Dads Defy Fashion Critics: Embracing Comfort, Nostalgia, and Personal Style
If I earned a dollar every time my sons criticized my clothing choices, I would be a millionaire. Add eye-rolls and dramatic head shakes, and I would reach billionaire status. Last year, when I purchased a pair of bright blue Air Jordans, my children informed me I was too old for them. Wearing my vintage Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs jersey is considered a mortal sin in their eyes. Any T-shirt or sweater I buy them inevitably ends up buried in the back of their closet, destined for donation. While I have learned to stop purchasing clothes for them, I will never abandon my own fashion preferences. It turns out I am not the only father forced to defend his wardrobe decisions.
The Comfort Revolution: Ken Anthony's Ugly Sneakers
Some fathers are stubborn, some do it for laughs, and some believe they have earned the right in middle age to wear whatever they want. Ken Anthony fully acknowledges that his Nike Air Monarchs are unattractive. His family agrees, even maintaining a group chat dedicated to discussing his questionable fashion decisions. When his partner requested he change shoes before going out, Ken responded simply: "I asked her if she really cared, and she didn't. I told her my basketball bunion doesn't either." The Monarchs remained on his feet.
Ken is not a man who has given up on style entirely. He owns Jordan 3s and 5s, proving he is a fellow sneaker enthusiast. His closet contains other sneakers he should donate but cannot bring himself to part with. However, his priorities have shifted over time. "The difference now is I put my comfort over my perception," he explained to HuffPost. "It's not that I don't care what people think, I just care more about how I feel at the end of the day." When friends or family joke about his shoes, he embraces it. "They're ugly, I know, but my feet feel amazing." His philosophy is straightforward: "Be yourself; everyone else is taken."
A Quiet Protest: Scottie Smith's Long Shorts
For Scottie Smith, the issue is not about comfort. It is about the lessons he internalized during his upbringing. "I grew up in a time when shorts went below the knee," Scottie detailed. "If your underwear showed underneath, an adult was going to correct that immediately." He cannot shake that early training. His signature long shorts are "comfortable, familiar, and a quiet protest against trends that would have gotten us in trouble growing up."
Scottie's shorts extend six inches below the knee, while his fifteen-year-old son's shorts end six inches above it—they actually measured the difference. His son is not the only critic. At school events and tournaments, Scottie receives looks, groans, and jokes. His boys have started calling him Uncle Drew, referencing the elderly basketball character from Kyrie Irving's viral sketch. On the rare occasion Scottie wears shorts above the knee, it becomes "a whole thing and everyone in the family talks about it." He remains steadfast. "At this point, the longer the shorts, the clearer the message. I'm an 'old head.' I've earned the right to keep my knees covered, and I'm not trying to relive my youth."
Sentimental Threads: Steve DiMatteo's Vintage Tank Top
For some fathers, fashion choices are driven by childhood memories rather than comfort or principle. Steve DiMatteo still wears a tank top from eighth grade, the sole survivor from that era of his life. "Other shirts just methodically bit the dust," he recalled. "And I realized that this one just kept making the cut, and eventually that became a sacred thing, to be the last shirt standing from an old era." He possesses a photograph of himself in seventh or eighth grade wearing the same shirt, adding to its sentimental value over time.
His children point out the ridiculous holes, but Steve is unconcerned. "They're young enough that I can shape them to be appreciative of this achievement." However, there is more to it than nostalgia. It has evolved into a personal challenge. "There's something magical about it now," Steve admitted. "I feel like I need to keep testing the limits of the very definition of a shirt at this point. It seems like this will end with me getting kicked out of a public place." His favorite reaction came from an old elementary school friend who also preserves ancient shirts. "You should have seen his eyes light up in appreciation upon learning of this shirt."
Matching Mayhem: Mike Lee and Chris Mule's Vacation Outfits
Best friends Mike Lee and Chris Mule have elevated coordinated fashion to another level entirely. They wear matching outfits on every vacation, featuring hot dog prints, floral patterns, and even Hugh Hefner-style velvet smoking jackets with satin pajama pants. The tradition began on a Virgin Voyages cruise with theme nights, when Chris brought matching pajamas for himself and Mike. It escalated from there, and now they bring matching outfits on every trip.
People have mistaken them for a couple. A bartender once told them a customer remarked, "What a cute couple! I love that they dress alike for date night." Another time, a man approached Chris and inquired if Mike was his partner. Mike's eighteen-year-old daughter, Jaylen, has a standard response when she sees them getting dressed: "Where are you going dressed like that?" Mike and Chris ignore her. They adore their loud fashion and refuse to conform for anyone else. As far as they are concerned, their matching sets are fun and stylish. The louder the pattern, the better.
Wetsuit Woes: Nick Caccavo's School Pickup Attire
Nick Caccavo adopts a different approach to mortifying his daughters. He regularly shows up to elementary school pickup wearing a wetsuit. As a small-business owner in the windsports industry, he needs to get on the water for dawn sessions. The water is cold, and sometimes sessions run long. The wetsuit takes five minutes to put on and remove. When timing is tight, he faces a choice: see his daughters before school or waste time changing. The wetsuit wins.
His younger daughter asks, "Why are you wearing your wetsuit, Daddy?" His older daughter delivers the full treatment: "Daddy! You're sooo embarrassing!" Complete with eye-rolling. Other parents do not say anything to Nick directly, but they deploy what he describes as the "awkward quick look and then pretend I didn't see that and look elsewhere" strategy. When asked whether wearing the wetsuit to school is about time management or deliberate embarrassment, he stated, "Both. Equally. On the mortifying side, it's pure joy for me."
The Unyielding Stand: Why These Dads Won't Change
Every single one of these men could alter their fashion choices. Ken could wear the Jordans instead of the Monarchs. Scottie could purchase shorter shorts. Steve could discard the threadbare tank top. Nick could change out of the wetsuit before school pickup. Mike and Chris could dress more conventionally. They refuse. As for me, I will continue wearing my bright blue Air Jordans and Tim Duncan jersey, which my sons believe should have been retired along with the player himself. Sorry, boys. The jersey stays. Be grateful it is not a hot dog outfit.
