Gen Z is a lot more conscious of where their clothes are coming from. When they're choosing between brands, they want to know not only if the clothes are in style, but also if the brand stands for something bigger than itself. Clothing brands that offer unisex or gender-fluid clothing are all the rage.
However, some fashion blasts from the past are back in style again according to Gen Z. This list includes skinny baguette handbags and platform shoes from the early '90s, biker shorts from the 80's, crew necks from the 60's, and even pearl necklaces from the '20s.
'In 2023, Gen Z and Millennials will romanticise their wardrobes with slip dresses, tube tops, cargos and claw clips,' says Pinterest. 'Get ready for a new kind of meet-cute, inspired by your favourite romantic comedies from the 2000s. 'Y2K fashion has been trending for a while.
Many believe this has to do with the generation's increased focus on body positivity and ensuring that fashion trends look good on all figures, not just slim ones. This also explains why Gen Z prefers baggy jeans to skinny jeans, which millennials have an affinity for.
Gen Z is all about authenticity, individuality, and inclusivity, and they are more interested in celebrating imperfections than meeting impossible standards. This has impacted the way social media tools are being used and brands are increasingly paying attention.
Simply put, they want to see people that look like them when choosing what they buy: two-fifths of Gen Z say that diversity and inclusion is the most important brand value to them when shopping for beauty products.
This point is significant to Gen Z, who see gender in more fluid terms than their parents. Rather than being a political statement, many Gen Zers simply see bras as unnecessary, the imperative to wear one less linked to their gender than the size of their breasts.
Often called the activist generation, Gen Z is quite instrumental in raising voices to champion mental health concerns, raise awareness about climate change and social justice as well as educate people about sustainability and the fast fashion movement— things that can be deemed to be the top Gen Z trends of 2023.
Debates about skinny jeans have been hugely divisive over the past few years, as stylists and trend forecasters have labeled Gen Z as the generation that was leaving the classic style of jeans behind and opting for straight-leg styles and mom jeans instead.
A: The textured bob, the shaved side, the bold pixie cut, the braided updo, and the sleek center part are some of the most popular hairstyles among Gen Z.
Like Millennial Pink, Gen Z colors favor the eye-popping Cyber Lime (forecasted to be big in 2024) and Digital Lavender, also aligned with inclusivity. “[Cyber Lime] can speak to all, which Gen Z is very sensitive to,” said Guilbert.
It starts with what values are important to Gen Z'ers and moves into what brands and products they rate. “Teens feel that being cool is about just being yourself, embracing what you love, rejecting what you don't, and being kind to others.”
Gen Z and millennials are also more likely to seek luxury items than previous generations. “Higher spending is kind of ingrained in the way that they think. They view higher cost items and luxury items as investment pieces,” says Phillips.
While personal memory drives a love for '90s fashion among Millennials, for Gen Z, it's more an appeal of aesthetic tastes. The '90s represents a far-off fashionable fantasy depicted in film photos and polaroids for the younger generation, whereas the 2000s are a distant but recognizable reality.
Nike is consistently named as “Gen Z's favourite brand”, according to the latest survey of over 14,000 US teens from research firm Piper Sandler. Sixty per cent of teens say Nike as their favourite footwear brand, versus 6 per cent for Adidas.
Both Gen Zers and Millennials in our survey cited the same top two issues: inflation and access to reproductive healthcare. However, there were some slight generational differences in the issues young people consider their main priorities.
Gen Z also faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis: US Gen Zers surveyed by McKinsey report the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation, and European respondents report struggling with self-stigma.
Among the things Generation Z cares about, racial and gender equality are at the top of the list. Gen Z is also concerned about climate change and the potential impacts their generation will have to deal with in the years to come.
For the first time in three years, Generation Z Americans spent more on make-up than on skincare, found a recent survey by Piper Sandler Companies.
"If you don't wear a bra, your breasts will sag," says Dr. Ross. "If there's a lack of proper, long-term support, breast tissue will stretch and become saggy, regardless of breast size." Still, both experts agree that multiple factors play into if and when sagging (technical term: "ptosis") occurs, bra-wearing aside.
But Gucci, too, has found favour among Gen-Z, despite its pricey products being out of reach for most young consumers.
“The days of a 'signature scent' are long gone. They have multiple fragrances and use them often.” All of those gourmands help, too. Gen-Z's top three scents and fragrance profiles are vanilla, rose and fruity according to Kyra's 2022 State of Beauty report.
Gen Zers aren't prioritizing romantic relationships — or if they're open to one, they want it to happen organically. A majority (52%) expect to meet their significant other in person instead of via mutual acquaintances (30%) or an app (6%), according to the Goldman Sachs intern survey.