Introduction

Fashion continually evolves as time goes by. Fashion trends, despite being cyclical provide new inspirations and outlooks on contemporary society. Fashion trends are mainly influenced by the younger segments of the market, as they end up providing the freshest look into current culture.

Today, this segment of the population is called Generation Z or Gen Z. The term Gen Z represents people born between 1997 and 2013. They are successors of the millennials, otherwise known as Gen X, and predecessors of the Alpha generation.

Gen Z fashion trends have always been dynamic from year to year. While some trends stayed from one year to another, others fazed out for newer ideas or old recycled styles. Most of these Gen Z fashion trends were celebrity-driven, however, it seemed every style movement had a different and unique feel.

The years between 2015 to 2021 saw a change of preferences among both genders, such that females adopted more male styles and vice versa. These changes created more room for the unisex market to flourish.

Current Gen Z fashion trends include old-school trends from the 90s such as the following: stripes, and patterns, grandpa fashion, women’s power suits, pearly designs, sustainable outfits, mum jeans, slits and tennis fashion, cardigans, bogus trousers, fluid fashion, and bright colors.

Within Gen Z’s style, there are a lot of colors, patterns, neutral looks, and textures; as a result, Gen Z trends strike for their diversity and creativity. Gen Z values fashion as a form of creativity as well as the comfort and emotional connection that clothing can bring.

This article points out what to look for among Gen Z fashion trends.

• Old-School Trends From The 90s
• Stripes and Patterns
• Grandpa Fashion Among Gen Z
• Power Suits For Women
• Pearly Designs For Young Fashion Lovers
• Sustainable Outfits
• Mum Jeans
• Slits and Tennis Fashion
• Cardigans
• Bogus Trousers
• Fluid Fashion
• Bright Colors 

Old-School Trends From The 90s

As usual, fashion trends happen in eternal cycles, fading out and returning with a different sense of use. Gen Z is rapidly adopting some of the most prevalent fashion trends from the 1990s that the then-timers abandoned. The creator of Shop the City, Sahra Brandt, was one of those who noted the re-emergence of movements from the 90s and early 21st century in the Gen Z market.

After bucket hats were a prevalent trend in the 90s, they went out of fashion until recently, when they came back en vogue in several designs and colors. There have also been trends from the days of young millennials, like cut-outs, colored sunglasses, and thin baguette bags. This is because, according to Brandt, some young millennials will also participate in Gen Z fashion trends.

Stripes and Patterns

In 2021, a new trend began, introducing patterned outfits and pinstriped suits. Patterned clothes are the latest go-to fashion trend among Gen Z. These styles seem casual; however, they are a popular choice for men’s runway shows. They depict simplicity and class, and this makes them a go-to for style. Based on their calm and soothing designs, the trending patterns to go for are stripe, tartan, brocade, and check. These styles fit properly on trousers, jackets, shirts, and cardigans.

Grandpa Fashion Among Gen Z

Grandpa fashion is on the high rise now. In the spring of 2021, a popular journal noted that Gen Zs were taking on the pap styles and intended to imitate more elderly fashions. To this effect, the Chinese app, Tiktok has a grandpacore hashtag (#grandpacore) with about 15 million plays. Also, the American visual app, Instagram, has accounts that support this trend. Some of the accounts include @chinatownpreety and @gramparents. 

Based on a review by Trendnalytics, grandpa fashion is expected to be the up-and-coming movement among Gen Z fashion trends in 2022 and will be influential for both genders. Recently, there has been an increased demand for oversized cardigans by over 172%, grandpop sweaters by about 158%, and loosened jeans by about 7%. Also, the head of the LRL Group speculates that cable-knit sweaters and dorky designs will be highly sought after. A spotted celebrity that is fueling this grandpa trend is Harry Styles.

Power Suits For Women

A celebrity stylist, Jason Style, noted that the power suit would be ranked among the top Gen Z fashion trends in 2022. While men and women wear suits, it is seen to trend more among ladies because of the recent diffusion of colorful and elegant designs. The pandemic plunged many women into leadership and business roles, according to Style. Hence, they needed to look professional while carrying out their duties and activities without appearing less fashionable. The uptick in women’s suits also stemmed from the desire for comfort. Wearing dresses and skirts to work every day may not be very comfortable, so the suits gave women an option to be comfortable while still looking stylish and professional. 

Pearly Designs For Young Fashion Lovers

Pearls are timeless in fashion. Based on their history of utility, costs, and contribution to the fashion industry, they are wanted by many fashion lovers. Pinterest made a report about pearls, expressing that pearls have increased in utility as ornamental touches. They are seen to be styled with different Gen Z products to create new stunning looks on their wearers. Some pearl design outcomes are pearl gowns, pearl rings, and other aesthetics. According to a fashion professional, Deni Todorovič, pearls in fashion design will create lustrous looks for their users. An example of this fact is Barbie Ferreira’s outfit at the Met Gala in 2021, in which she styled a dress crusted with pearls. 

A fashion stylist, Amanda Sanders, remarked that couturiers had done a lot to make pearly designs more attractive to Gen Zs, making pearls very relevant within Gen Z fashion trends. This trend is being promoted by celebrities like A$AP Rocky, Pharrell, Harry Mendes, and others in various creative industries. Pearl fashion is widely promoted on Tiktok, with the pearl core hashtag (#pearlcore), having more than 70,000 views. More so, looks featuring pearls are expected to be included in Bridgerton’s March premier, raising the publicity and adoption of the trend.

Sustainable Outfits

According to a remark by Kat Eves, sustainable designs and ethical styles will be hit trends soon. Sustainable wear has been a popular option among Gen Z and is beginning to make more giant waves in the coming seasons. Some of these styles include recycled vintage designs and products made with recycled material. 

Sustainable wear trends are seen on the rise because celebrities and trend fuelers are styling repeated outfits and opting for vintage products. Zendaya, who styled a vintage gown by Roberto Cavalli, is an example of this. The relevance of sustainable trends also means that brands that promote and are committed to sustainability and ethicality will gain more prominence in the coming seasons.

Look Out For Mum Jeans

More so, mum jeans are gaining widespread adoption in different parts of the world. The mum jean trend began in 2021 and is one of the overall Gen Z fashion trends. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Lara Bingle are drivers for this pant style. Just like the Grandpa fashion, mum jeans offer a sense of maturity and comfort during usage. Although they seem casual, they are a prevalent fashion style which comes with choice, not chance. 

Slits and Tennis Fashion

Slits, tennis skirts, and recreational dresses are in vogue. TikTok influencers mainly fueled the tennis skirt trend before it gained popularity. It is still expected to remain the top skirt fashion style for many women because it is chic and trendy. For many Gen Z ladies, slit outfits display elegance and earn them compliments that give them a sense of confidence. More so, they offer a good level of comfort. Slit dresses that are fashionable for Gen Z women include front, side, and back slits.

Cardigans

The use of cardigans has increasingly been incorporated as a fashion trend. Last year, celebrities styled knitwear, which spurred the clothes’ fame. Examples of stars in this category are designer Zoë Kravitz and stylist Alexa Chung. Mary Francis, a wardrobe stylist, asserted that cardigans would be a significant wardrobe feature in 2022, as many Gen Z men and women will style them as jackets.

Bogus Trousers

Observers have discovered that bogus trousers will trend a lot this year. Gone are the days of tight pants, as many prefer to wear wide trousers for the sake of comfort and style. Gen Z ladies popularly loved to wear tight trousers years before 2017. From 2018 to 2020, there was a mixed use of skinny and bogus trousers. However, based on surveys, the choice of wide-legged jeans and trousers is gaining the upper hand among experts and users alike. This move is partly due to the change in trends of complementary wear like tops and shoes and the ease of use of the garment for many social environments such as schools, offices, etc. In essence, wide-legged pants will be used casually and professionally as one of the Gen Z fashion trends.

Fluid Fashion

Fashion fluidity is a noticeable trend among Gen Z compared to earlier generations. The cultural nature of fashion has shifted a lot from its gender border system into unisex operations. It is widely known that Gen Z has a neutral clothing phenomenon, allowing outfits to be equally used by both sexes. Hence, this fashion fluidity has gained ground recently and will remain significant for a long time. Top fashion brands, celebrities, and trend setters are taking on this new system, promoting it among Gen Z fashion trends. 

Bright Colors

Many fashion stylists and professionals suggest that this season’s significant Gen Z trend will be bright colors on clothes. They also stated that designers would experiment with several shiny colors to give their customers better color styles for every trial and launch. According to observations, young customers do not have color boundaries as they do not feel limited to specific color mixes. They can mix yellow trousers with pink cardigans and not feel shy or absurd. The significant colors to look out for are red, orange, pink, and blue.

Gen Z Styles

The styles Gen Z likes are all-encompassing. They enjoy styles ranging from colorful, vibrant, and pattern filled to neutral, textured, and classic looks. They incorporate a bit of everything into their style including fashion trends from other decades, suits, abstract clothing, and fun jewelry including pearls. 

Gen Z Consumer’s Wants?

Gen Z consumers want fashion pieces that allow them to express themselves loudly through their clothes while also providing comfort. This generation looks at fashion as a creative outlet, not just as a necessary life item, and since clothing is such a large aspect of everyday life, this generation prioritizes feeling comfortable in their fashionable clothes. Many Gen Z consumers also desire new trends often, they do not want to keep wearing the same clothes constantly and they enjoy when new trends and clothing pieces come to life or get reinvented. 

Conclusion

Gen Z is an active population with dynamic fashion styles. While some of its members prefer to stick to outdated fashion trends, others love to follow every latest detail. Many of their movements are sponsored and promoted by celebrities. Gen Z fashion trends recycle obsolete styles with uniqueness in every evolution. Accessories like slim shades, black and neon sunglasses, ankle socks, and neon socks are expected to be in the picture as they have been widely used in recent times.