Streetwear elements like graphic tees, oversized jackets, cargo pants, and branded sneakers are essential to Gen Z style. Streetwear blends comfort with a sleek, urban edge. Streetwear is heavily influenced by skate culture and hip-hop, making it both trendy and accessible.
Gen Z is bringing back the early 2000s style with a modern twist, and they call it Y2K. Think low-rise jeans, multiple belts, newsie hats, tie-dye tracksuits, neon prints, cargo pants, butterfly clips, and platform sneakers—all coming back from the dead.
Social Media Platforms As Search Engines
Instagram it. Move over, Google; Gen Z has a new way to search. For this most likely generation to embrace digital trends, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are the new search engines. Gen Z prefers visual learning over traditional text-based learning.
Gen Z Maximalism refers to the colourful, cluttered aesthetic popularized by Gen-Z via social media/mediums like TikTok and Instagram. It's unknown who originally coined the term "Gen-Z Maximalism", but it likely is referencing the contrast between the minimalist aesthetic commonly enjoyed by Millennials.
However, Gen Z has come up with some new terms to describe the way someone dresses and gives names to the 'vibe' of certain outfits or styles. Some examples of these viral fashion terms and aesthetics trending on social media include: Dark Academia, Y2K, Cottagecore, Clean Girl and Old Money.
She explained that wearing baggy jeans to bars and clubs serves as a subtle rebellion against societal expectations of “dressing up” in the same way previous generations did, such as the millennial trend of opting for business casual for nights out.
Gas is gen z slang for cool, dope or awesome. Alternatively, if you are 'gassing' someone, that means you are supporting them or hyping them up.
The powerful aesthetic of Gen Z makeup is bold, experimental, fun and unconventional - a reflection of their diversity and fluidity. Neons, crystals, glitter and rhinestones are commonplace around the eyes (skin is treated more naturally.
Cheugy. Cheugy is a term used to describe something that was once fashionable or popular but has now become outdated or appears to be trying too hard. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's uncool or undesirable, but rather that it's slightly out of sync with current trends.
Other proposed names for the generation included iGeneration, Homeland Generation, Net Gen, Digital Natives, Neo-Digital Natives, Pluralist Generation, Internet Generation, and Centennials. "While there is no scientific process for deciding when a name has stuck, the momentum is clearly behind Gen Z."
Forever 21 and SHEIN are the brands that Gen Z is most likely to buy from when they're next shopping for clothes, followed by Old Navy, American Eagle and H&M.
46% of Gen Z spent more on fashion than anything else in 2022 (5WPR) Gen Z was the only generation to have clothing and fashion as their top spending category. 30% of Gen Z spent more on beauty and personal care than anything else, far more than any other generation.
Just look at the Gen Z product trends we've seen so far; they're selling out the Sephora shelves, bringing back New Balance sneakers, and buying Stanley tumblers like there's no tomorrow. Not to mention, they're using social media as a search tool over Google.
Gen Z low-rise jeans: Levi's Women's Low Pro Jeans
Gen Z loves the Levi's Women's Low Pro Jeans, and we understand why. They're simple enough to dress up or down, a little edgy, made with quality denim, and not completely overpriced like some other jean brands.
Generation Z women don't want to wear bras and the new trend has become a hit. They are photographed in fun outfits without bras to show that different breast shapes are normal. TikToker Vaninileon went viral after she announced that she would try to go braless for an entire week, the Telegraph reports.
Gen Z rejects traditional gender norms, and this is evident in their haircut choices. Androgynous styles, such as buzz cuts, pixie cuts, and long hair on men, are increasingly popular. This shift towards gender-neutral styles reflects a broader cultural move towards inclusivity and acceptance of diverse identities.
Bet – In agreement with something, or used for okay or affirmative. Person 1: Want to come over to my house? Person 2: Bet! Big back – Refers to someone who is overweight, typically to bully or shame them.
Zoomer is used to refer to members of Generation Z, or people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The term is modeled on boomer, a common shortening of baby boomer, and earlier use of zoomer referred to physically active baby boomers.
To have rizz means that you are charming, a flirt and have smooth moves when it comes to romancing someone. You can equate someone with rizz as someone who's got game. Example: “This man has zero rizz. He gets no girls.”
Street style. Streetwear is practically a uniform for Gen Z. It's cool, it's casual, and it's adaptable to any setting. From graphic tees to chunky sneakers, they've fully embraced the streetwear culture that blends functionality with edge.
“Wearing no mascara is trending for a few reasons, primarily for a shift towards more authenticity, natural beauty, and embracing minimal makeup,” Charlie Riddle, Stila's global beauty director and the makeup artist behind Cynthia Rowley's spring/summer 2025 runway, told Allure.
Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, shares her insights on Gen Z in an interview with Fast Company. She describes Gen Z as being associated with vibrant and cheerful yellows, a color palette that symbolizes their positive and optimistic perspective.
The Gen Z phrases in the video and their meaning: “Suh” – Hello (short for what's up – or “whatsup” “Fam” – Friends – short for 'family' “FamJam” – Family – short for I have no idea.
"Baddie" — "A pretty girl, typically very curvy and independent."