WHY DAD DRESSING IS FINALLY COOL
Looking like your old man needn’t be scoffed at, says Stephen Doig
Last night, in a fanfare of fairy lights and Italianate fabulousness, Messrs Dolce & Gabbana unveiled their Christmas takeover of Harrods. Amid the throng of celebrities, the duo looked once more to the Instagram generation – most notably the “sons of ”, such as Rafferty Law and Sascha Bailey – to model the clothes.
What’s notable about these whippersnappers is that no matter how apparently hip and fashion-forward they may be, they clearly enjoy dressing in tandem with their famous fathers.
Once upon a time, your average eye-rolling teenager would rather have enlisted than dressed anything like his dear old pa, the connotations of dad dressing being cardigans, comfortable shoes and crisp “Sunday” shirts.
Now, however, Generation X is so on-point and sartorially informed that many a teenager has no qualms about borrowing from his old man’s wardrobe.
Of course, as is the case with Brooklyn Beckham, if you have a father who is one of the biggest influences on men’s style in the 20th century, you’re off to a head start.
Beckhams junior and senior share similar approaches pp to suiting. David paved p the way in formal forma tailoring worn with a T-shirt (to keep things casual) and Peaky
Blind Blinders flat cap and tweed twe get-up (for autumn a days), and Brooklyn B followed suit. Jude Law has passed his ethos of coolly minimalist attire onto his progeny, while British style leader Bryan Ferry has imparted his way with a sharp suit to his h sons.
This T intergenerational gen style mix is encouraging e because bec it shows that older olde men are less rigid rigi in what they wear wea and more willing to embrace e new cuts and silhouettes; being middle-aged mid no longer means mea relegating your style to greige. And just
as a gentleman of a certain standing would once introduce his son to his Savile Row tailor as a rite of passage, it’s clear that their sons are receptive to guidance.
So what are the new rules of dad dressing? Keep it classic but don’t be afraid to update things – try a well-cut T-shirt with a sharp coat, for example, or neatly buttoned shirt sans tie. Likewise, opt for a pair of boots with smart trousers instead of the more classic Oxfords or brogues.
John Lewis has even introduced facsimiles of its tailored jackets in smaller form as part of an Heirloom collection that caters to the young man for whom Dad is a reference point, rather than an embarrassment.