When you think about a grandpa, you’re probably not thinking about the most fashionable person in the room. You might be thinking about those khaki Bermuda shorts, a baseball cap, and some wide-rimmed glasses, or at least I do. No matter what you think, you can’t deny that grandpas have their own style — and the eclectic grandpa trend is proof of that.
We’ve all seen the cool old photographs of either our grandfathers or someone else’s on the internet. Our generation’s grandfathers (for the most part) lived during a pretty interesting era for men’s fashion, when no one was afraid of short, loose shorts or shirts with colorful patterns
However, 2024 might be your time to embrace your grandfather’s style and live up your eclectic grandpa dreams. But, wait — what even is an eclectic grandpa? According to TikTok and Pinterest, it’s basically the chic, Gen Z version of those old photos you’ve seen: Think loose white button-downs, white T-shirts, and loose shorts.
Chances are you already own a good amount of these items in your closet. Do you have a baseball cap? Perfect, and you already have a white T-shirt and some boxer shorts to go with it? Even better.
The trend prediction came from the Pinterest Predicts 2024 report before it went viral on TikTok, with Pinterest claiming that Gen Zers and Boomers (no, I don’t really understand why we’re being paired with Boomers either) will embrace our inner “grandpa core” and bring in some eccentric and expressive elements to our wardrobes.
Their prediction also says to think about retro streetwear, chic cardigans, and customized clothing, with their trending search items being customized denim jackets, eclectic clothing styles, grandpa core, retro streetwear, and grandpa style.
I highly suggest trusting Pinterest when it comes to predicting the latest style trends because we all remember the coastal granddaughter dream, right? Well, Pinterest is saying that coastal granddaughter is so last year.
Chances are you can probably reuse some of your coastal granddaughter basics — like white T-shirts, baseball caps, and sunglasses — to transition to an eclectic grandpa look. To me, eclectic is the keyword, it’s about taking all of these smaller statement pieces and bringing them all together, like a grandpa would. You don’t need to completely redo your closet, but maybe just embrace more of a minimalist vibe than you normally would.
Remember, grandpas are so cool they don’t really care about anything, so embrace your inner grandpa in 2024. I know I will be.