“Dadcore is in,” says personal stylist Sean Somal of The Chapar, a personal styling service for men. “It’s an interesting movement championing functional and comfortable outfit choices that look like you don’t have the time between changing nappies and doing the school run—and double denim fits neatly into the category. That doesn’t mean it’s for everyone though.” With this in mind, Somal popped his collar to help us compile some double-denim do’s and don’ts.
Do choose contrasting denim (i.e., don’t match the jeans with the jacket) to break up your outfit and create clear visual guidelines.
Do use a denim refresh spray on the insides of your jeans—they come in handy squirt-y bottles and are designed to revive your denim—as opposed to machine washing. This way they’ll stay crisp and clean while holding in the dye and gradually sculpting to your body shape.
Don’t opt into acid or bleach-washed denim unless you’re going to a 1980s-themed party. Do go for a denim size that feels a little uncomfortable at first: It’ll stretch and mould to your shape to ensure you get your true size and, in turn, the most bang for your buck.
Do keep the denim light in the dog days of summer: 14-ounce selvedge denim looks great, but heavy-duty can mean hard work when the sun’s beaming.
Don’t ever wear cowboy boots/hats. If the local townsfolk start country dancing around you for no reason in the post office, you’re doing something very wrong.