An Intro to Gorpcore

First conceived by The Cut in 2017, the term gets its name from the abbreviated version of “Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts”, a term commonly used to describe trail mix in the United States. Stylistically, gorpcore focuses on function and comfort, drawing heavily from the hiking and mountaineering canon as the name would imply. Commonplace items include Gore-tex shell jackets, cargo pants, trail running shoes, and hiking boots. 

The fashion style has always had a devoted fan base since its inception, however it became much more popular in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Outdoor activity saw a significant increase during the pandemic, possibly as a means of stress relief during such trying times. Naturally, the fashion industry responded and the pandemic saw high fashion brands drawing heavily from the outdoor lexicon for their winter collections. Winter runway shows featured puffer jackets, technical training shoes, and hiking boots galore beginning in 2020, and continue to do so today. Landmark collaborations from this era thus far include Gucci and The North Face’s joint capsule collection, as well as luxury sportswear giant Moncler’s ‘Genius’ line. 

Some may draw similarities to the techwear style which saw moderate success in the early to mid 2010s (think ACRONYM, Nike ACG, Y-3), but the two have very distinct differences. Techwear revolves more around utilitarian garments catered to an urban environment, whereas gorpcore frequently features people literally wearing their hiking gear in the city. The former is also much more brooding, with heavy use of a muted, dark color palette and draped hoods, while the latter often makes use of bright colors commonly associated with outdoor clothing. 

As with any trend as of late, it is not uncommon to see people mixing aspects of the gorpcore look with the rest of their wardrobe. One can frequently see someone pairing an Arc’teryx shell jacket with Carhartt double knee pants and New Balances, or mixing up jeans with a pair of Salomon trail running shoes. That’s the beauty of gorpcore though; you can go from the trail to brunch, without anyone ever batting an eye anymore.