Anatomy of Cool
What’s cool? What’s daggy? Who decides?
Dictionary definitions of the word “cool” containing words like “excellent” or “first rate” are very unsatisfying and, by definition, totally uncool. Anyway, you know what we mean by “cool”, just as most Australians know what is meant by the opposite word “daggy”. To a certain extent, both words are really better defined by their application and usage.
REMO founder Remo Giuffré learned something about the anatomy (and alchemy) of cool by observing how a guy named Bob D’Angelo kept his school pants up in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs circa 1973.
Bob D’Angelo, a new boy joining the school from the United States, was a very cool guy. You could feel it in your bones. Strong and silent. Good physique. Straight long blonde hair. Very good surfer. [Ed: Young Remo not gay, just observant.]
But then there was Bob D’Angelo’s belt. It was black, woven and elasticised with a faux heraldic metal clasp at the front and adjustable sliders at the hips. That belt was regarded at the time as the epitome of dagginess and very uncool … until Bob wore the belt to school, and then it became cool. Voila!
This demonstration of alchemy and other experiences over time have led Remo to believe three things:
Some people are naturally cool or not cool (it’s fundamentally about confidence);
Some things are inherently cool or not cool;
Cool people can make things cool, but cool things can’t make people cool.
In 2008 he created the above diagram to illustrate the dynamic.
Some examples
John Lennon popularised round wireframe glasses. He made them cool.
Steve Jobs may have single-handedly rescued the black turtleneck.
Designer Christopher Kane is credited for triggering the Crocs™ revival.
Credible indie film maker Greta Gerwig was able to make even Barbie cool.
Did Billy Ray Cyrus and David Bowie initially legitimise the mullet?
Might the REMO General Store have made Splayds [RR1:77] cool circa 1991?
Can you think of other examples? Please share them with all of us online.
See also: What’s Daggy [RR4:25]
REMORANDOM Book Chapters
From The Guardian today: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/30/can-i-learn-to-be-cool-even-though-i-am-garrulous-swotty-and-wear-no-show-socks
A thing only remains cool as long as it is relatively rare. Once enough people use the product or emulate the behaviour the spell is broken. After coolness has been lost for sufficient time a state of kitch-ness can be achieved which some people mistake for being cool.