Durango is gorpcore Durango dirtbags rejoice – outdoor grunge is all the rage

Back in 1993, USA Today dubbed Durango “the worst-dressed city in America.” They weren’t necessarily wrong. If you were to put a local in a lineup with half a dozen people who’d just been rescued from a plane crash, forced to survive by rummaging through their luggage to find the least flattering, most functional gear possible, you’d be hard-pressed to pick out the local. The only tell would be that the local would probably ask if you were down to bag a quick peak after work and then grab a beer.

As is the case with most people in town, you’ve likely always thought of your clothes as a way to signify that you enjoy the outdoors, care about the environment at least 10% more than the average citizen and participate in no fewer than three extreme sports. You might have a puffer that’s riddled with campfire holes or worn your socks n’ chacs with pride, thinking to yourself, “now this is the ultimate middle finger to the fashion world.” And you would have been right. Until now.

No, I didn’t just have a stroke. Gorpcore is unfortunately a real word, coined by the fashion industry to describe the current trend of hiking-inspired streetwear – aka outdoor clothing for people who hate the outdoors. The term is an acronym for the phrase “good ol’ raisins and peanuts” to describe trail mix, and my No. 1 piece of evidence that this trend is not actually for outdoor enthusiasts. I’ve never heard someone call trail mix gorp, and raisins and peanuts are arguably the worst parts of trail mix.

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