The feminine urge to dress like a grandfather. Grandpa Chic Style is the newer, elevated style of preppy. Here’s a quick guide on how to dress for the trend.
This new aesthetic should not come as a surprise since it’s been over a year when we first witnessed the resurgence of sweater vests, loafers, and chunky sweaters. But the difference between Grandpa Chic aesthetic to the current, that girl type is that Grandpa Chic has embraced all the classics of menswear with a disregard for looking pretty. There is no craving for pastel, preppy sweaters anymore and instead, corduroys and fisherman knits are welcome. Shapes and silhouettes also play interesting factors here because this style is keen on shapeless menswear, but just as any classy grandpa you know, tailoring is key. Shapeless does not equate to ill-fitting. You do not see old men in Milan walking around in baggy clothes, nor could you picture any characters from the movie Dead Poets Society walking around in school swallowed by an oversized blazer. No, right? Grandpa chic is about turning classics into contemporary without losing its classy essence.
Photo Credit: Splash News
So how do you dress for it? An easy way to look at it is by incorporating academia classics style in your clothing. If you can picture the characters from books like The Secret History or movies like Kill Your Darlings, then you’re very close to the trend. If that is too pretentious for your taste then just simply google Larry David’s style. Again, you can nail it by simply looking at old men. But if those are not enough for you, then allow me to guide you.
What To Look For
Photo Credit: Tod’s
Look for heavier fabrics when dressing for this trend. Fabrics like wool, acrylic, corduroy and tweed are ideal to attain a shapeless look. For pants, look for straight-cut trousers. Dress pants must be tailored to your shape for a sharper look while casual cotton twill pants can fit as like any of your straight-cut jeans. Outerwear is where you can have fun here– opt for a long trench coat or vintage leather jacket. Colours and prints are also very distinct in this trend. Stick with neutrals but please go crazy with the print and patterns! Argyle, houndstooth, pinstripes, paisleys, tartan– you name it, you wear it! If you need inspiration, Tod’s AW21 collection is the perfect lookbook for this trend while COS’ AW21 RTW collection is a great example to incorporate femininity into this style.
Photo Credit: COS
Lastly, if this guide is still not helpful for you, just ask yourself this simple question: What Would My Grandfather Wear? Or WWMGW for short.
Published by HOLR Magazine.