Gen Z Doesn’t Have a Style — And That’s the Style

“Gen Z has no identifiable style.”

It’s a statement I’ve been seeing everywhere lately.

And on the surface, it makes sense. When we look back at previous generations, we can clearly identify their aesthetics. The 1920s had the “Roaring Twenties”—fringe, swing, and statement accessories. The 1960s brought bell bottoms and flower power. The ’90s gave us grunge.

So where is Gen Z’s version of that?

I think people are missing what’s actually happening.

Retailers are trying to manufacture generational style by recreating the past. Brands like Free People lean into a recycled ’70s aesthetic. Nike and Adidas continuously re-release ’80s-inspired track suits and windbreakers. Urban Outfitters pulls heavily from Y2K and grunge.

But in doing so, they’re overlooking what’s happening right in front of us.

Because Gen Z doesn’t have one identifiable style—and that’s the point.

We’re living in what I’d call the age of the handmade. It feels closest to a modern-day revival of the ’60s spirit—creative, rebellious, and deeply personal.

Thrifted fashion. Upcycled garments. Independent designers experimenting with new ideas. Handmade pieces. Artistic expression through clothing.

It’s as if clothing has become the new canvas—and the average person is the artist.

Part of this shift likely accelerated during the COVID pandemic, when people had the time to slow down and rethink what they wanted to create. Younger generations picked up crafts, learned to sew, crochet, design—and turned those skills into identity.

This new wave of fashion feels like both a reaction to and a rejection of overconsumption. It’s a pushback against the corporate systems that defined previous generations’ shopping habits.

It’s not uniform. It’s not mass-produced. It’s not easily categorized.

And that’s exactly why it is the style.

This isn’t the absence of identity—it’s the evolution of it.

And if you’re still looking to traditional retailers to define it, you’re already behind.

You might want to start paying attention to your local designers instead.