Trending: Pool sliders

Dude clothes go mainstream


Blame Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook founder and chief executive didn't just revolutionise how people communicate, he also became the catalyst for a new style of casual dressing. In his trademark hoodies and trainers, he projected the notion of the scruffy, successful entrepreneur.

Now, the world has followed suit (or tracksuit, perhaps). Items of clothing reserved only a few years ago for The Dude – the laconic, perennially unemployed main character in the Cohen Brothers film The Big Lebowski – are being adapted for the fashion world, and none are proving so adaptive as the humble pool slider.

These simple slip-ons have gained unexpected momentum as a bona-fide fashion trend. For summer, Christopher Kane has been toying with cut-out, soft white leather. At the high end, Chloé is cool in neoprene and metallic inserts. For those with a smaller budget, Topshop Unique has a simpler take. Pool purists take note: navy-blue Adidas will always be best. Wear with socks, if you dare.