Fit check: Nine ways to dress in the Gen Z aesthetic

There isn’t a pair of skinny jeans in sight.

Thu, 30 Jan, 2025 - 02:00

Annmarie O’Connor

When it comes to fashion clout, Gen Z is peerless. This is the cohort born between 1997 and 2021; the one that cancelled skinny jeans; the digital natives who create viral TikTok cores, and the sartorial nemesis of their millennial precedents. Revered and feared in equal measure, their distaste for all things prescriptive (sartorial or otherwise) ironically makes them easy to spot in the wild. Not trend-led per se (they set the agenda); their aesthetic reflects common elements of style that demonstrate how they move through the world.

Here’s what they do best: comfort. While wide-leg jeans are a de facto Gen Z signature, expect unisex and oversized pieces as standard, including roomy shirts and gender-neutral accessories like retro sneakers, bucket hats, and UGG boots. Nineties-inspired leather and suede jackets, slub knits and hems for days make the ‘fit that fits best. Spoiler alert: last year’s striped pyjama pants continue their daywear reign, and I’m not mad at it.

Although notoriously fickle (boredom is the kiss of death), their collective purchasing power makes them coveted consumers, however fleeting. Just look at Coach; a Gen Z favourite, the brand’s position in 2024’s last quarter of The Lyst Index—a proprietary ranking of fashion’s hottest brands and products, sees the American luxury fashion house positioned at number 15 with its ‘Brooklyn’ tote at number five. Not bad innings.

For 2025, my money’s on Scandi brands winning over Zoomers: from the bricolage spirit of Stine Goya and Essentiel Antwerp to Ganni’s cool collaborations and authentic commitment to sustainability. What’s more, there isn’t a pair of skinny jeans in sight.

1. Intarsia-knitted sweater; checkered wide-leg pants