Gorpcore is a fashion trend in which outerwear typically designed for outdoor recreation is worn as streetwear. It has been described as "wearing functional outdoor wear in an urban, trendy style". This includes technical garments such as puffer jackets, hiking boots and fleeces, and brands such as The North Face, Patagonia and Arc'teryx. While the trend has a practical basis, it has also been embraced for its stylish appeal, with celebrities incorporating outdoor gear into everyday outfits. Coined in 2017, gorpcore emerged as a popular trend in the 2020s; some analysts suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic in part influenced this.
Examples of clothing from The North Face, a brand commonly cited as being popularised by the gorpcore trend.
Drake (left) wearing a puffer jacket
German rapper DCVDNS wearing a puffer jacket while performing at Splash! music festival.
Arc'teryx is a Canadian high-end design company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The company's name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Arc'teryx is known for its waterproof Gore-Tex shell jackets, knitwear, and down parkas.
An Arc'teryx boutique on Mercer Street, London in July 2016
Arc’teryx in Square One Shopping Centre, Mississauga, Canada, 2022
