Here we are. We’ve come full circle. Sit down kids, gather around the fire, and let me tell you a tale of yesteryear. The year was 1999. I know, ancient times are important. We in high school didn’t have cell phones, mostly. We wrote notes back and forth in class. We walked home from school so we had time to talk to our friends. We knew how to get to places in town and there was no Google Maps. More importantly, Christina Aguilera came out of nowhere, Napster threatened to destroy the music industry, and Keanu Reeves was a relative unknown about to learn kung-fu from a computer. We also wore some awesome denim called dad jeans. What are dad jeans, you ask? well, let me take you back.
What are dad jeans?
The new dad jeans fad is inspired by the men’s denim worn by the fathers of millennials and Gen Z back in the early aughts when The Sopranos was a must-watch, iPods were the size of compact cars, and brick-and-mortar stores were the only place to buy clothing.
Dad jeans sit higher on the waist than the typical cut of jeans. They’re relaxed through the thigh and tapered and loose from the knee down. The bottom of the pants is a little snugger around the ankle and falls slightly above the tongue of the sneakers, preferably a fresh new pair of white sneakers like New Balance. The coloring of the jeans can run the gamut from dark tones resembling a train conductor’s pants to stonewashed jeans pilfered straight from Zach Morris’s laundry basket.
Dad jeans are a leftover from the “normcore” fashion trend of the 2010s. To provoke a strong mental image of normcore and the quintessential pairs of dad jeans, envision Steve Jobs on stage at an Apple product launch or Jerry Seinfeld’s attire in every episode of Seinfeld. An online search of the term “dad jeans” will elicit differing opinions at the top of the first results page. You’ll likely find articles –written in the last year — explaining how dad jeans should be a part of every stylish guy’s denim rotation. The older opinion pieces explain to men how to avoid buying dad pants that might get mistaken for a part of your dad’s wardrobe.
The truth is, dad jeans are once again in style. “Although the slim fit fine to wear, the dad jeans are where it’s at right now,” explained Kalyn Camara, a buyer and operations manager for an online clothing boutique. “The looser-fitting denim with a higher rise that sits more on the waist gives the jeans a familiar vintage vibe.”
What caused the resurgence of dad jeans
The truth is, you can blame movies and TV for the trends coming back around these days. The time has come when everything seen as dated and out of style in 2011 is now lauded as trendy, sometimes even accepted as innovative in some weird collective delusion that these looks are new and different.
But the truth is, TV series like Peaky Blinders and Stranger Things, Mad Men, and GLOW or movies we rewatch, like Back to the Future or Beverly Hills Cop, make us start to reminisce about the clothing of our younger years. The influencers on social media start moving toward the looks, and the next thing we know, those old dad jeans are hitting the racks in big department stores and online shops.
Why you should consider wearing dad jeans
Much like any fashion trend, wearing dad jeans depends on a man’s style and taste. But buying a pair of dad jeans and taking them out for a spin isn’t a bad idea. “The great thing about denim is that you can really style them to be worn to almost any occasion,” Camara added. “Date night, happy hour, brunch, around the house, and just doing dad stuff.”
Dad pants pair well with fresh kicks or a stylish new hoodie and serve as an alternative to the tired old sweatpants or athleisure attire. Naturally, some men should avoid wearing dad jeans at all costs depending on body size and height. Refrain from adding a pair of dad jeans to the pant rotation if your body type isn’t quite Seinfeld but more Costanza. Dad jeans will make you look shorter, heavier, and no closer to being a successful architect or marine biologist.
Should the dad jeans experiment go horribly wrong and elicit nothing but “What in the world are you wearing?” inquires from girlfriends, best friends, and co-workers; you’ve got an extra pair of jeans to wear around the house or for partaking in other dad-like activities such as cutting the grass, tackling home renovations, or just clapping the grill tongs together while waiting for the burgers to finish. “Ultimately, you should always wear what makes you feel good because that’s when you’re going to look and feel most confident.”
How to buy dad jeans
Dad denim in various styles and colors is abundant and easy to find. Several brands like American Eagle and Urban Outfitters now make a line of jeans specifically labeled “dad jeans.” Ironically, these are both stores that I shopped in during and after college with the sole purpose of not dressing anything like my father.
If your favorite brand doesn’t make a specific cut of denim labeled “dad jeans,” pairs of these pants can be purchased in stores where dads typically load up on budget-friendly apparel, and checking a few vintage stores is always a smart idea as well.
Still not sure where to score a pair of dad jeans before this weekend? Just ask your dad where he buys his jeans. Happy shopping.
