Columbia professor says Grunt Style is grotesque, “Warcore” fashion

A staff writer with The New Yorker is targeting veteran-owned clothing brand Grunt Style, in a hilariously bad article that seems almost cartoonishly out of touch.

Troy Patterson, who is also an assistant professor for Master’s in Journalism degrees at Columbia University, expressed his disgust at what he called “military fashion,” taking an extra step to call out both Grunt Style, their rejected superhero commercial and the civilians that have embraced military chic.

Patterson seemed to take special exception to Grunt Style’s rejected Super Bowl ad, which showed the progression and eventual predicament of an Army veteran-turned police officer, as he faced down an angry mob of charging, flag-burning protesters.

“ The ad, with its contempt for political dissent, its lust for power, and its visceral blood thirst, goes down like an appeal for autocracy,” he wrote.

The ad was not the only thing Patterson seemed to have against Grunt Style, with the contributor going on a multi-paragraph tirade against its products- and civilians that have come to appreciate the return of “military chic,” which has come and gone over the past few decades.

“What is most interesting about Grunt Style, about its success selling aggro mufti to people who risk their minds and bodies in uniform, is that it has emerged in an era of civilians who are growing ever more extreme in their adoption of military clothing,” he wrote. The buzzword for the upcoming season is ‘warcore.’”

“Your trench coat, your chinos, your Father’s Day necktie—your closet overflows with gear that was originally worn by stout patriots, fearful conscripts, and paid killers,” he added. “But this warcore thing is new.”

Interestingly, Patterson seems to have forgotten the Post 9/11 era ranging from 2003 to 2006, when military chic was in fashion.

Despite this, Patterson remains opposed.

“Once upon a time, fashion only osmosed military looks after they had outlived their functionality,” he wrote. “Now, in a time of endless war, heedless consumption, and great social stratification, all bets are off.”