“Gen-z-ero Style” is an article that sparked outrage among the many people who have read the article and just so happen to fall in that category. Is this unjust slander, or is there a lack of creativity in today’s general fashion amongst the youth?
The article compares today’s fashion trends to the past and focuses on repetitive and unimaginative pieces. Showcasing a group of women all dressed in a simple black top and blue jeans. The author, Brooke Kato states, “A decade ago, arriving in the same outfit as another woman would have been a sartorial nightmare. Now, heading out on the town in identical outfits — in this case, light-wash jeans, a dark-colored top and white sneakers — is considered normal.”
Kirsten Van Nest, an author, created a video in response to this article on TikTok. She compares what the women are wearing in the photo to men’s fashion, specifically Steve Jobs. Van Nest states, “When Steve Jobs dresses like this, he’s a genius. When women dress like this, oh, these women don’t have fashion.” Kirsten may have a point, after all, the article does focus on women’s fashion when men’s fashion has also gotten just as simplistic. The ‘issue’ doesn’t lie in what women are wearing, but what everyone is wearing. Women and men’s fashion are very similar nowadays, especially among teens. The average outfit may consist of gray or white sweatpants, tasman uggs, and a solid-colored top (usually black or white). In general, the youth tends to dress more in black than any other color. But again, why is this an issue?
We all are aware of the color and creativity that generations before us held in their day-to-day fashion. It wasn’t perfect, but many of the youth also look for a comeback or culture shift, bringing back color and personal style. However, personal style is generally misunderstood in terms of its meaning. Personal style doesn’t have to be drastically different from the norm. An individual’s personal style may be tucking their shirt in, wearing cami-tops beneath their shirts, cuffing their jeans, ect. Personal style is defined as what you, the individual, does for themselves when dressing up. The illusion of personal style lies in aesthetics and substyles. This includes grunge, coquette, clean-girl, and whatever else the internet curates.
These are micro-trends, however, sometimes they root in actual styles that get watered down and misunderstood. Coquette is one of the biggest examples, this style beforehand being represented through vintage americana, red, sometimes pink, and even had an entirely different name. Over time, this aesthetic evolved and introduced more colors, not just white and pink. However, once the style got popular, it was erased from its past and watered down.
What is the point, though? What I’m getting at here is that personal style may lie in individuals who have adapted to a style not solely because of popularity, but because it’s embedded in who they are. Gen z has a wide variety of aesthetics and styles. Gen z fashion is versatile and doesn’t just stick to one era. It’s both imaginative and versatile. Eventually, the style will change from one year–or even month to the next. In terms of general style, what people wear on a day to day basis, in my opinion, lies in the desire to fit in. For sure, many may just love the style that is considered the norm nowadays, but plenty of people simply feel the need to look the same as everyone else.
I think wearing what you want, basic or unique, is important because you are staying true to yourself. Fashion is dynamic, personal, and subjective. While the article makes a great point on the lack of individuality, no generation has ever not had fads or trends. For Gen Z, this is just one of ours.
