‘FORGET DAD CORE’: The Modern Day Lyle & Scott

Lyle & Scott is a heritage brand - most of us are familiar with its famous Golden Eagle logo. Its roots are in the Scottish borders and for many it is the OG golf brand. A Lyle & Scott crew or V neck is often synonymous with the British dad - most own at least one in a navy or grey. But dad core is certainly not the latest version of the brand. The Golden Eagle has landed in many different places since flying the nest from the Scottish borders.  

Lyle & Scott’s massive energy shift has been welcomed with open arms by British subcultures and artists like the London grime scene and Andrés Branco’s Wavey Garms - many of whom identify with pockets of the brand’s history and visual identity, whether that be terrace culture, golf, or music.  It's got a raw energy that is popular with the younger generations who are likely pairing golden eagle pieces with a pair of Salomon XT-6, or perhaps an Arc'teryx beanie - this is how JD Cliffe did it on his British Rockstar Tour. Cliffe just mixdropped drill and rock, and did it all while donning a Lyle & Scott branded tech fleece with some all black shades.

‘WEAR IT YOUR WAY’ is the running theme and is central to the Common Room series the brand is pioneering. In this shared space, football meets music, media and grime. Whether that’s some Big Narstie bling, head to toe tracksuit, or a sophisticated turtleneck, the characters walking into that common room are wearing it THEIR way. Anyone can wear the eagle, and anyone who does feels connected to UK Culture and its ability to welcome all kinds of identities. 

Branco of Wavey Garms is a king of visuals and his creative directorship revolves around a graffittied wall, the South East London scene and the Nike Tn ad. His shaping of the brand has been fundamental to channelling the subcultural energy that is situating the heritage brand in the street of Rye Lane - where the brand’s  saturation is dialled up. 

Long gone are the days of knitting machines in factories in the Scottish borders, but the brand cherishes its heritage and still runs its embroidery department and archival space up there. Today, Lyle & Scott’s evolved visual identity, driven by tastemakers such as Wavey Garms, has a Skepta type beat; technical jackets, classic puffers and graphic caps. Boy Better Know this is its best era yet. 

Est. 1874 but we’ve just seen its ATA (Actual Time of Arrival) and that is today’s British youth culture. Local to York? Lyle & Scott isn’t far! Show this article in the store at the York Designer Outlet, and you are entitled to a special discount!

By Scarlet Somerville