I hope you all remember Christopher Rhett Henry, the man who brought you the wonders of Dadpunk. If you were unable to read my previous article about the beginnings of Dadpunk, I suggest you don’t finish reading this article before doing so because we’re about to dive (~wavvy~) into the intricacies that have sustained and solidified Dadpunk’s Summer Catalog. For those of you who have read the other article, you’ll remember that he goes by Rhett, so let’s call him that.
Rhett informed me that it is hot outside, or it’s hotter than it was before. It turns out that as the weather changes, fashion parallels change. But don’t be alarmed and/or cry – Dadpunk is still in style, but now Dadpunk has a Summer Catalog. Pretty ~wavvy~ if you ask me.
Taste and style should be individualized ideas that do not float (~wavvy~) with the mainstream. Clothes should not be worn as a means to poke fun at our dads, or the past, for that matter. Rather, they are ways to bring back what was at one point unconditionally adored. Rhett caught on to this idea and has since embodied happiness through his style. Rhett chooses what he wears solely for himself.
“Dadpunk is sort of a pastiche of previous fashions – 60s psychedelica, 70s glam, 80s pastels etc. But more than that, Dadpunk is about taking the irony out of pastiche. It’s not about the nudge-nudge wink-wink factor of how ridiculous old fashions are, but a celebration of these weird sort of quirks. People wore these things because they liked them. Rather than chuckling about how goofy the past was, I want to create a new past where the boundaries of taste are torn up as the elitist nonsense they really are. The ‘dad’ in Dadpunk is the idea of not really being concerned with trends, but about embracing those things that make you happy.”
Rhett’s facade may at first seem “ridiculous” to the naked eye, but once you recognize the beauty of each individual piece he is wearing, your original reactions will be shipped (~wavvy~) away. I can go for the top-down approach, but we all know that never works, so I’ll start with Rhett’s bare feet.
It is finally summertime, the time where shoes come off and the only interactions our feet should be having are with the luscious green grass. Who needs sandals when you could have toes? Just the idea of walking everywhere while feeling the sun-heated pavement reminds me of the carefree nature of the 60s. Yes, the 60s, where individual freedom was stressed and people were undressed. Silly hippies.
Next, we can move to Rhett’s black, rolled up jeans. I think we all are aware that black is not the most sun-resistant color. However, this speaks to Dadpunk’s idea of wearing what makes you happy, especially during a hot summer daze. Sometimes fashion implies pain, and that pain may just be sweating until you are forced to take your pants off. Rhett does the pant roll-up right; his feet have a lot of room to frolic.
You may be confused with all of these winter-inspired articles of clothing. However, you must remember he wears layers and is able to easily take off each piece. Rhett really plays with layers with his tops. His pink blazer is a great pastel addition to the Summer Catalog. It brings out the glamorous and chic side of Dadpunk. Under the blazer, comes a Dadpunk quality pattern that contrasts immaculately with the pastel pink. This shirt was intentionally not buttoned to the top – Rhett had to leave room for a bandana-turned-scarf. Finally, we can look to Rhett’s Cub Scout bandana he wears across his head. This has become a staple of the Dadpunk Summer Catalog.
Oh wait – there’s one more. Lastly are Rhett’s ocean (~wavvy~) blue eyes. Ok, this really has no relevance to Dadpunk’s Summer Catalog, but I think I’m speaking for everyone when I ask, “Rhett, can we please go swimming in your eyes?”
Dadpunk is Rhett, and Rhett is Dadpunk.
–By Priyanka Krishnamurthy
Photo by James Crissman
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
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