Gorpcore is a

fashion trend History of fashion design refers specifically to the development of the purpose and intention behind garments, shoes, accessories, and their design and construction. The modern industry, based around firms or fashion houses run by individual des ...

in which

outerwear Outerwear is clothing and accessories worn outdoors, or clothing designed to be worn as protective layers outside other garments, as opposed to underwear. It can be worn for formal or casual occasions, or as warm clothing during winter. List of ou ...

typically designed for

outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...

is worn as

streetwear Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk fashion, punk, Skateboarding#Culture, skateboarding, 1980s no ...

. It has been described as "wearing functional outdoor wear in an urban, trendy style". This includes

technical Technical may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle * Technical area, an area which a manager, other coaching personnel, and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a football match * Technical advisor, a person who ...

garments such as puffer jackets, hiking boots and

fleeces Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal wool. ...

, and brands such as

The North Face The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1968 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, a distinct ...

Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...

and

Arc'teryx Arc'teryx is a Canadian apparel company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The com ...

. While the trend has a practical basis, it has also been embraced for its stylish appeal, with celebrities incorporating outdoor gear into everyday outfits. Coined in 2017, gorpcore emerged as a popular trend in the 2020s; some analysts suggest that the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in part influenced this.

Etymology

The term "gorpcore" was first introduced by writer Jason Chen in an article for ''New York'' magazine's fashion blog ''The Cut'' in 2017. The term derives from the term normcore and the popular

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

snack,

gorp Trail mix is a type of snack mix, typically a combination of granola, dried fruit, nuts, and sometimes candy, developed as food to be taken along on hikes. Trail mix is a popular snack food for hikes, because it is lightweight, easy to sto ...

(possibly an acronym of "good ol'

raisins A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, the word ''raisin'' is reserv ...

and

peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...

", or "granola, oatmeal, raisins, and peanuts" but likely a

backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...

). Initially, the term was used ironically to describe outdoors fashion that was seen as "defiantly ugly".

Overview

Gorpcore initially referred to the emergence of stylish yet practical clothing, and was further popularized during the

as people were drawn to outdoor activities. The trend led to a surge in sales for outdoor gear such as puffer jackets and hiking boots. Some fashion experts believe the trend started well before the pandemic, thanks to celebrities like

A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mo ...

and

Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...

wearing hiking-inspired clothing. Furthermore, certain outdoor brands such as Timberland have long been considered fashionable within various subcultures, such as the hip-hop subculture. High-end fashion brands such as

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

and

Moncler Moncler S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion brand specialized in ready-to-wear outerwear headquartered in Milan, Italy. Its core branding includes the Rooster#Terminology, cockerel, "M" monogram, felt appliqué badge, crossed skis and cartoon duc ...

have also contributed to the trend with collaborations featuring functional yet fashionable designs, such as Gucci and

's collaboration announced in September 2021. Outdoor gear brands like

, Columbia,

Mammut A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...

, and Arc’teryx have also benefited from the trend, with celebrities such as

Hailey Bieber Hailey Rhode Bieber (nee Baldwin; born November 22, 1996) is an American model, socialite, creative director and businesswoman. She is the founder and chief creative officer of her namesake skin care company Rhode, and has featured in campaign ...

Kendall Jenner Kendall Nicole Jenner (born November 3, 1995) is an American model, socialite and media personality. She rose to fame in the reality television show ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians,'' in which she starred for 20 seasons and nearly 15 years ...

and

Bella Hadid Isabella Khair Hadid ( ; born October 9, 1996) is an American model. Hadid has made 35 appearances on international ''Vogue'' covers. In 2022, she was named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. ''Time'' magazine named her one ...

seen wearing their products at fashion shows as well as in everyday settings. Gorpcore was a dominant trend in 2023, with fashion experts predicting its longevity and evolution. The essence of gorpcore fashion is centered on incorporating hiking-themed and mountainwear clothing items such as

cargo pants Cargo pants or cargo trousers, also sometimes called combat pants or combat trousers after their original purpose as combat uniform, military workwear, are loosely cut pants originally designed for rough work environments and outdoor activities, ...

hiking boot A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "H ...

s, items lined with

Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is W. L. Gore & Associates's trade name for waterproof, breathable fabric membrane. It was invented in 1969. Gore-Tex blocks liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabri ...

, technical puffer jackets,

, and other outdoor garments. Accessories often include functional fanny packs and crossbody bags, minimal jewelry, and sporty sunglasses. Although the trend typically leans towards looser fits, it allows for customization and versatility. Color schemes are usually either nature-inspired and earthy or bright and bold. Pants often have many pockets or details. Popular brands associated with gorpcore fashion include Patagonia, Hoka, Teva, The North Face,

REI Recreational Equipment, Inc., doing business as REI, is an American retail and outdoor recreation services corporation. It was formerly governed, and continues to brand itself, as a consumers' co-operative. REI sells camping gear, hiking, clim ...

, Arc’teryx, Black Crows Skis, Columbia, Salomon, 66North,

Outdoor Voices Outdoor Voices (sometimes just O.V.) is an American clothing company focused on the design and sale of athletic apparel. The company was cofounded in 2013 by Tyler Haney and Matt McIntyre in New York City, and is now headquartered in Austin, Texas ...

Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland, the United Arab Em ...

, and

Free People Free People is an American bohemian apparel and lifestyle retail company that sells women's clothing, accessories, shoes, intimates, and swimwear. It also has a beauty and wellness category, which includes products such as cosmetics, skin, an ...

. The demand for the fashion aesthetic has led to a series of new collaborations among fashion and outdoor brands like The North Face and Supreme,

Fjällräven Fjällräven ( Swedish for "the arctic fox"; ) is a Swedish brand specialising in outdoor equipment—mostly clothing and luggage. The company was founded in 1960 by Åke Nordin (1936–2013) from Örnsköldsvik in Northern Sweden. The c ...

and

Acne Studios Acne Studios is a multidisciplinary luxury fashion house based in Stockholm, Sweden that specializes in men's and women's ready-to-wear fashion, footwear, accessories and denim. When founded in 1996, the label derived its name from the creative ...

, and Reformation and

Canada Goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North A ...

. Cult brand

Sandy Liang Sandy Liang is a fashion label based in New York City. Founded in 2014 by Sandy Liang, its designs are inspired by nostalgia, girlhood, and grandmothers in Chinatown. Founder Sandy Liang was born on June 4, 1991, in New York City and grew up ...

frequently incorporates gorpcore elements, such as in their first viral release, a fleece inspired by grandmothers in Chinatown. According to Angela Wei of Fashionista.com, "Essentially, gorpcore became the new luxury streetwear", which has become apparent in the launch of items like the Jacquemus hiking boots the

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French Multinational corporation, multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of ...

Birkenstock Birkenstock Holding plc is a German shoe manufacturer known for its sandals and other shoes notable for contoured cork footbeds (soles), made with layers of suede and jute, which conform to the shape of their wearers' feet. Founded in 1774 by J ...

collaboration, and

Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...

's popular nylon accessories. Gorpcore's appeal has been attributed to its combination of functionality and effortless style as well its association with activities like

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...

and hiking that are often considered exclusive to the wealthy. The trend's accessibility through

second-hand Used goods, also known as secondhand goods, are any item of personal property that have been previously owned by someone else and are offered for sale not as new, including metals in any form except coins that are legal tender. Used goods may ...

and timeless pieces makes it alluring to a mainstream audience. Gorpcore is seen as a form of investment dressing that remains practical even as styles evolve. It also provides a sense of comfort and adventure to its wearers by being prepared for the elements, making it an attractive escape from reality.

References

{{Fashion 2020s neologisms 2020s fads and trends Outdoor clothing brands Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 2020s fashion Fashion aesthetics Fashion terminology Internet aesthetics Core aesthetics Outerwear Hiking apparel Popular culture Internet memes introduced in 2020

Etymology

Overview

See also

References