Last month, GQ magazine published an article about the rise of “infantile adult syndrome” – dressing like a man-baby who looks as though their personal stylist moonlights at Nickelodeon. It hit me hard.
My personal clothing choices seesaw between “trying to wear a trend” and “dressing like I’m 18: please help me recover my dignity post-bumbag”. If I have the air of a man who is kidulting until that inevitable court date at which I will have to wear a suit, which I don’t own, should I rethink my style? Perhaps. But, the thing is, unless you are the type of person who gets excited by a finely crafted three-piece suit, the most thrilling things happening in men’s fashion are innately young.
Take the bucket hat, AKA the drunkest hat you know. The 90s revival is continuing apace and has seen designers such as Gucci and Prada lift ideas directly from Now! 29 (hi, the geezertastic likes of Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher). It is very hard to plonk a bucket hat on your head and not immediately appear very, very inebriated.
On the non-kiddie, practical side, the bucket hat feels a touch classier than the baseball cap. If you want to avoid the full descent into Nickelodeon presenter, go for one without a pattern.
If you prefer to embrace that vibe, the bucket hat looks best when paired with streetwear or athleisure,. When I pull mine on for today’s photo shoot, I immediately start channelling my youthful 90s peak (Madchester, Reni), pulling poses accordingly.
I know, I know: I look as if I’m on my way to adult soft play. But perhaps that is the joy of it.
• Priya wears hat, £50, carnebollente.com. T-shirt, Priya’s own. Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Grooming: Sam Cooper at Carol Hayes Management
