10 Tips to Keep Up with GenZ Fashion on a Budget
If you’re anything like me, you opened up Twitter last week to a horrible realization: skinny jeans and the side part are out. They are no longer in style. It threw me into complete shock. I found myself thinking, is this for real? Are all seven pairs of jeans in my drawer suddenly a faux pas? Will I be outing my birth year by leaving the house in denim that makes my calves look great? Oh no — a middle part makes my face look weird, and also what kind of shoes do you wear with a wide pant leg? Help.
For the first time I felt *gulp* old. There. I said it. This tweet made me realize that I am no longer a part of the young, hip, generation. How could this happen to me? Millennials are the new boomers and it’s devastating. Yes, I’m having a very hard time with this, okay? I’m not afraid to admit it.
Well, I’ve decided I am not going to let it happen. I still look young, right? I can be hip. I can go with the flow. I can keep up with the trends.
And you can too.
But here’s the thing: we are still in the middle of a pandemic and none of us want to break the bank in the staying-cool process.
So to help us (me) out, I’ve come up with a list of how to keep up with Gen Z on a budget. Here’s the tea:
- Non-Skinny Jeans: You know that spare pair of jeans that you got at a thrift store that one time? They’re too big but you keep them around just in case you ever paint that wall in your bedroom? You’re in luck. Those are back in. Drag them out from the back of your drawer and feel good walking into Starbucks to order your trendy iced matcha latte with two pumps of chai. Unbutton the top couple of buttons and roll the waist down for an added chill vibe.
2. Bucket Hat: You know that seriously ugly hat that your uncle got you for fishing trips that you threw into the back of your closet in case you ever wanted to wear it to a party ironically? Well it’s no longer ironic. Find inspiration from our good friend Richard Dreyfuss in the vintage film, Jaws, or bleach and tie-dye the accessory for added coolness (more on that later).
3. The Middle Part: This one is rough, but I can walk you through it. The way to do this is to take a comb, and find the middle of your forehead. Force your hand back to make a part down your scalp. Your hand may be shaky. This may be difficult. But I believe in you. You may think that your head looks flat, but I promise you look normal to the outside eye. Add a barett for added coolness.
4. The Oversized Band T-Shirt: Remember that time you saw One Republic but by the time you got to the front of the merch stand they had sold out of your size and only had XXS or XXL? So you grab the XXL and you have had it in your sleep shirt rotation for the last 15 years? Thank Goddess you didn’t Marie Kondo that thing because this is your key into the Gen Z club. Yes, you will actually wear this shirt in public. Add a pair of bike shorts — like the ones you wore to dance class in third grade — and you are set. Added coolness: Say this shirt is vintage, not from your pajama drawer. (Omg it is vintage, isn’t it.)
5. Tie Dye: Originally from ancient Asia and made wildly popular in the 1960s, tie dye had a brief comeback in the 90s and is now the new leopard print. You’ll see lots of matching sets, reminiscent of our Juicy sweatsuits (bless.) You can absolutely tie dye yourself, but it’s honestly very messy and I recommend just finding a hot up-and-coming designer. Most of us are still home the majority of the time, so this tie dye sweatsuit will make you feel cute and trendy as you sit back to watch Gilmore Girls for the third time.
6. Tiny Sunglasses: Go to your storage space and find your Molly American Girl Doll. Once you find her you have few options. First, decide if you would like to sell her. If selling her is out of the question, steal her glasses to make your own pair. You can knock out the plastic/glass and put tinted glass in there for outside use. If you decide if you want to sell her, and she doesn’t have any major scratches, you’re in luck. As of 2018, USA Today noted that American Girl dolls in good condition can be worth thousands of dollars! Take your earnings and buy yourself an actual nice pair of sunglasses. Either way, you win. You are cool and hip, and you didn’t spend a dime.
7. TikTok: Just give in. Looks like TikTok is here to stay, so you might as well bite the bullet and download the Gen Z app. Millenials are starting to take it over anyway, so you’ll find your community quickly. Until then, get ready to have your feelings hurt by Gen Z — they can be vicious.
8. Instagram: Yes, you can stay on Instagram. You can even turn your TikToks into Reels if they are short enough (TikToks are 1 minute videos, Reels are 30 seconds.) As you continue to use this soon-to-be-outdated app, make sure that your photos aren’t crazily filtered or photoshopped. The #natural look is in. People want to see the real you (so if you do use it a filter, make sure it looks like you didn’t).
9. Low Rise Jeans: No. NO. Don’t let them do this to us. Stay strong.
10. Britney: We stan. We have always …stood. (Am I using the lingo correctly?) We can freely bring out our old Britney merch and blast her music. The #FreeBritney movement is ever growing and Gen Z is on board with us so fly your Britney flag high.
I hope this list helps give you the confidence to walk out the door tomorrow morning. We can do this. I’m here for you, sending all the good vibes!
References:
https://lovin.ie/entertainment/gen-z-millennials-skinny-jeans-out
https://nypost.com/2021/02/05/gen-z-deems-skinny-jeans-out-of-style-what-to-wear-instead/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/bucket-hat-outfits
https://www.glamour.com/story/tie-dye-sweatsuits-are-the-leopard-print-midi-skirt-of-quarantine
https://www.demilked.com/instagram-vs-reality/
https://www.theadairgroup.com/blog/2018/12/04/the-history-of-the-tie-dye-shirt/