Drip for the Middle Aged Man (Fall/ Winter 2022)

Broderick Turner
7 min readOct 9, 2022

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Are you a middle aged man* who wants to dress just a little bit fresher? Well, no fear, Dr. Turner is here.

I love clothes. And sneakers. And drip (that’s what the youngins call swag now).

I also love helping my friends embrace their own personal style.

I put together a list of things I love this season. I aimed for clothes that will look good even if you gain a few pounds around your midsection during the holidays. There are different price points (from dirt cheap to “you will never retire”). Mostly this list covers casual/ streetware (because that’s what I know the best).

Hoodies:

Jordan X Nina Chanel Hoodie

Just FLY AF.

This was my favorite new hoodie in 2022

Red Letter Long Live Virgil Hoodie

RIP Virgil Allah

This is one of my favorite little brands. They’re a few young dudes based out of Atlanta. And they do super dope puff print hoodies. I have the t-shirt version of this hoodie and love it. I want to see these young dudes win. RIP Virgil Abloh

Fear of God Essentials Hoodie

Note, these are often sold out, but restock constantly.

Jerry Lorenzo don’t miss. I love these hoodies. They wear well. Don’t wrinkle. Look good out the wash and are long enough that if I raise my arms my belly doesn’t show.

A day’s March heavyweight hoodie

Why do models always look so unhappy?

Hoodies should be heavy. Save the flim flam tech gear fabric for hiking.

Brave Star 20oz Hoodie

Heavy Ass Hoodie

Another heavyweight all star hoodie. Also, read the reviews. People love this thing.

T-Shirts

I only have 3 recommendations for t-shirts

The Buck Mason Pima Curved Hem Tee

The curved hem adds something. Not sure what, but I like it.

GQ calls these the perfect t shirt.
They’re not wrong.
They also make them in tall. Which I love. I ordered another one while I was working on this list. They also have a 365 day return policy.

Comfort Colors

The GOAT steals these.

They make the best colored T-shirts under $20. End of. My wife has stolen ALL of mine though. So be warned.

Hanes Beefy Tee

Let your t-shirts patina (not your white tees, though).

It’s heavy. They make a tall. You can buy them in bulk. They look better as they age.

Pants

Cookman Chef Pants

Yeah, Chef!

Have you watched “chef” on Hulu? If not, stop reading this list and go watch it. If you have seen it, then maybe you too would like to be a sexy dirtbag chef (it’s a vibe). These cookman chef pants will get you close without the grease stains, causal drug use, or the stick and poke tattoos.

UO Embroidered Corduroy Beach Pant

Okay…

I love an elastic waist and pants that don’t have to touch the floor. I also think critter pants are fun and funny.

Nike Dri-FIT Phenom Elite Men’s Knit Trail Running Pants

These really are elite.

I love these as workout pants because they dry quickly and don’t stink after a hard day at Orange Theory. They also look good with just a t-shirt as a causal fit.

Fear of god Essentials Nylon Track Pants

Luxe-y

They feel both athletic and disco. Easy and high end. Luxury and comfy. Highly recommend.

Levi’s 501- White Jeans

Crispy.

White Jeans? Yep. They are a fashion hack. Every outfit is elevated with some well fitting white jeans. Emphasis is needed on well fitting. They need to be tailored. This is why I’m including a link to buy them to Sid Mashburn. It’s my favorite retail experience. They will actually tailor these on site if you buy them there. Otherwise, get your size and take them to your local seamstress.

Shoes

Maison Château Rouge x Jordan 2

These look better in person. Trust me.

If you would have asked me a year ago for my least favorite jordan design, I would have told you the Jordan 2. But, I copped these pair this year and I love them. They are super comfortable and they look great with a ton of stuff.

Marni Calf Hair Slippers

Yep, I killed a Grinch.

I saw Offset wear these on “The Hype” and I have been obsessed with them since. Eventually, I will find a US 13/ IT 46.

Nike Blazer Low’ 77 Jumbo SE Varsity

The blue and white colorway is also fantastic.

Nike’s best original design in years. And you can always find them for $110 or less. Highly recommend both the hightop and low top versions.

New Balance MADE in UK 991

Not your dad’s New Balance.

These are elevated dad shoes.

Reebok Club C 85

Classic.

They were fly when you were in middle school. They’re still fly now. Always under $90.

Bottega Veneta Slippers

fancy.

If you see me wearing these shoes two things happened, 1) my wife convinced me to splurge and 2) a size IT 46 was available at that very moment. Otherwise, I will just have to love these from a distance.

Nike SFB Gen 2 8" Leather Tactical Boot

I miss the old Kanye.

I wear these a lot. Often with sweat pants. It’s a look. It’s a vibe. And these look better the more you wear them. You can get 80% of the Yeezy look with none of the anti-blackness. It’s a win.

A cold wall X Converse Aeon Active

There is also a grey version, but they’re much harder to find.

My absolutely favorite pair of shoes in the last year. I travel in these a lot.

Sweaters and Outerwear

Coach coach’s jacket

nice.

Coach makes a coach’s jacket. Top tier.

Cookman Delivery Jacket

heat.

Again, cookman comes with the heat.

Grandma square quilt blanket cardigan

Couch, but make it sexy.

Eventually I will find one of these in my size. The closet I’ve seen is on Etsy.

Rowing Blazers I’m a luxury sweater

RIP Princess Di

Well. I am. Aren’t you?

Comme Des Garçons Play embroidered logo cardigan

Japanese brand with a french name.

Simple. Looks great. Works with anything in your closet.

Random

Pearl Necklace

A$AP Rocky wore pearls. Then he got RiRi pregnant. Correlation or Causation?

Men wear pearls now. It’s fine. Try it.

One gold tooth

One gold tooth, like I’m Shabba, Shabba Ranks.

They’re getting more creative. You don’t need to rock a whole grill. But get a gold tooth or two.

Dungeon Forward Hats

We swaggin’ in Bikini Bottom.

This black owned hat company makes some really fly caps. Reminds me of running hats. Their sponge bob collection is very fresh.

Conclusion

My advice: Spend the money. Try on the clothes. See if your partner looks at your different. If you don’t love it, return it. But, get fresh. It’s fun.

*You don’t have to be a middle-aged man to rock these clothes.

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Broderick Turner
Broderick Turner

Written by Broderick Turner

Assistant Professor of Marketing @ The Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech

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