Millenial men: The 'Dadcore' look is in, brands are out

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
Sep 11, 2017

With millennials outnumbering all other generations of the U.S. population, retailers continue to take a deep dive into the thought process of the 20-35-year old crowd. In an effort to provide insight into this large market, consulting firm Doneger Group released a recent report that details the style preferences of 350 men of various ages.

According to the report, brand names seem to have lost their cachet, as only 18% of the men said that a specific brand would prompt them to spend more for an item. Instead, functionality and quality took precedence. Significant others and retail stores were cited  as the two greatest fashion influencers for millenial men.

Asked what style meant to them, almost half of the participants (48%) said self-expression, while 33% said it was a pain, followed by a small 16% saying it was a necessity or tool to get ahead.

“The modern American guy wants to attain ‘chill guy’ status, a relaxed way of showing his individuality to stay ahead in work, life and love," said Roberto Ramos, SVP of Global Strategy and Creative Services at the Doneger Group.

Age also played a major role in what men considered style. The majority of the 18-29-year-old group saw style as self-expression, whereas men over 60 saw it as 'a pain.' Regardless of age, 57% of the men described their style as “basic,” which Doneger categorizes as the trending “Dadcore” look.