Eclectic Grandpa Is the Controversial Trend That's Already Defining 2024

For those not chronically online, terms like “coquette,” “coastal grandma,” and “quiet luxury” may leave you a bit puzzled. For those whose screen time runs higher than you’d like, you might have already conjured up an image in your head for each packaged-up style interest. Quiet luxury will have you envisioning the whispered effortlessness of The Row and anything worn by Logan Roy in Succession. Coquette will transport you into Sandy Liang’s world filled with bows, ruffles, and the innate feeling of healing one’s inner child. And 2024’s first buzzy aesthetic, “eclectic grandpa,” coined by Pinterest, which predicted the trend to grow in virality this year (it cited an increase in searches for the terms “grandpa core” and “grandpa style” in December), is composed of kitschy knitwear, loafers, baseball caps, wrist watches, and anything retro or vintage adjacent. With this in mind, my mind immediately jumps to anything designed by Emily Bode, the street style of Princess Diana, and the top contenders of GQ’s best-dressed list—particularly Pedro Pascal.

While this style can technically be achieved with a purchase of a few pieces, a part of the conversation surrounding this new trend is heading in a different direction: The look is meant to encapsulate the personal style of an actual grandpa, though people are starting to realise that they only look that stylish because they have collected high-quality, special, and well-loved pieces over time, which isn’t something you can exactly curate overnight. 

It’s created a new conversation on how Gen Z is viewing their style. Some might consider aesthetics to be the antithesis of personal style (I think experimentation is key), but this one’s proving to the next-gen (me included) that patience is a virtue. While I may not be copying the grandpa ‘fits I see on my Pinterest feed to a T, it’s certainly been shifting the way I shop and dress. Since I, too, want to be a grandparent one day with a closet filled with special and long-lasting pieces, I’ve been having more fun with the way I dress and putting a lot more thought into what I purchase and how they’ll fit into my wardrobe—current and future.

Even if you’re not embodying the exact outfits of celebrities like Gigi Hadid or Tyler the Creator, their style presence among the aesthetic will still inevitably make an impact on the trend cycle. Pinterest expects an uptick in demand for sweater vests, loafers, and “grandpa knits”—all worn by the style stars mentioned above. If you want to be inspired by the eclectic styling off and on the runway or want to incorporate a piece or two from the grandpa look into your wardrobe, simply keep scrolling.