We all inherit certain things from our parents, whether we like it or not. (I can still blame my mom for my messy habits as an adult, right?) But sometimes, what we get from them isn’t just in our DNA—if you’re lucky, you might also have a few special items from Mom and Dad that live on in your apartment.

A few years ago, various designers talked to Vogue about the beloved things they inherited from their mothers. Now, Vogue staffers are sharing the most emotionally meaningful heirlooms they’ve received—or, in some cases, borrowed or outright taken—from their fathers. These range from books and record collections to vests and even taxidermy (!). Read about them all below:

A favorite jacket
My dad gave me (well, I stole it, but he let me) his amazing brown leather bomber jacket. It’s perfectly worn-in and slouchy, with a detachable shearling collar. I begged him for it as a teen, but he didn’t give in until I was in my mid-to-late 20s. It’s one of my favorite jackets, both for sentimental reasons and because it looks great. —Christian Allaire, Senior Fashion & Style Writer

A full classic-rock record collection
I inherited my dad’s (dare I say) excellent music taste—especially his love for the Rolling Stones. So he passed down his entire teenage record collection to me! I started getting into classic rock in my teens, and this brought us even closer.
My dad is a doctor, but he once thought about giving up medicine to become a drummer. In college, he played in reggae and ska bands and collected some great records. Pictured are some of his finds mixed with mine, including a copy of the Stones’ 1971 LP Sticky Fingers, which has artwork by Andy Warhol on the cover. This copy still has the original working zipper from earlier pressings, which they stopped making in 1977. —Fred Sahai, Associate Commerce Producer, Vogue Shopping

The Smiths on vinyl
Around the time I started college, my dad gave me his amazing record collection from the ’80s. He worked at a Tower Records in West Covina, California for a few years and collected a bunch of what are now my all-time favorite albums by artists like INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, Sade, and New Order. His absolute favorite band was The Smiths, and he spent most of his paychecks on rare and collectible vinyls that his store got shipped in from the UK each week. My personal favorite from his (now my) Smiths collection is a gorgeous pink marbled 12-inch vinyl of their 1987 single “Shoplifters of the World Unite,” with a vintage photo of Elvis Presley smirking on the cover. Fewer than a thousand copies were pressed in Germany, and I’ve been too scared to ever actually play it—it’s tucked away in a closet at my childhood home in Oklahoma, along with a few other rare vinyls. One of my goals this year is to finally bring them to New York so I can frame the Elvis one! —Keaton Bell, Entertainment Editor

Colorful multipurpose glasses
When I was growing up, my dad always wore—and still does!—outlandish glasses from a London optometrist called Cutler and Gross. They were definitely not what the other dads wore—more Elvis Costello than business casual. (I just checked their website and was greeted by a video of Debbie Harry; that’s the vibe.) He ordered them in colors that matched my childhood building blocks: ochre, bright red, forest green. This was before online shopping, so we’d visit the tiny London shop whenever we were in the city, and even though we lived an ocean away, they seemed to know him there. He was a regular! Over the years, he filled entire drawers with these glasses and gradually started clearing them out. By then, I realized how awesome they were, so I began taking them from him, turning them into sunglasses that always got me compliments—or, more recently, extra reading glasses to leave around.I can only hope to have a drawer full of them myself someday. His style was always spot-on. —Chloe Schama, Senior Editor

A watch that went through it all

My dad wore this watch every day. He swam in it, biked with it, wore it hiking up mountains, on his horse, and downhill skiing—everything he loved to do. When he died of cancer at age 64 in 2010, it was sitting on top of his dresser, where he kept loose change, cufflinks, and other personal items. I asked my stepmother if I could have it, and even though we hadn’t started sorting through his things yet, she said yes, and I put it on. I don’t wear it every day. I can’t. It’s from the 1960s and too fragile—but when I do wear it, I think of him. —Taylor Antrim, Global Network Lead & US Deputy Editor, Vogue

Good shirts and a beloved Shetland vest

I inherited about a dozen of my dad’s monogrammed shirts, but I wore them so often in college that now the collars are worn thin and I’m afraid they’ll fall apart. So they just sit in my closet, staring at me. Instead, the item I wear most often is a Shetland vest my mom got for him, which he used to layer under his suits. Now I layer it the same way. —Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, U.S. Vogue

A taxidermied red-winged hawk

My father was a taxidermist, so when I was growing up, our game room—which had a ping-pong table and a pool table—was surrounded by actual game. It was like a non-living zoo, with all kinds of ducks, geese, pheasants, and hawks, plus a snake, a badger, various trout, pike, and muskies, and plenty of other oddities. Many of them were trophies from our time hunting or fishing together, depending on the season. We were almost always outside, often on what felt like epic adventures—until I discovered girls, of course. Then, I’m sure, every winged and scaled creature for miles around breathed a sigh of relief in their own way.

This red-winged hawk, though, is older than me. It was the first major piece my father worked on when he was learning the craft. Since he passed away years ago, I’ve hung it in a corner of every place I’ve lived (it looks much more dramatic with a bright spotlight shining up from below), along with a few old photos of him. It reminds me of my father and of the time we spent together, out in the real, wild world, so long ago. —Corey Seymour, Senior Editor

A copy of My Education by Susan Choi

Photo: Courtesy of Emma Specter

My dad’s bookshelf is basically the hottest spot in upstate New York. It wraps around his entire den and holds everything from science books to travel guides to stacks of fiction. That last category is what I turned to when I was living at his house during the early days of the COVID pandemic. I read a lot of his books during that strange time, but the one I fell for hardest—and had to steal and add to my own collection—was Susan Choi’s My Education. It’s a wild story about a grad student who falls for her professor’s wife. (Oh, you think your dad is an ally? Cool, but did he introduce you to your all-time favorite piece of bisexual fiction?) —Emma Specter, Culture Writer

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the article For Fathers Day here are 8 treasures that Vogue staff members inherited from their dads

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 What is this article about
Its a collection of eight personal stories from Vogue staff members about meaningful items they inherited from their fathers

2 What kind of treasures are we talking about
They range from classic luxury watches and vintage clothing to handwritten notes art and even a favorite pair of shoes

3 Is this just about expensive gifts
No While some items are valuable the main focus is on the sentimental value and the personal memories attached to each object

IntermediateLevel Questions

4 Do the stories focus on the dads style
Yes many of them do The items often reflect the fathers personal style taste in fashion or a specific hobby which the child now cherishes

5 Why would Vogue staff write about inherited items
Because fashion and personal style are often passed down The article shows how a physical object can carry a familys history and influence a persons own aesthetic

6 Are there any common themes among the stories
Yes A strong theme is that the item represents a connection to the fathers personalitywhether its his creativity his practicality or his sense of adventure

AdvancedLevel Practical Questions

7 Whats a practical takeaway for someone looking to pass something on to their own child
Choose an item that has a story It doesnt have to be expensive A wellworn leather jacket a favorite book with notes inside or a tool he used daily can be incredibly powerful

8 How can I best preserve a treasured inherited item like a watch or a piece of clothing
For watches get them professionally serviced every 35 years For clothing store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight use acidfree tissue paper for delicate fabrics and avoid hanging heavy items like leather jackets for too long to prevent stretching