There’s no need to scale mountains to get in on the Gorpcore trend with Merrell’s latest collection
You may have already spotted it on designer runways, celebrities, social media, or perhaps at your local neighborhood café. Gorpcore, a term coined from the main ingredients of trail mix—Good Old Raisins and Peanuts—is the outdoorsy technical wear trend styled to be worn in city streets. Having been around a while, it’s gotten even more popular with the lockdown life and rainy season driving the mix of work, play and all around functionality. We’ve put together a quick style guide featuring iconic outdoor brand Merrell for you to try out whether you’re going around the metro or out in the wilderness.
A tale of two hues
Outdoor apparel colors run the gamut from earthy neutrals for when blending into nature is the priority, to shockingly bright to achieve maximum visibility in tough and isolated locations. You can take inspiration from either of the two color palettes; or play it up by mixing and matching both!
Complete the Look: Amplify a vibrant outfit by going equally bright with Merrell’s Bravada women’s hiking shoes in Blackberry/Carbon, or balance it out with the Rubato men’s trail runners in Black. A handy red tote bag adds to the impression that you’re ready for anything, anytime. If neutral and low key footwear is your thing, go for the mens’ Nova 2 Mid trail runners in Brindle and the Siren Sport 3 women’s hikers in Moonrock/Peach.
Plan your layers
Layering has always been a technique to prepare for unpredictable and drastic changes in the weather when hitting the trails. With the hot Philippine climate and particularly in our cities, our options for multiple layers are a bit more limited. However, there’s always an opportunity to get creative with your layering choices without sacrificing comfort. Choose pieces made with lighter, breathable material like jersey and cotton, together with weather-proof outerwear like nylon windbreakers and parkas to build a flexible and practical outfit.
Complete the Look: Hiking shoes and boots basically go perfect with all
Gorpcore looks. Ladies can choose between Merrell’s trail runners like Siren Sport 3 Waterproof in Black/Blackberry and hiking shoes Bravada in Black/Goldfish. Both have all the technical features, durability and traction you’ll need, especially in our constantly rainy weather recently. Men can rely on the grippy, waterproof footwear with the Moab 2 hikers in Walnut or Nova 2 Mid trail runners in Black.
Related Reads: Cop Your Favorite Sportswear In Time For Sale Season
Go big or go home
In many ways, Gorpcore converges with streetwear. This can be seen in the pairing of vintage and often-oversized tops with street style staples like cargo pants and joggers. Pop-culture fixtures like Billie Eilish and Kanye West basically live in this aesthetic when going about their daily tasks. This only reinforces how the trend is a reflection of a relevant lifestyle and practicality beyond just a fashion look.
Complete the Look: Mix and match between XXL pullovers, khaki/cargo pants, wide-leg pants, and cardigans while keeping your feet looking tight with Merrell’s Deverta 2 Mid hikers in Earth/Inca or the Wildwood Aerosport in Rock. Merrell also features sleek trail runners for women in the form of the Agility Synthesis 2 and the all new Moab Flight.
No matter what environment you plan on conquering—be it the city streets or the great outdoors, there’s no reason for you not to pull-off a stylish and functional get-up from top to bottom. With this grueling lockdown limiting our trips outside, make each one count by looking and being your absolute utilitarian best.
Merrell’s latest gear for all kinds of adventures is available at Glorietta 3, TriNoma, SM North Annex, Market! Market!, Robinson’s Place Manila, Festival Mall Alabang, SM Southmall, SM City Dasmariñas, Marquee Mall Pampanga, Harbor Point Subic, SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, SM Iloilo, SM City Davao, SM Lanang, Abreeza Mall Davao, Gaisano Mall Davao, Limketkai Mall, Centrio Mall, and selected specialty stores and department stores nationwide.
Visit Merrell at their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates. Shop online via their Viber community by following this link.
