When I turned 30 earlier this year, I didn’t go through the crisis that you’re supposed to go through while leaving your roaring 20s behind. It never really sunk in that this was a whole new era for me until people started making snide little comments here and there. Suddenly, while out shopping with friends who are also my age, I’ve started hearing things like, “We couldn’t possibly wear that, we’re 30,” whispering as though it’s a federal crime. But this fall, I’m challenging this notion—by taking style cues from an 18-year-old. Hear me out.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been taking notice of Landon Barker’s style. If you’re unfamiliar with the young scion, he is Travis Barker’s son and TikTok star Charli D’Amelio’s boyfriend. Looking at recent paparazzi pics of him—it’s my job to track celebrity style moments, I’m not a stalker!—I’ve become enthralled with his grungy, rocker aesthetic. Back in August, he sported a white button-up shirt with a black leather harness atop. Earlier this month, he paired skinny leather pants with a checkered Zankov sweater. There’s a punky, nonchalant attitude to Barker’s clothes that I admire, and it’s not dissimilar to his dad’s style.
As someone who’s often veered toward an all-black wardrobe, I’m inspired to re-create Barker’s outfits. It’s a nostalgic feeling, if anything: I once dressed just like him at the height of emo/scene fashion back in the 2000s. Only problem is: I’m not 18 anymore. Is it sad to be revisiting my angsty teenage wardrobe? I asked some friends for their opinions. My best friend Nadine says, “I don’t think his style is too young for you. Inspiration lives everywhere. That’s the beauty of personal style.” My colleague, production and editorial coordinator Irene Kim, echoes the sentiment. “Landon is a Gen Z punk It boy in the making, so why wouldn’t everyone be following his style tricks? Everyone, including millennials, can learn a tip or two from him.”
Another colleague, fashion news writer José Criales-Unzueta, even argues that his style isn’t really that young. “The bottom line is that Landon is dressing a lot more like his own father than any other 18-year-old. So really, by dressing like him, you’re dressing like his dad and a long line of very cool men who are definitely older than 18.” He adds, “The funny thing about this too is that this aesthetic is defined by men older than 18—but it is inspired by youth culture (see: anything by Raf Simons, really, or labels like R13).”
Should I really have to lose any and all of my fashion personality just because I turned a year older? No. As punk-rock style icons like Avril Lavigne, Courtney Love, and Joan Jett have all proven, individuality rules in fashion. Even if that means never giving up your studded moto jackets.
