The fact that they missed the 90s is eating them alive. Compared to other generation’s, Gen Z (Officially classified as those born between 1997-2012) is not the loudest generation but, thanks to technology, does have the capability to be the most powerful. With millions of TikToks Gen Z dethroned skinny jeans basically overnight. Do you know how long it took for me to convince my parents to drop me off at the mall to buy my first pair of skinny jeans? Since e-comm was for rich people I didn’t even know which pair I wanted before I got to the store! Not to mention the time it took me to save up to no longer be stuck in flare jean hell?
The shift from flare to skinny - as the most desired leg-shape took a few years! Since I was in middle school at the time, I remembered first branching out with a lightwash pair from Aeropostale’s straight-leg collection before, confirming the trend was here to stay with American Eagle’s super skinnies. And though about half of Gen Z-er’s wore skinny jeans themselves they made it clear the grave has been dug. Skinny Jeans: 2009-2021. It was a good run.
With the new boyfriend, straight-leg style in the limelight, I’ve been biting my nails to see if teens of today are going to come at Millenial’s (born 1981-1996) just-as-tight athleisure bestie: leggings.
Fashion is a proportions game. Dressing is about angles. We have just undergone a major shift in street style and everyday wear. We have transitioned from blousey oversized tops and skintight jeans to tight, form-fitting tanks and loose denim. When an extensive change to silhouette like this occurs it makes sense for it to happen to our daily wardrobe first. Secondary outfits like activewear and swimwear are expected to follow suit. This begs the question: if skinny jeans are out are leggings days numbered?
For athleisure (aka lounging and not actually working out) I say, yes. With streaming services consisting mainly of older shows and movies, and with free access to almost every song ever recorded - like the rest of us, Gen Z tends to get a little stuck in the past. But, the thing is they can’t be nostalgic about it because they weren’t there when Disney movies were just cartoons and there was only one Gossip Girl. (Wow that sentence sounds like Bowling for Soup’s Gen X anthem 1985.)
So in order to connect with their culture that is bits and pieces of generation's past, they want to dress like what they see. They want to not replicate but reinvent styles of the 90s and 00s their older relatives laugh about. (Basically they want Joey Gladstone’s entire wardrobe.) And what was in for casual post-gym wear at that time was men’s t-shirts (now dubbed oversized) and knee-length boxer shorts. Add a fanny pack (now worn sideways as a belt bag) and a massive hair clip for spikey volume. We’ve already seen this look return but, worn more for casual summer adventures of 2021. See first day back in the city.
So, I hate to be the one to tell you this but, compression-lovers be warned: boxers as shorts are about to make a (re)entrance. And like their floaty, baggy leg-holes: it’s gonna be big! Here are a few telltale signs:
Strappy bikini tops have always been sexy but this summer fashion gals are warning up to strappy bikini bottoms with straps x-ing past the waistline. A perfect little tease to creep out beneath boxer shorts.
With both bikinis and sunnies getting smaller in size this season, a larger piece is needed to balance out the otherwise, Pamela Anderson look. Especially since we just had a year with almost no sports, sliding into some mesh basketball shorts that keep the sand out is the move.
Now as for the transition out of leggings into a looser fitting bottom for actual blood, sweat, and tears working out? I think that may take a little longer. So, no need to donate your entire running leggings collection just yet. Fashion today is less about looks and more about function than it ever has before. In order for a new pant to become a workout staple it is going to have the same or better quick-dry, moisture-wicking capabilities as leggings. If we are comparing this new-age baggy yoga-pant-like workout pant of the future to the ankle-length leggings everyone wears now expect the hemline to get shorter.
If we are talking biker shorts expect the newly desired hemline to get longer. But wait...long shorts slash pants-shorter-than-capris can only mean one thing. Bermuda shorts. Yep, Gen Z already has the shell chokers and wants to see just how well they pair with Bermuda shorts. They have learned something from Millenial’s past: Bermuda shorts don’t go with polos. All I ask is that we leave the baggy jeans underneath a tiered mini skirt thing in 2006...forever. The rest we will get through!
As much as I prefer new trends that I haven’t experimented with before, reinvention can be fun. People don’t realize that when something comes back in style like your dad’s raw denim 90s jeans or flatform sandals or even scrunchies, it’s an opportunity for a do-over. How many do-overs come naturally?
Nooooo I’ve done the flared the wide leg the boot cut the wide yoga pant that basically hides your sneaker! Ugh the full tight legging and Campari length legging is my best look