the former into her louche ensemble with a tonal approach, whilst ‘eclectic grandpa’ muse Tyler The Creator knows the power of a hat and tie combi.
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Playful, but sensible: Tyler The Creator
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New York Yankees MLB classic baseball hat, $44
Available at Urban Outfitters.
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Red carpet-worthy grandpa: Pedro Pascal
Granddads can be red carpet-attuned too, and perhaps there’s no better muse who embodies this mindset better than Pedro Pascal. Between colourful cardigans, sturdy choices of footwear and a pair of glasses designed for reading the news on the couch and beyond, the aesthetic can be given an elevated twist by way of some monochromatic styling and sumptuous loafer options.
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Red carpet-worthy grandpa: Julia Roberts
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Throw on the layers: Gigi Hadid
We can’t stress this enough. The layers are crucial to the look, but so is how you’re making them all work together. So be it a shaggy cardigan atop a textured sweater, or an oversized jumper under a military-style vest, the trick is to throw it all on and see what works in their own off-kilter sort of way.
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Throw on the layers: Rosé
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Striking prints: Alexa Chung
We may be emulating the menswear vision, but playing with your colours and prints would deliver the aesthetic even if you were to give it a feminine twist à la Kelly Rutherford and Alexa Chung. To really amp up on the aesthetic fervour of it all, your layers of choice should be rendered in a kaleidoscope of the most ebullient hues and patterns too, from florals to stripes and polka dots. Whatever would make Grandpa proud.
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