Gen Z and Millennials have been fighting on the internet since Gen Z had a phone in their hand. Whether it was mocking the “Millennial pause,” “Millennial cringe,” or obsessions with Harry Potter or Taylor Swift, Gen Z has always mocked Millennials. However, while Gen Z continues to laugh at Millennials on social media, they seem to obsess over trends they created.
As Gen Z continues to cling to the past, 2000s and 10s styles are back in fashion—yet Millennials are just as “cringe” as they were before their trends were in style. At this point, almost every Millennial fashion trend has come back. Tumblr’s usage and aesthetics are back. The “Indie Sleaze” fashion aesthetic has taken over. And artists like Sky Ferreira, Charli XCX, and MGMT have taken over TikTok, not only because of their music but also because of the aesthetic and nostalgia of the 2010s. Every New York City influencer has Isabell Marant sneakers, big leather bags, and chunky jewelry. Even Parker halls are full of off-the-shoulder tank tops, studded phone cases, and chunky bangles and bracelets. Almost every aesthetic, such as “Twee,” “Twilight core,” “y2k,” “Scene,” and “BoHo,” from the past 10-20 years has inevitably come back into style due to our constant and fast-paced craving for new trends. However, the way we interact with fashion trends differs from the way we treat the people from whom the inspiration derives.
I believe this reveals a larger issue about how Gen Z—and perhaps every generation—interacts with fashion and social media. Since its creation, social media has become the biggest platform to create trends and interact with different people. Fashion trends that already exist, or have been created by a small community, spread like wildfire to the feeds of millions. However, the originators are often forgotten or drowned out by the rising popularity of the clothes.
Teens are even constantly seen wearing Urban Outfitters Nirvana and Sublime shirts but can’t name a song. However, beyond this relatively surface-level example, the way we consume fashion trends compared to the creators of said trends is extremely different. Preceeding and within social media, we see how fashion trends created by Black Americans have been stolen and glamorized after years of shaming. Someone who is racist could likely also be wearing Dunks, “junk jewelry”, or hoop earrings. With the rise in conservatism and anti-immigration rhetoric, there has been a rise in xenophobia towards many Muslims and racism towards Latinos and South Asians. Ironically, fashion trends created by these communities are growing immensely. Waist chains, dupattas (“Scandinavian Scarves” might sound more familiar), bangles, Oaxacan ribbon braids, henna, and more are a few examples of fashion trends that have given no credit to their country of origin. Even the latest Prada runway collection was seen debuting a copy of Kolhapuri chappals without credit.
This begs the question: how should younger generations begin to interact with fashion trends online? I believe that as our fashion trends begin to cycle more rapidly, and people are constantly looking for something new to become popular, it is our responsibility to ensure that you are not just doing a Google search to find out where it is from. With how many resources are at any person’s fingertips, there is an ignorance of not knowing where the trends you interact with originate from. Whether it be simply the origins of Indie Sleaze, band t-shirts, or something with more cultural importance like dupattas, take the time to understand its relevance and where it comes from.