I am so, SO tired of capitalism, media, the patriarchy, etc, pushing these ridiculous generational “conflicts”— it’s hard not to see it as a deliberate attempt to keep us all from paying attention to what really matters when the world is, both literally and figuratively, on fire.
Ok so I saw your IG about this too and I had to skim read the article. LOL it ends with "but most importantly wear what makes you happy," after taking up all this space to tell you what to wear? And, I know I'm being judgy here, but why would I take style advice from a younger person making a tiktok from under a blanket on my bed? the comments on the article are worth it though.
I do appreciate how Gen Z is really into thrifting. Every time I go to the local thrift shops I always see young people and they are definitely putting effort into their looks- all unique for sure, and a lot of gender bending stuff and really creative and I dunno but that just thrills me- so I agree with you, I feel like they are pretty inclusive overall.
Since 95% of my wardrobe is thrifted/secondhand I only keep up with trends in if it's in the store- like I definitely notice color trends- some colors I love just seem impossible to find (jade and celadon greens). And there's the sad beige CA all neutral trend that just won't die... I also don't do TikTok but it seems like regardless of if you track trends if you use any social media they are coming through- thinking about know ads on FB or what's for sale on Poshmark or what my Pinterest is feeding me.
I LOVED your response to this article! Yes, agree to all of it! Let people where and exist as they choose! I do follow some trends because I like them but also in my 40's, comfort is my #1 priority!
What a weird article! Maybe instead of worrying so much about what younger people think of our style we can teach them how chasing impossible beauty standards keeps us distracted from the real work of being alive and radically transforming a nation and world in desperate need of reform!
Thank you so much for addressing this article! I read it when it came out and was super annoyed. I'm currently wearing skinny jeans and have no plans to stop. I actually loved reading the comments section of the article because it was a lot of Gen X folks saying how yes - those were the trends when they were growing up, no need to rewear them now. As an elder millennial I also wore those styles in my formative years, and remember my mom & her friends laughing about how styles from their youth were coming back around. I had a pair of khaki pants like those linked to in the article when I was in 6th grade. The people in the article were acting like they were doing millennials a favor by explaining styles we wore (and our parents) wore in middle school. And yes, so consumeristic! I don't need a different pair of shoes for every occasion - happy to wear my booties everywhere I go.
yeah, I definitely felt old reading it, not because of the trends, but bc of "aw look how cute, these kids think they invented the wheel, just wait until they are older" 🙃
became a paid subscriber to say just this: since when have adult women been so collectively low on self-esteem that we actually care about what teenagers say about the way we dress? Why is the mainstream media pushing the idea - and following Tiktok's lead on that front - that no longer being 'the youth', and wearing clothes that the youth of today would never wear, is a fate worse than death for millennial women? I've never worn a pair of skinny jeans in my life but the insidiousness of media effectively repeatedly telling women who've dared to age past 25 that it's time to go in the bin, isn't lost on me (no surprise the Gen Z's on Tiktok seem rather neurotic about aging too).
But the Gen Z dunking on millennial style is especially rich considering the much-hyped Gen Z look is often a copy-paste of what old millennials wore in their own youth (see: y2k, 'indie sleaze', '90s' etc). As in, if it wasn't for the iPhone resolution and the selfie pose, I wouldn't be able to tell whether a given outfit was from 2002 or 2022.
I completely agree! It feels like it's a result of the absolute pervasiveness of social media, I don't think anyone in other generations was watching or cared. And yes, it's so silly that they're suggesting things that have uh, already been done, as if they invented it 🙄
on the fashion front alone, I wouldn't want to take style advice from someone who's basically dressed as tween/teenage me.
Every generation does its 20-years-ago-was-so-cool revivals (90s takes on 70s trends, 2010s take on early 90s trends), this is just the first that's so, well, identical, right down to hair, makeup etc.
'“Everything Gen Z consumes is driven by influencers,” she said.' LOL. And influencers do it for free? They aren't getting sponcon? Emphasis on "con". Isn't Gen Z wise enough to know that trends are nothing but capitalistic manipulation? A call for conformity? Boring AF? Everything (and I do mean ev-er-y-thing) has be done before. (I saw that one "influencer" was wearing acid wash jeans; insert barf emoji here.) There's nothing new or original. (Ankles are out, though? LOL, WTF?) We need to introduce these kids to the punk movement, Vivienne Westwood, Chrissie Hynde and Poly Styrene. Why follow when you can lead? Audrey Hepburn had style. Katharine Hepburn had style. They set trends instead of being led by them. Fashion is supposed to be fun, a way to express *your* voice, not someone else's. (Which, at the end of the article, they give you permission to do. FFS.) xo
Best advice thank you ! Start with your own judgey voice about others, notice it! Reframe it. Great advice. Till I did I hadn’t realised I was doing it, though I would’ve claimed I didn’t have anti fat bias. Or judgey style queen attitude - blame trimny and Susanna !
With my recovery from a lifetime of dieting I deliberately started appreciating body diversity. And I’ve always looked for peoples style, especially people who seemed to have dived into my dress up box and are wearing it as everyday outfit - like I used to when I was 18 !!
I catch myself now, although I do still judge. I didn't notice the extent that I do until sitting outside at a coffeeshop with an 80-something year old gentleman on a sunny Sunday afternoon people watching. We found ourselves turning toward one another making silent "what-the-hell" faces as black GenZ women passed wearing articles of clothing neither of us deemed appropriate outside a seedy hotel bedroom. The following day when someone approached wearing similar style, I thought, "Why am I giving energy to this? What the hell does her outfit have to do with me?" Now when I see an outfit that interrupts my train of thought, I remember, "It's not in my closet. It's none of my business." The hope is eventually I'll stop judging entirely. I can spend an entire day overthinking issues around my perceptions about my own body both clothed and unclothed. That's enough to keep me occupied (along with the hope that no one is judging me as harshly as I have judged others).
As a Gen Xer, I read the NYT article from the place of 1. they don't know I exist and 2. all the "new" fashionable stuff is stuff that I have either worn or rejected or, in the case of bootcut jeans, never really gave up. I'm glad I'm old enough (56) to be out of fucks for trendiness but I can imagine how an article like this would have made younger me feel.
I see a lot of styling hacks on various social media and I'm finding that I only want to watch positive hacks: "here is how you do this" or even if it's "traditionally flattering", "here is how you wear this style to make it look good". The negative "don't do this or you'll be unfashionable" vibe is offputting. In social media space, when presented with outrage bait, the question I've learned to ask is "who is this person and why should I care what they think?". It's a question I'm learning to ask about people pushing trends at me, especially in a threatening way where if I don't follow their rules, they will condemn me or tell me I'm old/unfashionable/undesirable/whatever.
I didn’t care about trends when I was in high school (not that they made anything trendy for “plus sizes” back then). Why would I care now as a grown up?
I read the article and sighed. Sort of what I expect from fashion articles…..I’m 70 and I do care about fashion and trends for myself. I’m loving the wider legs and have always loved a good khaki but I’m not so excited about low rise jeans again. Still I love to look at all the pictures.
I love reading fashion articles. I admit to still subscribing to Vogue. At 65. Even though there is no way in hell there was ever a time when I could fit, afford, or pull off wearing anything splashed across those glossy pages. Still I found and find it all fun. Back in my real world, yes to the wider legs. Yesterday I ended my 7-week "no buying" streak by buying a pair of Madewell, wide-leg cotton/linen slacks for spring. Rare to find a natural blend sale item in my size so grabbed. I share your enthusiasm, Susan. And your generation. NYT is definitely targeting a younger audience not by accident. I say, being invisible has it perks. Curating my style without demands to justify what's in my closet.
Also I can’t wait for super low-rise jeans to come back into style just because it will be hilarious! I wore those in my early 20s and don’t imagine I will go back to that style, but who knows!
I remember Mom buying me a couple pair from Lord and Taylor. When I opened the package I thought, "Whoops, Mom forgot I'm fat." I returned them for a dress. ALL of the slacks were super low rise. All of them.
Thank you for being such a consistent voice in this space--I always appreciate your reminders to look inward for information about personal style and how we dress ourselves rather than out.
I couldn’t care less about trends. I’m 45 and out of fucks.
👏👏👏
My thoughts exactly. Haha! I thought, “Thank goodness I’m old enough to not have any fucks.”
didn't read the article, don't care. I've never been fashionable or "on trend" so it has zero relevance for me.
If you have a personal look which is comfortable for you and reflects you and your life, you may never be in fashion, but you will always be in style.
totally agree
This story was linked in Casey Johnston’s amazing She’s a Beast newsletter this week, and I will bookmark this for when I find myself fretting too much over what others might be thinking about my clothes or my appearance in general: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/woman-hawaiian-shirt-264-times-zoom-meetings_n_60d387f0e4b06005129e14a9
I am so, SO tired of capitalism, media, the patriarchy, etc, pushing these ridiculous generational “conflicts”— it’s hard not to see it as a deliberate attempt to keep us all from paying attention to what really matters when the world is, both literally and figuratively, on fire.
yes, it's so f'ing exhausting 😓
NYT is doing its bit. "All the news that's fit to print." Beginning with following TIKTOKs lead.
I'm going to have to send that HuffPo article to my husband, who wears Hawaiian shirts to his meetings all summer.
Ok so I saw your IG about this too and I had to skim read the article. LOL it ends with "but most importantly wear what makes you happy," after taking up all this space to tell you what to wear? And, I know I'm being judgy here, but why would I take style advice from a younger person making a tiktok from under a blanket on my bed? the comments on the article are worth it though.
I do appreciate how Gen Z is really into thrifting. Every time I go to the local thrift shops I always see young people and they are definitely putting effort into their looks- all unique for sure, and a lot of gender bending stuff and really creative and I dunno but that just thrills me- so I agree with you, I feel like they are pretty inclusive overall.
Since 95% of my wardrobe is thrifted/secondhand I only keep up with trends in if it's in the store- like I definitely notice color trends- some colors I love just seem impossible to find (jade and celadon greens). And there's the sad beige CA all neutral trend that just won't die... I also don't do TikTok but it seems like regardless of if you track trends if you use any social media they are coming through- thinking about know ads on FB or what's for sale on Poshmark or what my Pinterest is feeding me.
I LOVED your response to this article! Yes, agree to all of it! Let people where and exist as they choose! I do follow some trends because I like them but also in my 40's, comfort is my #1 priority!
What a weird article! Maybe instead of worrying so much about what younger people think of our style we can teach them how chasing impossible beauty standards keeps us distracted from the real work of being alive and radically transforming a nation and world in desperate need of reform!
Thank you so much for addressing this article! I read it when it came out and was super annoyed. I'm currently wearing skinny jeans and have no plans to stop. I actually loved reading the comments section of the article because it was a lot of Gen X folks saying how yes - those were the trends when they were growing up, no need to rewear them now. As an elder millennial I also wore those styles in my formative years, and remember my mom & her friends laughing about how styles from their youth were coming back around. I had a pair of khaki pants like those linked to in the article when I was in 6th grade. The people in the article were acting like they were doing millennials a favor by explaining styles we wore (and our parents) wore in middle school. And yes, so consumeristic! I don't need a different pair of shoes for every occasion - happy to wear my booties everywhere I go.
yeah, I definitely felt old reading it, not because of the trends, but bc of "aw look how cute, these kids think they invented the wheel, just wait until they are older" 🙃
Pretty hilarious, isn’t it?!
became a paid subscriber to say just this: since when have adult women been so collectively low on self-esteem that we actually care about what teenagers say about the way we dress? Why is the mainstream media pushing the idea - and following Tiktok's lead on that front - that no longer being 'the youth', and wearing clothes that the youth of today would never wear, is a fate worse than death for millennial women? I've never worn a pair of skinny jeans in my life but the insidiousness of media effectively repeatedly telling women who've dared to age past 25 that it's time to go in the bin, isn't lost on me (no surprise the Gen Z's on Tiktok seem rather neurotic about aging too).
But the Gen Z dunking on millennial style is especially rich considering the much-hyped Gen Z look is often a copy-paste of what old millennials wore in their own youth (see: y2k, 'indie sleaze', '90s' etc). As in, if it wasn't for the iPhone resolution and the selfie pose, I wouldn't be able to tell whether a given outfit was from 2002 or 2022.
I completely agree! It feels like it's a result of the absolute pervasiveness of social media, I don't think anyone in other generations was watching or cared. And yes, it's so silly that they're suggesting things that have uh, already been done, as if they invented it 🙄
on the fashion front alone, I wouldn't want to take style advice from someone who's basically dressed as tween/teenage me.
Every generation does its 20-years-ago-was-so-cool revivals (90s takes on 70s trends, 2010s take on early 90s trends), this is just the first that's so, well, identical, right down to hair, makeup etc.
'“Everything Gen Z consumes is driven by influencers,” she said.' LOL. And influencers do it for free? They aren't getting sponcon? Emphasis on "con". Isn't Gen Z wise enough to know that trends are nothing but capitalistic manipulation? A call for conformity? Boring AF? Everything (and I do mean ev-er-y-thing) has be done before. (I saw that one "influencer" was wearing acid wash jeans; insert barf emoji here.) There's nothing new or original. (Ankles are out, though? LOL, WTF?) We need to introduce these kids to the punk movement, Vivienne Westwood, Chrissie Hynde and Poly Styrene. Why follow when you can lead? Audrey Hepburn had style. Katharine Hepburn had style. They set trends instead of being led by them. Fashion is supposed to be fun, a way to express *your* voice, not someone else's. (Which, at the end of the article, they give you permission to do. FFS.) xo
yes, as i said in a comment up above, it was kindof cute how these people think they're reinventing the wheel 🤣
And Janis Joplin
Amen. Someone posted a photo of her in full regalia (hat, glasses, boas), pouring herself a glass of Veuve Clicquot, and I want that framed. xo
Best advice thank you ! Start with your own judgey voice about others, notice it! Reframe it. Great advice. Till I did I hadn’t realised I was doing it, though I would’ve claimed I didn’t have anti fat bias. Or judgey style queen attitude - blame trimny and Susanna !
With my recovery from a lifetime of dieting I deliberately started appreciating body diversity. And I’ve always looked for peoples style, especially people who seemed to have dived into my dress up box and are wearing it as everyday outfit - like I used to when I was 18 !!
I catch myself now, although I do still judge. I didn't notice the extent that I do until sitting outside at a coffeeshop with an 80-something year old gentleman on a sunny Sunday afternoon people watching. We found ourselves turning toward one another making silent "what-the-hell" faces as black GenZ women passed wearing articles of clothing neither of us deemed appropriate outside a seedy hotel bedroom. The following day when someone approached wearing similar style, I thought, "Why am I giving energy to this? What the hell does her outfit have to do with me?" Now when I see an outfit that interrupts my train of thought, I remember, "It's not in my closet. It's none of my business." The hope is eventually I'll stop judging entirely. I can spend an entire day overthinking issues around my perceptions about my own body both clothed and unclothed. That's enough to keep me occupied (along with the hope that no one is judging me as harshly as I have judged others).
As a Gen Xer, I read the NYT article from the place of 1. they don't know I exist and 2. all the "new" fashionable stuff is stuff that I have either worn or rejected or, in the case of bootcut jeans, never really gave up. I'm glad I'm old enough (56) to be out of fucks for trendiness but I can imagine how an article like this would have made younger me feel.
I see a lot of styling hacks on various social media and I'm finding that I only want to watch positive hacks: "here is how you do this" or even if it's "traditionally flattering", "here is how you wear this style to make it look good". The negative "don't do this or you'll be unfashionable" vibe is offputting. In social media space, when presented with outrage bait, the question I've learned to ask is "who is this person and why should I care what they think?". It's a question I'm learning to ask about people pushing trends at me, especially in a threatening way where if I don't follow their rules, they will condemn me or tell me I'm old/unfashionable/undesirable/whatever.
and also, how are they benefitting from me feeling this way?
I think we both know the an$wer but yeah, exactly.
I didn’t care about trends when I was in high school (not that they made anything trendy for “plus sizes” back then). Why would I care now as a grown up?
I read the article and sighed. Sort of what I expect from fashion articles…..I’m 70 and I do care about fashion and trends for myself. I’m loving the wider legs and have always loved a good khaki but I’m not so excited about low rise jeans again. Still I love to look at all the pictures.
I love reading fashion articles. I admit to still subscribing to Vogue. At 65. Even though there is no way in hell there was ever a time when I could fit, afford, or pull off wearing anything splashed across those glossy pages. Still I found and find it all fun. Back in my real world, yes to the wider legs. Yesterday I ended my 7-week "no buying" streak by buying a pair of Madewell, wide-leg cotton/linen slacks for spring. Rare to find a natural blend sale item in my size so grabbed. I share your enthusiasm, Susan. And your generation. NYT is definitely targeting a younger audience not by accident. I say, being invisible has it perks. Curating my style without demands to justify what's in my closet.
Love your response!
yep, i love it all too!
Dacy, who gives a blue hoot what people think?
Anyway, I do sll my shopping on thredup and MarketplaceIndia.com. We do have a planet to look out for.
What beautiful clothes. Thank you for sharing the link.
I'm still wearing the jacket I. Bought in. The early 90s. They wear for literally decades!
Also I can’t wait for super low-rise jeans to come back into style just because it will be hilarious! I wore those in my early 20s and don’t imagine I will go back to that style, but who knows!
I remember Mom buying me a couple pair from Lord and Taylor. When I opened the package I thought, "Whoops, Mom forgot I'm fat." I returned them for a dress. ALL of the slacks were super low rise. All of them.
Thank you for being such a consistent voice in this space--I always appreciate your reminders to look inward for information about personal style and how we dress ourselves rather than out.
😘 thanks, sasha