Hot off the heels of Brat summer, the fashion ecosystem shifted towards a fresh yet familiar wave of nostalgic charm, resembling the styles of bygone eras. With this, we swung seamlessly into what was dubbed “Strega Nona fall,” named after the beloved and iconic children’s book character who loves a big, warm stew and keeping cozy. 

Grandmacore is a trend that goes beyond the fall, however, and was one of the biggest looks leading 2024. It transcends location, age and gender, with top brands and influencers in the global fashion industry all warmly embracing the essence of elders. For instance, there are Canadian and social media favourites Grece Ghanem, Renate G. M. McSherry and the popular Instagram duo Dianne And Karian, whose goal is to inspire mature women to own their greys and their chosen style.

While the inspo is ample, we went right to the source to learn more from super fashionable seniors from across Canada who are the OG grandmas of grandma-core. 

The growth of the trend 

What started out as “coastal grandmother” and “eclectic grandpa” has now transitioned into the less specific and more open-ended “grandma-core.” Of course, fashion is cyclical and trends continue to both revolve and evolve, changing ever so slightly with each iteration to reflect the cultural zeitgeist. 

While most of us would have been mortified to wear our grandma’s clothes even a few seasons ago, celeb style-makers like Bella Hadid, Emma Chamberlain and Billie Eilish have led the way into the new era. And it’s not just celebrities—on TikTok, #GrandmaCore has 31 million posts.

This growth has been synchronous with the explosion of vintage shopping among young people, with platforms like Poshmark and Vinted making it easier than ever to shop secondhand, along with the traditional route of thrift shops. Curating a unique and custom collection has become nearly as cool as having the newest trend, as mass production has created a yearning for authenticity. 

“I like the fact that senior culture has been able to influence young people’s wardrobes,” says Jeet Kaur, a 74-year-old grandmother who immigrated to Canada nearly 35 years ago. “But it’s worth noting that there’s a sustainable aspect to it, too,” 

She’s right. Research has found that, over the next 10 years, the secondhand clothing industry is projected to save approximately 20-trillion gallons of water, equivalent to 30 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. 

What’s behind grandma-core 

As the Macklemore song “Thrift Shop” famously goes, “I wear your granddad’s clothes. I look incredible.” But grandma-core is more than just borrowing from the closets of another generation; it’s a full-blown style movement rooted in nostalgia, comfort and a return to timeless, handcrafted aesthetics. It invites a revival of classic styles blended with a modern twist. 

“I never thought of myself as a trendsetter,” says Dee Tung, known better by her poet penname Poesy Galore. “I just pull together looks that I like. People come up and ask ‘Where did you get that?,’ or ‘I love your look,’ or ‘Can I borrow that?’ That’s always surprising, but nice.” 

Tung often pulls together unique outfits, incorporating a variety of prints, textures and colours to create playful yet harmonious looks. But her best advice for nailing grandma-core is simple: be yourself! 

“Whatever inspires you, make it your own,” she says. “Cardigans are back in—maybe they were never really out—but replace the elbow patch with something funky that screams your style like tiny skulls, Pokémon characters or a funky pattern.” 

Slavica Lazarovski, a 69-year-old Macedonian immigrant, echoes this, adding that what makes people fashionable is not their ability to follow everyone else’s rules, but to stick to their own. In line with the maternal essence of grandmothers, it is more about being loving and accepting. 

“I think what is most important is to look fashionable for your age. But I don’t judge other people if, for example, you want to wear something like leggings and they look good on you. Go for it.”

Another key element to nailing the grandma-core trend? Being mindful of price. 

“I’ll be honest with you—at the flea market, I find the most beautiful things,” says Lazarovski. 

Both Lazarovski and Kaur note that a big influence of their style is being able to find clothes they love at a price point that works for them. This is a quintessential aspect of grandma-core—being able to spend time browsing for the perfect piece at the perfect price, which may not always be found at the nearest mall. 

Honouring your roots while embracing trends

While the fashion of Western culture tends to differ from other areas of the world, a large part of this trend is embracing your traditions while adding elements of personal taste. 

“When I was young, a lot of my style was determined by my mom,” says Kaur. “She styled me my whole life until I got married because it was a conservative culture—all we knew was to wear what your parents gave you. That was the mindset. I didn’t really have the consciousness to decide what I liked and what I wanted to wear. When I got married, it allowed me some freedom in terms of my stylistic choices.” 

While her mom would dress her and her siblings in simple colours and high-collared Indian attire, after she was married, Kaur opted for a more colourful wardrobe and different cuts, which helped evolve her style into what it is now. Although she came from a more traditional culture in India, this is a sentiment that lots of people (especially women) have, whether they’re conscious of it or not.

When she immigrated, instead of adopting style icons in the form of celebrities, Kaur opted to learn from those around her by integrating herself into social settings where she could find new inspiration. 

“When I came here to Canada, I loved going to parties and seeing what was in fashion, and really learn from Canadian culture, seeing what the other grandmas were wearing,” says Kaur. “It helped me feel like I could fit in. At the start, that was one of my main reasons for liking to go out a lot more and socializing—to see what everybody was wearing.” 

Now, Kaur tends to mix her traditional Indian outfits with more Western fashion like tracksuits and high-end sneakers. 

“It’s important for me to stick to my Indian culture—to wear those clothes even while being here in the West to retain that heritage for myself. It’s a balance of both cultures for me.” 

Embracing the Strega Nona lifestyle 

Much of the draw of grandparent-adjacent fashion is that it reflects a slower, more laid-back lifestyle that is conducive to more delicate fabrics and, as such, wearers have the time needed to take care of them. It is about embracing the opportunity to wear your favourite things every day, even if you’re just taking a walk around the neighbourhood or running errands. It yields a certain level of tranquility. 

While Kaur loves that the new generation enjoys grandma-core and wearing styles that are inspired by grandmas, she also wants the craftsmanship of grandmas to be passed down.

“I knit a lot of my cardigans, which makes them unique to me and such a large part of what makes my style my own,” she says. “I’d love for the crafts of knitting, embroidery, sewing and stitching to be practiced and passed down to the younger generation.” 

While these arts can be a great way to distinguish your wardrobe, Lazarovski also notes that the practice is important to her lifestyle and is beneficial to her mindset. 

“Doing needlepoint and crochet gives me peace, and I hope for the younger generation, it can give them peace, too. It is exactly what young people need right now,” she says. “Plus, it gives you the pride of being able to wear the things you make.” 

Pearls of wisdom 

While grandma-core has become synonymous with the overall trend, Tung thinks there could be a more fitting name to make it less about age and more about wisdom.

“If I could rename the trend, it would be ‘Triple T: Timeless Trend Travellers.’ Either that or ‘Past is Present.’”