GORPcore is a trend that has been gaining popularity in men's fashion over the past few years. The term "GORP" is an acronym for "good old raisins and peanuts," a snack commonly eaten by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. As you might guess, this trend is centered around rugged, outdoor-inspired clothing that traces its roots to functional wear.
The basic idea of GORPcore is to look like you just finished free-soloing the North Face, all the while not straying from the comfort of your cushy WFH job. Of course if you wanted to, you could go hike Mt. Lafayette, but that’s another story.
The term was originally coined back in 2017, but has really caught on since the pandemic, thanks in part to some hyper-viral Tik Tok videos of people showering in their Arc’teryx shells:
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Outdoor gear as a genre has an inherent un-stylishness to it. The industry has, in the past, been characterized by its bland, weird-fitting garments presented in colorways so garish that they could kill a Victorian child. So why has this industry gained so much popularity these last few years, especially from people who don’t actually use the gear as intended?
Well, fashion is how you choose to present yourself to the world — when you put on an outfit, you’re telling everyone else what to think of you. We all judge books by their covers and we do it for a reason; it’s an incredibly useful heuristic for the human condition.
So, when you opt into outdoorsy style, you are (subconsciously or otherwise) curating an image of a person who lives a certain type of aspirational life — someone who gets nature and is rooted in the environment (even if that’s not actually the case!).
Outside of social signaling, one of the main appeals of the GORPcore trend is its versatility. These pieces are, at their heart, functional garments that are now being borrowed by the fashion industry. You can wear the Salomon XT-6 to the bodega or on the trails, and not only will it keep your feet dry, but you’re also establishing clout in both paradigms: “This guy knows what he’s doing“ [fashion] vs. “This guy knows what he’s doing“ [trail running]. Win-win.
One of the other main appeals is that a lot of the gear looks really cool. Relaxed fits becoming popular again also gives designers more room to breathe (literally), which is key for an industry where mobility and range-of-motion are a must.
(Nature providing a really cool backdrop for fit pics also helps)
A note: I don’t really want to paint this as a total fluke born out of social signaling — these brands do have designers who are very clearly at the top of their profession (for a reason). They’ve done an incredible job of reading the room and adapting existing silhouettes to appeal to a wider audience.
A third appeal is the increasing presence of big names in high fashion in the market. If you look around, many brands are hitting up the giants of the outdoors industry for a chance at a collaboration so that they can cash in. A lot of this stuff is really difficult and cost-prohibitive to build in-house due to the requirement that it also be technically capable, so upmarket brands (Jil Sander x Arc’teryx, Celine x Birkenstock, Literally any brand x The North Face etc.) are turning to the people that already know what they’re doing. Maison Margiela’s continued collaboration with Salomon is a good recent example here:
Maybe not your cup of tea, but the Salomon x MM6 collabs have generated a ton of hype for all of their releases to date.
Speaking of fashion collaboration, GORPcore is also being rapidly assimilated into the streetwear egregore:
Here, Boston-based streetwear shop Bodega has launched a collaboration with the small, buzzy brand 18east, reminiscent of the “all conditions“ campaigns of Nike’s ACG line.
So What’s The Deal?
In a generation of people absolutely crippled by Eco-anxiety, showing that you’re capable of caring about something goes a long way with people who haven’t thought about it too deeply.
Of course, the great irony of GORPcore and the absolute state of outdoor gear/apparel is that the garments are devastating to the environment. Between microplastics and the mounting scourge of perfluorocarbons (PFOAs & PFOSs, found in GoreTex), the production of these garments absolutely wreak havoc on the ecosystem, and turning them into a consumer fashion product certainly isn’t helping. It seems that even mitigation methods like using recycled polyester products aren’t safe and tend to leach even more chemicals than their virgin polyester counterparts.
For what it’s worth, I actually really like the aesthetic of GORPcore and outdoor stuff in general — I personally have some Arc’teryx shells that I purchased before becoming GORPpilled. It’s always important to remember that there’s a lot going on behind the scenes however, and this is an industry that benefits particularly well from obfuscating their footprint. That being said, there’s certainly ways to achieve a similar (albeit less technical-looking) look using mostly natural-fiber garments:
How to Look the Part
If you're looking to get into the GORPcore trend, you'll want to stock up on items like fleece jackets, hiking boots/shoes, and of course, unnecessarily strong (and expensive) rain shells — anything that gives off that granola-y outdoorsy vibe really.
Layering is also key — pieces like flannels, vests (both puffer and Patagonia better sweater styles), thermal tops, and insulated jackets are all essential for braving the elements (read: your 2-block walk to Starbucks) in style.
In terms of colors, the GORPcore trend tends to stick to earthy tones like olive green, brown, and navy. However, pops of color are generally incorporated through accessories like shoes, beanies, scarves, and backpacks.
Overall, the GORPcore trend is a great way to add some functional, stylish pieces to one’s wardrobe. Whether you're actually hitting the trails or just looking for some comfortable, everyday wear, GORPcore has you covered.
GORPcore Going Forward
I’ve frequently shared my thoughts in the past on trend cycles — namely that they are getting shorter and shorter, and this only seems to be accelerating. The Big Question here is what happens once these cycles are too short? Like, what happens when the average trend only lasts for a month? What about less than that?
I don’t really have an answer for that, but GORPcore has been around for a few years and is just starting to reach its peak, which feels like a rarity nowadays. It seems like it’ll be around for a while after that as well — hopefully it’ll inspire some more people to embrace the outdoors and become actual stewards of the environment (I say this with bated breath however — it’ll suck really hard if the only effect of this is more trash being left on hiking trails and in campgrounds).
I think we end up seeing singular pieces being incorporated into outfits that are not explicitly outdoors-themed. Consider prep/Ivy style’s adoption of functional pieces from classic WASP sports (rugby, sailing, polo). We’ve been seeing this for a pretty long time from the finance bro/tech dweeb contingent of the population (some of my best friends are in tech so I can say it).
Basically, think the Midtown uniform with more intention behind it.
That’s it for this time — let me know your thoughts/opinions on all things GORP.
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