Five Dad Style Classics To Steal From Your Father’s Closet

Our fathers are the first people we look to protect us. Their advice becomes the compass with which we order our lives. Their dad jokes are our first taste of humour in an often humourless world. They are there from the moment we are born, so it is easy to forget that they had vibrant, stylish lives before we showed up.
 

You may not have realised this yet, but your daddy’s closet is a treasure trove of fashion items you can incorporate into your wardrobe. So for this Father’s Day, give these items in your daddy’s closet a new lease on life. 

Oversized jacket 

Maki Oh jacket. Photo Vogue

Oversized jackets have always been a trend that has empowered women. From the power suits of the late 80s and early 90s to contemporary iterations by designers like Marc Jacobs and Altuzzarra. Even Maki Oh put her spin on the oversized dad jacket in her AW17 collection, using PVC details to lighten up the mood. With a little DIY, your daddy’s old suit jackets can become coveted fashion items too. 

Pleated pants 

Palazzo pants. Photo Twitter. Gbemioo

It’s like we blinked and pleated pants were back in fashion. Originally created to suit the extra-large pant trend, pleating on trousers help hide bulky pockets and accentuate a hip-to-waist ratio. Paired with the right look, it can be downright fantastic or you could settle for the trendy wide-legged palazzo pants. So show up in daddy’s pants and show everyone how to really party the old school way.  

Vintage prints 

Donald Glover in a print shirt. Photo Louis Vuitton

Minimalism is so blah. Our daddies knew this. That is why their wardrobes were packed full with silk dress shirts so flashy and colourful, they would make Ituen Basi blush. Vintage has remained a mood for the last five years in Nigeria with whole brands really tapping into the aesthetic. Get the look for free by borrowing a few of daddy’s favourite tees.  

Trusty old boots 

Distressed leather vintage boots. Photo Pinterest

Have you tried seeking out a pair of distressed leather dress shoes or, worse still, a pair of industrial style boots? It is blue murder out in these streets! There are so many reasons why getting good, durable footwear is almost impossible without losing an arm and a leg these days. Inflation, piracy, fast fashion, you name it. It’s a good thing our fathers all loved to hoard and had fetishes for great shoes. Because why wait for an inheritance when you can have it all right now.  

Raid his accessory closet 

This one is a bit of a doozy. But if your father’s anything like mine, then he’s hiding from you a vast collection of vintage menswear accessories. Tie pins, brooches, original leather belts and pocket squares, even the occasional neck scarf and original bandana. Your daddy’s clothes might not always fit you but his accessories always will, and it’s the sort of thing that should be an heirloom anyway. So why wait to put it to good use.  

What greater compliment can you pay to your daddy’s sense of style than wearing his clothes?