Gorpcore Has Taken Over Vancouver

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Have you ever gone to downtown Vancouver, and looked around? How many times have you noticed that people around there are walking around in what seems like outdoor gear? I’m willing to bet that nine times out of 10 you will see people wearing brands such as Arc’teryx or North Face, or any other brand that is tied to hiking or the outdoors.

It seems that Vancouver has fully embraced what is called “Gorpcore”. What that is is the aesthetic of wearing a highly functional piece of clothing or gear, that is usually used in hiking or camping situations but in a daily way as opposed to how it was intended.

Part of it may be because of a need to show off the brand. For some people, it is human nature to show off the brand that you are wearing. Think of brands like Gucci or Louis Vuitton, the brands are all over the articles of clothing and very prominent. You can say the same thing about the outdoor clothing as well. Wearing a shell that is north of a $100, or boots that are expensive as well as a showing of wealth, as opposed to a showing of practicality or use of the item.

it can also be seen as a survival fashion as well. In Vancouver, we don’t exactly have what is known as the best weather for the majority of the year. A lot of the time in the city it is raining, windy, or just cold. Wearing gear that is more purposed towards hiking or camping helps protect you from those elements, and makes it practical to wear for everyday use.

you can also tell who actually used the gear for how it’s supposed to be intended compared to those who wear it just as a fashion piece, or to flaunt how much money they spent on a jacket. People that actually use the gear for hiking will have the jacket be dirty, or the boots will be scuffed. It won’t look like it just came out of the store that they bought it from.

The thing is with this sense of fashion, or culture, is that it is likely not going to go anywhere anytime soon. Because of the weather that we have in Vancouver, and the nature and hiking around us at all times, it just makes sense to have. It’s a part of the culture of Vancouver that is here to stay.