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• June 19, 2009 8:18 AM
• My Style

Dear Dad: Our Staff and Fashion Friends Look Back On Their Fathers' Most Stylish Moments

By Piera Gelardi & Xiyin Tang

When we tell stories about our dads, we tend to cast them in tales of war or fame, money or love, but rarely do we talk about how cool their style was. But believe me, friends, our dads had some amazing moments of chic (yes, we said chic) back in the day. Leather jackets? Motorcycles? Cool, tailored blazers? Hell, yes.

So just like this past Mother's Day, when we got all nostalgic with the fine women who birthed us, we asked our inner circle to remember their dads, too, in all their manly glory. So, if you're wondering where Chris Benz got his good looks or if Elle's Kate Lanphear has a bit of her dad's jawline, read on for a picturesque look at some very fashionable fathers.

"I mean, if this isn't a story-opener for the front page, I don't know what is..."--Chris Benz, Designer




"Easters in Florida with the grandparents--good times! At least now I know when my obsession with stripes and T-shirts cames into play! The apple didn't fall far."--Kate Lanphear, Style Director, Elle




"My dad cleans up nice, but I've always loved this photo of him wearing a bathrobe and boots, holding a rifle and a dead woodpecker. It was taken in the late '70s outside the A-frame house he was living in with my mom and his pet dove Galadrielle. The woodpecker was driving them nuts so he took matters into his own hands. More power to him."--Piera Gelardi, R29 Art/Style Director

"Before John Woo and Jackie Chan movies made Asian dudes on motorbikes, for me, synonymous with villainous Triad gangs, here's a photo of my father puttering around Saigon, circa 1966. My parents were born in Korea, but worked in wartime Vietnam for a couple years before finally emigrating to the States in '68 (to Iowa, of all places). I've never seen this photo before, and I can't believe how cool he looks!"—Phil Oh, Photographer/Founder Street Peeper




"When I was little, my dad wore a lot of blue suits, drove a Camaro to the office, and listened to Abba on his 8 track. He was a hard worker, so maybe I inherited that from him. When he worked at his desk at home, I used to sit under it and pretend I was also doing paperwork. Here we are dancing (possibly to Abba) with my grandfather looking towards the camera in the background."—Rachel Comey, Designer




"I kinda feel like every dude in downtown New York looks like my dad circa 1985. Beard, oversized glasses, summer plaid, white sneaks...total California preppy meets 'I like computers.'"—Kelley Hoffman, R29 Contributing Fashion Editor




"I love this photo of my dad! I think he looks amazing in it—so young and handsome and debonair! It was taken when he was in college, out on a date with someone whose name he doesn't remember. And that's my dad in a nutshell: So elegant and forgetful at the same time."—Daniela Jacobs, R29 Editorial Intern




"I love my dad. Look how cool he is. He has a really amazing van he drives around Los Angeles and when people see it they take photos with him and he gives them stickers from thecobrasnake. He is the the best dad!"—Mark Hunter, Photographer/Founder, The Cobra Snake




"My parents got married in 1977, which explains the brown velvet bow-tie and righteous 'fro. I'm glad to report that his daring sense of style hasn't calmed down since!"—Roxanne Fequiere, R29 Editorial Intern




"My dad used to ride motorcycles from his youth, through his 20s, up until he shattered his leg. This is a photo of hm wth his first trophy."—Pete Miszuk, Photographer, Super.fantastic.picture.time




"I was just recently in China, where we looked through stacks of family photos and found my dad having the same pose in every single one. Made no sense, but hell, he did look pretty cool. Alas, I could not obtain the photos of him with a perm. Although that's a whole different story."—Xiyin Tang, R29 Associate Editor




"Growing up with my madcap dad was always a magical adventure. I love this photo of him in the mid-'70s burning vinyl at the Island Records building in London to protest music piracy. This captures the rebellious and eccentric spirit of my father, as well as his playful style that was uniquely his own."—Hayley Elizabeth Kaufman, R29 Editorial Intern




"A picture of my dad and mom wearing their all-white medical school uniforms. I love that my dad is rocking the '70s shoulder-length hair, pocket protector, gold watch and pinky ring... something you would never see him sporting today."—Lisa Dionisio, R29 Shops Coordinator