Five stylish guys share their fashion lessons from dad
Do we all eventually dress like Dad?
By 
I THINK I’M STARTING to dress like my father. This, I realise, was inevitable since for the last couple of years I have routinely gone into his wardrobe to try on a few things. First was a button-down Ralph Lauren shirt with blue stripes. Then it was a brown leather blazer he’s had since the ’90s when he moved to Australia from the Philippines. These raids are usually from feeling uninspired in my own rotation. My latest acquisition? A buttery suede camel jacket that sits perfectly at the waist that I nipped at the started of the winter. It become my most complimented piece of the season.
To my surprise, what new clothes I buy for myself can fit back into his wardrobe, too. My plaid Western shirt? “That’s a nice shirt,” he said. My vintage black suede bomber that I bought off Depop? He’ll ask where he can get one. Or as I unbox a fresh pair of Made in USA New Balance sneakers? He’ll trick himself into believing we’re still the same shoe size.
But what I think I’ve inherited beyond his vintage (to his dismay) wares is an idea of the sure and correct clothes of a fresh-faced uni grad arriving in a new country. I feel naked without a collar, for instance. I’ve also been told my style naturally skews preppy; Dad also grew up in post-US-occupied Philippines, which explains the Americana. Ultimately, Dad’s not a bad blueprint. Then we’ll wonder how we ended up at lunch looking exactly the same, from shirt to shoes.
So recently, I asked five stylish guys about the fashion lessons they stole from dad.
The stately presence of a beautiful tie
“My dad had this off-white and black Prince of Wales print tie from Giorgio Armani that he wore to work a lot when I was young. It wasn’t loud or flashy, but it had a certain sharpness that seemed to give him quiet confidence. He always told me he closed his best deals wearing it, so it became his good-luck charm.
As a kid, I’d watch him knot it before heading out the door, and over the years, that ritual became symbolic of so much more. He ran his own business, and seeing him own, operate, and grow it showed me first-hand what was possible if you worked hard and backed yourself.
Today, I wear that same tie on important occasions – not just because it looks great, but because it’s a tangible link to him and the values he passed down. Every time I put it on, I’m reminded of the discipline, self-belief, and love for craft that inspired me to build my own label.” – Christian Kimber, tailor and designer
Transition lenses as a fashion statement
“I grew up watching my dad wear those early transition lenses that never quite got it right — a little awkward, but iconic in their ambition. Now, with tinted and photochromic lenses back in the fashion spotlight, I wear them proudly as both a style statement and a personal tribute to his forward-looking attitude.” – Ben Walters, founder of Proper Goods
The artist’s beret
“Dad is the sort of person who puts shoes on as soon as he gets out of bed. He dresses with a colourful stateliness that reflects his generation. He’s an artist – a composer, a pianist, he teaches, he writes – and for him, symbols are simple.
He’s an artist, so he wears a beret. I appreciate that directness. And he never wastes. If something rips, he takes it to the tailor. I’ve always done the same. These jeans have had a dozen repairs. I have symbols too, my Oakleys, my workwear, my PAM. And today, I’m in a beret.” – Mark Bo Chu, artist
Short shorts are a sign of a man relaxed
“I have memories of my Dad, Kimbo, wearing hemmed surf shorts through hot Townsville summers in the late ’80s, and on family holidays on the NSW South Coast. Shorts, singlets and double pluggers were the signs of a man relaxed. To say I picked up the trend would be a wild understatement. You will find me wearing shorts on most days through the year, regardless of rain or cold.
Work? Humankind black,heavy cotton. Date night? Wales Bonner. Exercise? Wayyy too short, high side split Adidas.
Wearing shorts feels like getting away with something – a little juvenile rebellion, a middle finger to seriousness. Good luck getting a pair of khakis to do all that, whilst showing off your calves!” – Jake Smyth, chef and owner of Mary’s
The blueprint denim jacket
“Growing up, I remember seeing this vintage photo of my father in early ’90s wearing this particular denim jacket. When we were developing one of the collections for Song for the Mute, we wanted to look at vintage pieces that lived in that same era – my mother is a very organised individual and she knew exactly the piece I was talking about and took it out of the closet like a museum piece. It stood the test of time, still as relevant, still as cool and nonchalant – except it was tagged size extra-large (which actually fits more like a small medium in today’s standard). So we kept it as is but just updated the sizing and washing.” – Melvin Tanaya, co-founder and designer of Song for the Mute
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