{"id":905150,"date":"2026-09-25T16:16:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T16:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/905150\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T16:16:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T16:16:25","slug":"gen-z-know-how-to-dress-you-dont-know-what-youre-talking-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/905150\/","title":{"rendered":"Gen Z know how to dress? You don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about"},"content":{"rendered":"

OPINION: Gen Z<\/a> apparently doesn\u2019t know how to dress<\/a>, but I\u2019m here to tell you that\u2019s blatantly wrong.<\/p>\n

Lately, online styling<\/a> content has shifted to comparing Gen Z\u2019s style to Millennials<\/a>\u2019. Videos posted to social media compare how Millennials would wear a certain clothing item to how Gen Z style the same thing today. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering which subculture I belong to, it\u2019s all of them and none of them – the point is you\u2019ll never know by looking at me.\u00a0Supplied <\/p>\n

The comments almost always echo the same sentiment: <\/p>\n

The way Gen Z dresses lacks direction and personal style. <\/p>\n

Everyone dresses the same. <\/p>\n

No-one has their own sense of style any more.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s all because subculture is dead, thanks to social media algorithms. <\/p>\n

However, I don\u2019t believe that is true. <\/p>\n

Subculture is alive and well. The signs may not be as obvious as they once were, but they\u2019re still there. Today\u2019s subcultures are held together by common interests \u2013 not personal appearance. <\/p>\n

The reality is, Gen Z doesn\u2019t feel the need to pledge allegiance to one particular fashion aesthetic. <\/p>\n

Society has evolved, so it makes no sense that personality stereotypes, and the way our clothes relate to them, would stay the same.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Professional cosplayer Lea Martinez dresses up as comic book characters for a living. \u00a0Instagram\/@Slayeas<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Martinez on holiday, dressed very differently. Why should we dress the same way all the time? Let Gen Z live! \u00a0Instagram\/@slayeas<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about representing a group. It\u2019s feeling as if we\u2019re showing up as our truest selves every single day. Some days I want to feel like a corporate boss, others I wish to feel like a beautiful garden fairy. Why can\u2019t I do both? <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, the \u201ccool-girl\u201d aesthetic still exists. But the trope is no longer defined by particular outfits or garments \u2013 it\u2019s the girl who\u2019s confident enough to wear what she wants.<\/p>\n

For example, YouTuber Emma Chamberlain and reality star Kylie Jenner have drastically different styles, but they\u2019re both considered within the \u201ccool girl\u201d aesthetic. Chamberlain opts for rare vintage pieces, while Jenner is dressed in designer. Who\u2019s to say which has a stronger sense of personal identity? <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re wondering what the \u2018cool-girl\u2019 aesthetic looks like, it\u2019s Emma Chamberlain… \u00a0Instagram\/@Emmachamberlain<\/p>\n

\"Kylie<\/p>\n

And Kylie and Kendall Jenner…\u00a0Instagram\/@kyliejenner<\/p>\n

The notion that Gen Z fashion \u201cmakes no sense\u201d isn\u2019t true. <\/p>\n

Celebrity stylist Donny Galella recently explained on Today that the younger generation is taking inspiration from those that came before when it comes to their wardrobes. <\/p>\n

That, I can agree with.<\/p>\n

While we may be leaving the power-shoulder in the \u201980s, the oversized styling and colour blocking trends of the decade are still popular today. <\/p>\n

Wide pants and flared jeans are borrowed from the \u201970s, while the sleek minimalist look was snatched from the \u201990s. <\/p>\n

However, I\u2019d go as far as to say the majority of Gen Z fashion is inspired by the 2000s \u2212 hello, low-rise jeans and midi skirts. <\/p>\n

\"Olivia<\/p>\n

… and Olivia Rodrigo. It\u2019s not about the clothes we\u2019re wearing, it\u2019s how we wear it. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an homage to everything we love from years gone by. <\/p>\n

As we know, fashion is a cycle. And as second-hand fashion and thrifting becomes increasingly more popular, those vintage styles are entering even further into the mainstream.<\/p>\n

Gen Z fashion can\u2019t be defined by a single dot point. <\/p>\n

But that\u2019s the entire point, and that\u2019s what makes it great. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OPINION: Gen Z apparently doesn\u2019t know how to dress, but I\u2019m here to tell you that\u2019s blatantly wrong.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":905151,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[64,63,134],"class_list":["post-905150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=905150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/905151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=905150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=905150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=905150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}