Hiking boots, big puffy jackets, half-zip fleeces and other outerwear have long established a niche on the trails and other outdoorsy places. But lately, the rugged look has emerged on the streets of Manhattan, Hollywood and other cities.

New York Magazine’s The Cut named the latest street style trend “gorpcore,” a mashup of the terms normcore and gorp – a tasty trail mix most Girl Scouts will be familiar with. Bits and pieces of gorpcore initially appeared last winter and this past spring, some even rocking the style during the sweltering summer heat, but there's no doubt that gorpcore will become an even major fashion trend as we approach autumn.

Did you know that one year ago our co-host @chen_jason coined the term gorpcore? And that it was shortlisted for the 2017 Oxford word of the year? pic.twitter.com/qK2Cygocj3

— Yellow Face (@Yellow__Face) May 26, 2018

“It’s so interesting,” says Doug Jackson, president and product visionary of Storm Creek Apparel (asi/89873). “Outdoor stores are so busy lately, and when I ask someone why they like a particular jacket, they don’t really know what to say other than because it’s popular or that it’s environmentally friendly.”

Think Patagonia, North Face and Birkenstock products. Vogue Australia even described gorpcore as “a mix of Bernie Sanders' Balenciaga and your father’s hiking gear.”

Jackson attributes the sudden popularity of gorpcore to social media. A decade ago, people probably wouldn’t have been wearing outdoor apparel as streetwear, but because A$AP Rocky, Drake and other celebrities and social media influencers are doing it, followers are emulating.

Full blown ice storm outside in April just saying...

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Apr 15, 2018 at 8:44pm PDT

Jackson doesn’t think it’s odd that high-end outdoor gear has a broader fashion appeal.

“We do a lot of outdoor-inspired products that would look good in the office or when you’re walking in the city,” he says. “We’re really well-known for our Thermolite, insulated, waterproof breathable products as well as our unique sweater fleeces.”

Apparel companies that specialize in outdoor gear in the promo industry are thrilled to marry fashion with functionality and utility to capitalize in the gorpcore trend. STORMTECH Performance Apparel (asi/89864), based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is surrounded by verdant trees and breathtaking hiking trails so outdoor activities are pretty prevalent.

“Versatility is key to outdoor apparel,” says Michael Dalzell, vice president of marketing. “I would say it’s a really exciting trend. It’s a great opportunity for us because we’re providing apparel that end-users are really connected to.”

Dalzell also says that the biggest opportunity is discussing the price point when it comes to selling gorpcore products versus the basic T-shirt. A technical jacket or high-end fleece is certainly going to be more expensive, but if the salesperson is confident enough to explain the product’s premium functionality and style, the customer will likely choose the more expensive piece.

“Be confident when selling,” Dalzell says. “When I’m talking to distributors and customers, our perspective is that if you sell a really premium piece of outerwear, there’s an opportunity for the next season to sell a base layer piece, then a mid-layer piece, and you need a good layer if you’re really looking for something functional.”

Ralph Lauren’s look — black tie on top, dad jeans in the middle, and gorpcore on the bottom — wins every award in my book pic.twitter.com/sbD1NL42Ts

— Emilia Petrarca (@EmiliaPetrarca) June 5, 2018

For decoration, move beyond the left-chest logo norm and explore other placement options, whether it is on the shoulder, the back or the lower seam. With waterproof jackets, embroidery is not ideal, but Jackson says the area can still be water-resistant with the proper tech or material. Heat transfer screen printing works better for waterproof products. Dalzell also warns to be cautious when decorating apparel with advanced fabric technology.

“There is often a tendency to over-engineer [a product],” Jackson says. “Our focus [at Storm Creek] is to create functionality, but we don’t produce jackets that let you climb Mt. Everest, for instance.”

STORMTECH product design is driven by its owner and founder Blake Annable, who Dalzell says is “a product and design freak.” When Annable travels, he’s constantly inspired by the outdoor trends he sees.

“We clearly understand the demographics and psychographics of our end-users,” Dalzell says. “We’re not just designing ski-jackets or mountain-climbing gear, but we’re really developing a great system of outdoor apparel designed for outdoor activity, and that whole activity plays well for the B-to-B space.”

Whether you like it or not, gorpcore is a thing, and Vogue says it isn’t going anywhere. As temperatures start dropping, consider hopping on that gorpcore wagon before everyone else does.

This was the season that protective garments really took hold. From outdoorsy gorpcore to camo, brands like @CalvinKlein, @Fendi, and @Fashion_East brought utilitarianism to the forefront. pic.twitter.com/gEEvxMAhRO

— Vogue Runway (@VogueRunway) March 15, 2018

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