Meanings
- uncountableA style of fashion characterised by aspects of military apparel.
Arguably, this strain of warcore clothing is reflective of the violence, chaos, and widespread anxiety in the world at large.
2018 July 27, Steff Yotka, “Has Warcore Replaced Normcore in Fashion?”, in Vogue2 more examples
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. But this warcore thing is new.
2019 March 6, Troy Patterson, “From Grunt Style to 'Warcore,' Civilians Are Embracing Military Fashion”, in The New YorkerThey can be thrown on top of a denim jacket or underneath a light coat for extra warmth, or can even be worn as part of a multi-pocketed warcore ensemble.
2020 January 2, Adam Welch, Ashley Clarke, “20 menswear essentials for 2020”, in Mr Porter
Origin
Coined by Steff Yotka in Vogue in 2018, from war + -core.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
warcore. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/warcore
“warcore.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/warcore. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “warcore,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/warcore.
Source: warcore on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.