First Gen Z came for our skinny jeans. Now they’re here for our leggings, too?
Open the dresser drawer of any Millennial woman and you’re almost sure to find a black bundle of the soft and stretchy, all-purpose pants substitute — the unofficial uniform of those born between 1981 to 1996, particularly during their teenage years.
Paired with anything from a going-out top and chunky jewelry for dinner or a hoodie to run to the store — and, of course, Uggs — leggings were whatever you wanted them to be.
Now, they’re cancelled.
Gen Z style gurus have once again ganged up on the rest of the world, decreeing those roll-on thigh-huggers just one more “chuegy” (or, outdated) thing from the Victoria’s Secret sale at the mall, waiting to be turfed from your closet.
Fortunately, aging fashionistas, our benevolent dictators have something new all picked out for us that they’re sure we’re going to love — yoga pants. Well, that’s what Millennials called them, anyway. To Gen Z, they’re “flared leggings.”
Millennial TikToker Hannah Brown, who calls herself a “hot girl anthropologist,” has repeatedly gone viral sourcing style advice from the “hot girls of TikTok,” an unofficial collection of young beauties who’ve helped make the sometimes controversial app Gen Z’s favorite social media site.
Last week, Brown posted a video showing herself leaving her house to run errands in Air Force Jordan lows, black leggings, a chunky knit sweater and a tote bag asking “What are we wearing to run errands?”
The top response she got from Gen Z? We’re not wearing leggings anymore.
Instead, the couture-conscious commenters called for everyone to make the switch to yoga pants, or flared leggings.
Gen Zers can be seen typically styling the tight but comfortable bottoms with platform UGGs or Birkenstocks, a crewneck sweater and delicate gold jewelry for the “holy combo”.
But much like tight leggings, flared leggings can also be dressed up and styled to match nearly any occasion — that way, anyone can look good and feel good.
The biggest difference between the yoga pants of yore and todays flared leggings is that Gen Z prefers to wear them in solid colors with a thin waistband, compared to Millennials, who purchased the pants in bright eccentric prints or in black with a thick waistband folded over with a pop of color.
And yoga pants aren’t the only thing Gen Zers are remaking in their image. They’ve been busy reviving a multitude of what they’re referring to as “Y2K trends,” some of which Millennials are actually excited about — slip dresses, popcorn shirts and flip phones — and some not so much — micro miniskirts, over-plucked brows and low-rise jeans.
Meanwhile, Gen Z’s tastemaking days could soon begin winding down, with the oldest Gen Alphas now hitting their high school years.
As one of the soon-to-be-older generation already noted, “We’re gonna be made fun of so bad.”