DADDY JO

Basic Instincts

Sweats, jocks, and the tee you think nobody's judging. Daddy has notes.

Basics are where taste either holds or quietly falls apart. Anyone can look good in the jacket. The real test is the sweatshirt, the jogger, and what's underneath. So consider this Daddy updating the foundation, from the skin out.

The Sweatshirt

Every man needs a good one. A crewneck works at the coffee shop, under a coat, or on the couch, and it never asks much of you. A hoodie is for weekends, flights, and mornings when the hood is doing you a favor.

Daddy's picks from Cozy Earth:

The Jogger Clause

Daddy approves of the jogger, with conditions.

It has to fit. It should sit at the waist, follow the leg, and stop at the ankle. It should not pool, sag, or balloon at the seat like you're smuggling laundry. If your joggers bag, they aren't joggers. They're pajamas that got lost.

Matched sets are lovely. Daddy lives in one at home: the Dylan Crewneck & Jogger Set$244.00 or the Brushed Bamboo Hoodie & Jogger Set$184.00, the Lakehouse Clog$128.00, a coffee, and nowhere to be. That's lounging, and lounging is a privilege.

The moment you leave the house, the rules change.

Dress the Top Half

If you're going out in joggers, the top half does the work. Put on a real sweater, a crisp oxford, or a jacket with structure. A navy sweatshirt with two or three vintage brooches will do in a pinch, and Daddy speaks from experience. Then finish with a great sneaker, not the ones you mow in.

Take the Valentino Garavani floral low-tops$587.00. They're interesting, and that's the point. A sneaker with an opinion turns "I rolled out of bed" into "I meant this."

Here's the rule Daddy lives by: always dress like you expect to see people, because you will. The ex. The neighbor you've been flirting with in the elevator. The man from the app, in daylight, holding kale. It always happens, and it only happens on the day you didn't try.

About That Tee

The collegiate sports tee with the hole in it. Daddy knows. It's soft, it's yours, and it has been through things with you.

Keep it. Wear it on the couch, to bed, while you paint a room. But don't wear it on the quick run to the market, and not on the late-night dog walk either. Those are exactly the trips where you see people.

For the tee you actually leave the house in:

Now, Underneath

Daddy loves a jockstrap. He wears one from the gym to the formal party, and on most days, that's what he's wearing.

There is something private and a little wicked about wearing a sexy garment that nobody knows is there. You walk differently. You sit differently. The suit is for them. The jock is for you.

Start at the gym, where it belongs:

Then there are certain of Daddy's associates. You know the ones. They don't just wear the jockstrap. They need you to know they're wearing it. These men exist in every circle of friends. Excuse Daddy, associates.

If that's you, fine, but commit. Pick your favorite color, or a loud one. And no, your favorite color cannot be black or white. Those are basics. If you're going to be loud about it, be loud:

Pick a contrast. A navy sweatsuit with a burgundy jock under it is a secret worth keeping, or not.

And at the end of the day, wear what you like, and screw it.

More to Come

This is the foundation. Daddy's basics drawer has more in it, and so will this page.

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