by Dan Ketchum
Cannabis has made its way off the futon, out of the dorm room and past the strip mall head shop into the mainstream. So why is the stoner aesthetic still banished to the dark corners of Spencer’s Gifts? The answer is: it’s not if you know where to look.
Say hello to the new stoner aesthetic with our top picks for tastemakers across the spectrum, from fashion to decor and well beyond.
Ditch the Dude’s Hoodie
Instead, go for Poppy Heavy Fleece Hoodie by Free & Easy ($165).
Few icons inhabit the traditional stoner aesthetic as well as Jeff Bridges’ Dude, and we won’t lie: his Westerley cardigan from Pendleton is timeless. But that whole ratty hoodie and below-the-knee plaid shorts thing needs a major update.
Just like The Dude, Free & Easy’s unisex hoodie is made in LA. Unlike The Dude, the art studio’s stoner aesthetic – famous for its “Don’t Trip” branding – goes a little more low-key, but this coconut-colored 100-percent cotton unisex hoodie is just as warm and cozy as any trip to In N’ Out.
Part Ways with Patchouli
Instead, roll on MALIN+GOETZ Cannabis Perfume Oil ($32.00).
There’s nothing wrong with a little Pogostemon cablin here and there, but the overbearing scent gives us flashbacks to weed dealers and mall head shops that also sell katanas (for some reason). It’s time for a different dab.
This THC-free cannabis perfume oil evokes “lazy afternoons spent dwelling on a favorite record and the lingering smokiness that clings somewhat inconveniently to clothes,” per the New York-based makers at MALIN+GOETZ. The more modern fragrance pays homage with a cedarwood, sandalwood, and patchouli base, but brightens things up with floral and (of course) herbaceous notes of magnolia and muguet.
No More Novelty Tees
Instead, throw on the Cosmic Gardener Cream Tee by Sugarhigh Lovestoned ($68.00).
Maybe it has Cheech & Chong on it, maybe it’s a rayon button-up patterned entirely in weed leaves, maybe it even glows in the dark. Either way, the novelty weed tee is probably best left at Hot Topic from here on out – let’s try this instead.
Designed in Los Angeles and handmade in Maui – you can’t get closer to the stoner aesthetic than that. Sugarhigh’s muted tones and early ‘70s roller rink-chic designs are about as far as you can get from the dated gag tees of the prohibition era. We’ll take this “Cosmic Gardner” print over “420 BLAZE IT” any day, thanks.
Bin the Bling
Instead, rep your love of cannabis with the Sterling Silver Molecule Lapel Pin by High Point Jewelry ($60).
Somewhere in the back of the same display case where you’d find tye-dye glass pipes, you’re bound to find a whole subgenre of gold-plated weed leaf jewelry. That weed aesthetic, to say the least, is not it. You are probably not Rick Ross, so let’s move on from the massive weed leaf pendant.
Instead, go for something a little more subtle. For decades, we’ve known that the benefits of cannabis are backed by science, and High Point’s unisex, multifunctional lapel-slash-tie-pin celebrates that with structural style. Even better, the company itself was founded by the same folks who operated some of the earliest licensed cannabis testing facilities, served on the Colorado Governor’s Cannabis Task Force, and donate proceeds to causes such as the Last Prisoner Project.
Ease Up on the Grateful Dead
Instead, rock a Jerry Garcia Watercolor Gray Dad Hat by Grassroots ($34.99).
It’s true that among the band tee renaissance, Grateful Dead merch is having a moment, but there has to be a more subtle way to celebrate one of cannabis’ most prominent pop cultural forefathers. There’s at least one way, and to no one’s surprise, it’s made in Denver, Colorado.
Among collabs with canna-culture icons like Method Man and Griz, Grassroots’ Jerry Garcia collection deconstructs stereotypical stoner aesthetics with a contemporary, streetwear bend. Their unisex dad hat swaps out the dancing teddy bears for a monochrome tye-dyed pattern that goes just as well with hiking attire as it does with a Needles tracksuit.
Take Down the Tapestry
Instead, decorate with the Hemp Macrame Wall Hanging by Touche Berbere ($60.00).
There was a time and place for the polyester sheet emblazoned with a huge weed leaf or a massive mandala hanging over your roommate’s window. The time was college and the place was a dorm room.
You can still feature your love of cannabis in your home decor, though. Dhafer Bouzid’s brand often translates Tunisian handicrafts through a Californian lens, as in this handmade piece draped on driftwood sourced from Topanga Beach. The macrame rope itself is, like so many other good things in this world, made from 100 percent hemp.
Move on from the Sandals
Instead, lace up the Hemp Ruler Shoes by Hemptique ($149).
Whether they’re heavy-duty hiking sandals with thick wool socks or those potato-looking shoes everyone in Denver wore in the ‘90s, the stoner shoe is due for a refresh. Maybe something between a chukka boot and a high top?
Handmade in Europe, these versatile kicks can be worn by anyone, lending themselves to suits or skirts just as well as they do to raw-edge jeans or rompers. Plus, they’ve got 100-percent organic hemp uppers, 100-percent organic hemp laces, and 100-percent organic hemp insoles, so you can support that cannabis life all the way down to your toes.
Upgrade Your Vape Pen
And of course, you’ll need to accessorize, so why not make your delivery method a statement piece? Retire the crusty coffee table bong and ditch that old pipe that’s too gauche for Bilbo Baggins. Instead, get your uncut premium cured resin via the Mistifi pen’s exquisite sandalwood mouthpiece and inscribed metallic barrel. It might be just the thing to set off your new look.
Dan Ketchum is a Dallas-based freelance lifestyle, fashion, health and food writer with more than a decade of experience. He’s been fortunate enough to collaborate and publish with companies such as FOCL, LIVESTRONG, Vitagenne, Reign Together, Out East Rose, SFGate, The Seattle Times and many more.