It can feel a bit difficult to keep up with what young people want to wear, especially when you have trends powered by Instagram, TikTok and other fast social media platforms or what’s become known as ‘hashtag driven fashion’.
Yes, we’re updating our fashion vocab and dictionary in 2022! Young creators are thriving on social media and they don’t seem to be waiting to be told what’s cool and what’s not by the industry. The balance of power in fashion has now shifted completely when it comes to the younger generation, but we’ve still managed to do a roundup on all the trends and topics that seem to spike the interest of our beloved Gen Z, even if hashtag-driven style can seem to appear and disappear at the blink of an eye or the scroll of a feed!
Sustainability
A recent documentary called ‘I am Gen Z’ explores how the digital revolution’s explosion is impacting our society. The documentary dives into Gen Z’s beliefs and fear for our future, and it shows that Gen Z is the most empathetic generation yet. The piece seamlessly explains how Gen Z leans into the ideas of sustainably sourced fabrics and brands with strong social messaging.
Gender fluid
Gen Z are the most open minded generation when it comes to self-expression and they are all about challenging fashion’s establishment and gender norms. Gender-inclusive fashion clothing is mostly listed on e-commerce sites as ‘unisex’ and can range from basic t-shirts and jackets to dresses and, according to analysts and fashion experts, it is here to stay! According to the global fashion shopping platform Lyst, there has been a 33% increase in searches related to gender-related keywords this year.
DIY fashion
Gen Z is increasingly interested in customizing, upcycling and deconstructing clothes. Having grown up during the pandemic, they’re also behind the spike in upcycling, resales and increased consumption of DIY clothing supplies and one of the coolest quarantine fashion trends they’ve embraced is tie dying their clothes at home. College sweaters, bike shorts, oversized t-shirts and dresses are all being used by Gen Z to experiment with this trend.
Thrift and resell
It’s called ‘access over possession’ according to McKinsey reports. Second hand online retailers are increasing in number because of Gen Z. Investing in vintage has become so easy, especially for Gen Z’s fashion enthusiasts who love to protect the environment. Demand for vintage has risen by 118 percent from 2020-2021 among Gen Z, according to McKinsey, an increase greater than that seen in any other demographic.
