Your dad might be dressing cringy now, but he probably had super-fly style back in the day. You know, before he became your dad. Somewhere between midnight feedings, diaper changes, training wheel lessons, and teaching you how to change a flat tire, he might have stopped caring so much about his outfit selection. Instead of making fun of his mismatched socks and white loafers, why not help him get a style glow-up? Now is the time to pay dad back for all those life lessons he’s taught you over the years.
If you need some inspiration, check out this heartwarming Newsweek story of a teen daughter helping her father with some fashion advice. Her single dad was heading off to his first date in years and needed some style-honesty from his pride and joy. Her photos and story went viral on Twitter. Sometimes all a dad needs is a little cheerleading and some style guidance to help him embrace his inner runway model.
Helping Dad With A Wardrobe Edit
Most people only wear 20% of the clothes they own on a regular basis. One way to make sure your dad stops pulling outdated or raggedy clothes out of his closet is to get rid of them completely. Let’s face it, dad is going to grab whatever’s fresh out of the laundry and readily available. That means that his old college sweatshirt with a hole in the collar is going to remain on heavy rotation until you get him to chuck it in the trash. Doing a wardrobe edit is as easy as pulling out everything you own, sorting it, and deciding what stays and what goes.
As you’re paring down the clutter, ask your dad a few questions:
- What do you have too much of? Does he have three draws full of old band t-shirts? That’s too many.
- What doesn’t fit? Raid the back of the closet to find these gems.
- What has holes, rips, or stains? None of this is staying, out it goes!
- Do you enjoy wearing this? Don’t keep clothing items for sentimental value, especially if they aren’t your taste or size.
- Have you worn this in the last 12 months? This one is self-explanatory: bye Felicia.
The clothes that are staying can get hung in the closet or folded away in drawers. Clothes in good condition that are no longer necessary can be donated. Finally, anything that’s seen better days can be tossed out with the garbage. If you find that dad is now lacking in choices, then it’s time to start shopping using some of the tips we’re about to share.
Gift Your Dad Some Stylish Clothes
Dad can’t resist wearing a gift from his own kid. If you go out of your way to shop for him now and then, you know he’ll wear his new clothes. For example, if you get him something for Father’s Day, he’ll feel pressure to wear it. If your dad is the type to always have holes in his socks, maybe give him an upgrade with this gift set from No Cold Feet. Seriously, just think about all the ugly ties you bought him when you were a kid that he proudly wore to work. But you don’t have to wait for a special holiday. You can pick dad up a new stylish shirt or a pair of leather boots at any time. Spending a day shopping with your dad is another great gift idea. The two of you can pick out his new wardrobe, get some lunch, and chat about life. He’ll love it.
Hook Dad Up With A Personal Shopper
Your dad might need some help reconnecting with his personal style in a way only an expert can pull off. After spending decades worrying more about his family than himself, now is the time where he can develop a new personality and fashion sense. Hiring a personal shopper or makeover expert might sound like a costly endeavor but you’ll be stunned by the results.
If a personal stylist isn’t in the budget there are some cheaper alternatives. For example, you could try out a subscription with StitchFix For Men. You fill out a survey and get connected with an online style expert who will curate a box of clothes for you each month. You only keep (and pay for) what you want, and send the rest back. It’s a great low-risk way to try out new styles.
Help Your Dad Start A Wardrobe Capsule
After you edit your dad’s wardrobe and it’s down to the bare essentials is a great time to help him build a capsule wardrobe. This phenomenon of wearing fewer but better clothes helps even the style inept choose their outfits easily and without stress. The idea is to cultivate a closet full of basics that suit his style that can easily be mixed and matched to make different outfits. If everything in his closet goes together, you’ll get to say goodbye to mismatched disasters forever.
Here is a list of men’s basics you’ll want to include in his capsule:
- Basic T-Shirts
- Henley
- Collared shirts (unless he’s mostly casual)
- Crew neck sweater
- Cardigan
- Hoodie
- Bomber jacket
- Trench coat or winter coat, climate depending
- Jeans
- Black jeans
- Cargo or twill pants
- Cargo and denim shorts or joggers, taste depending
- At least one tailored suit
- Sneakers
- Leather shoes
- Lace-up boots
- Slides
- Accessories: watch, belt, hat, sunglasses
This might look like a long list but keep in mind, you’ll only have a few pieces of each. Right now dad probably has a few pairs of worn-out jeans, basketball shorts, and a million old t-shirts in his closest. This is going to be a major upgrade.
Putting in a little extra effort with his wardrobe is going to do wonders for his self-confidence. You and the rest of the fam can help pump him up by cheering each new outfit and telling him how great he looks!
