The unthinkable has happened.  I have devolved into dressing like a father.

That’s right.  I’ve been rocking the “Dadcore.”

Meaning that I wear the jeans/polo combo (with sneakers) to work…

Look upon my kicks, Issey Miyake, and despair

And yet I still feel it necessary to change into a pair of Under Armour “tech pants” (which is a nice word for “pajamas”), and a lightweight tee when I get home.

Because, you know, you can always get more comfy.

On weekends I sport cargo shorts and t-shirts like they’re my uniform.  I’ve even been known to occasionally put shoes on.  You know, if we’re “going out.”  [i.e.  To the mall, Whole Foods/HEB, or Babies-R-Us]

It does occur to me, though, that I don’t have to look this way.

It’s not like it’s any more difficult to dress like this:

rather than looking like this:

Sorry to throw you under the bus, Sandler…

Adidas to Armani, Hurley to Herrera, Dockers to Dior…

It all boils down to one simple question.

Do you care?

Because complaining about the price differential between these brands, which is the first tent people tend to cower under when discussion fashion, is utter nonsense.  There are very easy ways around paying full price for designer clothing (which might make for a halfway decent blog post, come to think of it), the simplest of which is using off-peak sales and/or clearance centers.

What’s more, very few people can tell exactly who made that gingham oxford button down shown in the first picture.  Could be Tom Ford,  could be Target.  One costs $400.  The other is $12.  And of those who can tell the difference, even fewer give a damn.

In the way of full disclosure, I pay way more than $12 for my t-shirts.  And I know for a fact that the Under Armour undershirt worn by every dad in America runs almost double that price.

Granted, my tees do boast awesome prints like the cover of Catch-22 in Cyrillic. 

What I’m saying here is that price isn’t a determining factor.  It’s just a convenient excuse.  So that leaves us, once again, with the same question…

Do you care?  

And if you don’t, that’s cool too.  Own it.  Run with that Sandler thing and don’t look back.  After all, you’re in good company there.  It’s not like there’s a jacket/tie requirement to get a good spot at a changing table.

But as for me?  I think it might be haute time for me to get back to wearing what I wear well.  And if that means that I’m the guy scouring the clearance bins at Katy Mills?

Well, I am that guy.

j.s.