- Judith Akatugba
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Rather from succumbing to generational preconceptions, our fashion critic advises readers to invest in classic pieces.
In the past several years, Gen Z has been making fun of millennial style with such joy that it has become its own TikTok fad. However, I think it’s a mistake to view this as a generational issue. It’s more of a decade-specific problem because our fashion sense is frequently shaped by the prevailing attitudes of the era in which we became adults, began shopping for ourselves, and had to learn how to negotiate our identities in public.
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I’m not sure when that kind of thinking got condensed to a single generational cliché; it was probably around the time when Gen X began to try and set itself apart from baby boomers, and then the millennial generation came up. Regardless, this kind of classification hasn’t been helpful to any of us.
That being said, there’s a pretty easy way to stop feeling like your clothes date you, and it doesn’t involve settling for something frumpy or chasing the next hot (young) thing. Avoid stepping into either trap.
Actually, stop thinking in terms of eras and their styles. What’s trendy today is out of style tomorrow. Alternatively, choose timeless clothing. as well as how they might adjust to your personal identity.
For instance, although I would never advise giving up on your skinny jeans completely (aside from jeggings, which I still consider to be a classic), every designer I consulted about modernizing a wardrobe, including Tommy Hilfiger and Peter Do, the millennial designer for Helmut Lang, had the same suggestion: looser pants. Still, not every pair of looser pants is made equal.
Try transitioning into a higher-waist, more fitted design instead of jumping right into enormous cargo trousers and feeling like you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole to the 1990s—Gen Z’s favorite decade they skipped. Instead of Britney Spears, picture Katharine Hepburn. Rather than a tank top or a small cardigan, wear those pants with a jacket or a boxy sweater, which was a silhouette that was prevalent in the Theory collection I recently saw.
The ultimate former advocate of skinny jeans and riding boots (or ballet flats), Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a good role model for this style. She has managed to wean herself off of that look, at least occasionally, in favor of suit jackets with longer lines, semi-flared pants, and court shoes. She exudes confidence and a sense of maturity, as though she can move on with her life.
Next, think about include some timeless outerwear, such as a classy automobile coat or a swishy trench coat. And layering, according to Mr. Do: a pleated skirt worn over fitted pants, for instance, or an elongated white shirt or dress (he created a fantastic one for his collaboration with Banana Republic) worn over baggy pants and unbuttoned from the waist.
The goal is to modify a wardrobe, not to throw it away. Ultimately, the one way to dress that will instantly make you seem current is to begin with sustainability in mind. And nothing is more sustainable than making the longest-lasting decisions about what you buy and wear for both current generations and future ones.
