The Dawn of Dad Swag: Here’s How You Can Rock the Look This Season
Well…it’s time we admitted it: Pops always had the best style; we were too blind to see. Call it juvenile ignorance. Call it desperate denial. Call it whatever you please, but it’s time to wake up and give Dad his well-deserved due.
Take one look at the fabled figures leading the men’s fashion landscape these days; most of them have a child—if not multiple—or are at least of the age to be slotted into that coveted “sexy dad” category (here’s looking at you, Papí Pedro). A$AP Rocky upped the cool factor when it comes to dressing for daycare drop-off since becoming a famed father of two. At the same time, the likes of Bradley Cooper and Adam Sandler have helped establish a relative spectrum regarding posh paternity. Hell, even Biebs finally joined in on the action after recently taking on daddy duties just a few months ago.
Outside of the Hollywood zeitgeist, though, fashionable fatherhood still reigns supreme in several menswear circles. It’s the vintage-style vests, the chunky sneaks, a calm cardigan, and the “dug-up” denim that each adds a specific allure to the attainable aesthetic. However, the crowning jewel of this particular style is its heavy prioritization of comfort and ease—two components that sometimes get overlooked in fashion. Like when was the last time you saw Daddio stepping out in anything that didn’t have proper support and enough give in all the right places?
This feigned apathy toward the outfit’s composition is almost what makes it so much cooler when someone pulls up with some serious heat, and even more so when you can see a few gray hairs peeking through. It’s like the less-wealthy yet more content brother to quiet luxury—an accessible take on subtle sartorialism. The key to properly putting that shit on in a fatherly manner is rooted in an effortless essence; an intuitive stylistic know-how that relieves the pressures of trying to be the best dressed when you know you already are, even if no one else thinks so.
Because let’s face it, for the real dads out there, there’s only so much time to think about the fit before you’re rushing out the door to catch up with the kiddos.
With everyone trying to get fly like the old man in one way or another, we thought it was only right to share some of our favorite pieces from the season that seamlessly integrate into every “dad’s” style arsenal—young, old, wannabe, or other.
Timex 80 34mm Stainless Steel Expansion Band Watch
They say you can tell a lot about a man by his watch, so why not make sure it's one worth looking at?
Polished, sleek, and understated, the Timex T80 is a blast from the past, reinterpreted for the now. As an homage to some of the first digital watches produced by the heritage brand, you shouldn’t waste a second adding this tasteful timepiece to your rotation.
Price: $89.
Available at timex.com.
Eddie Bauer Reissue Original Down Bomber Jacket & Vest
From the frigid New York streets to the chilly mountains out west, you can never go wrong with a good puffer jacket—or vest.
Comfort is king when pursuing a fatherly fit, and if there’s one thing Eddie Bauer knows, it’s how to make comfortable jackets. For over a century, the classic brand has produced some of the most cutting-edge coats in the industry while still maintaining a minimalist design language that translates across style trends. With its new Reissue Collection, the pride of Seattle’s outerwear scene revives its “first” down jacket for the new generation. Featuring 650-fill power premium down insulation and a moisture-shedding StormRepel® DWR finish, this latest run of jackets from Eddie Bauer can help make the transition from warm to cold—then to really cold—a breeze.
Price: $139 (Jacket), $99 (Vest).
Available at eddiebauer.com.
On THE ROGER Clubhouse Pro
Whether seen cutting up the court or pounding the pavement, On’s THE ROGER Clubhouse Pro sneakers are a stroke of genius for the dad shoe demographic.
Blurring the lines between style and performance, these multi-purpose kicks feature a breathable upper, open herringbone tread, and Hidden CloudTec® cushioning for comfort across multiple surfaces. So, when thinking about how best to transition from that 3 pm tennis lesson to trouncing around downtown, don’t sleep on the tech from this Swiss footwear force.
Price: $160.
Available at on.com.
Happy Socks x Awake NY
As we age, there seems to be a growing appreciation for all the items we may have once overlooked in our youth. Atop that list of seemingly mundane essentials, far and away, socks take the cake—Mom, I’m sorry for ever being ungrateful.
Injecting a bit of reinvigorated spirit into the sock market, the Swedish-born Happy Socks is here for every hosiery harbinger, no matter which aesthetic you’re after. Collaborating with Awake NY, a popular name among streetwear savants young and old, these understated stockings serve fashionable fatherhood—not too showy, but styled just enough to signal that you know ball.
Price: $28.
Available at happysocks.com.
