I never expected to have an existential crisis about my emoji usage but we’re in the year 2021 so that’s pretty much par for the course. For context, when I was asking my Gen-Z cousins about fashion trends, I also discovered they would never use the laugh-cry emoji. I hate to break it to you my fellow Millennials but one of our most-used emoticons is a signifier that we’re no longer relevant (well, at least that’s how I’ve interpreted it *inserts laugh-cry emoji*). The good news is that while I might be, ahem, “old” in some ways, Gen-Z fashion trends are something I can get on board with.
I spoke to a range of Gen-Z influencers from all over the world—from Indonesia to the UK—on the biggest trends for 2021 and what they’re wearing right now. I also spoke to Depop, which currently boasts over 26 million users, of which 90% fall into the Gen-Z category. The top five searched-for trends, which they told me don’t seem to be budging at all right now are, in order: North Face Puffer, Jordan 1, Balenciaga, Brown North Face Puffer, and corset top. Depop is also seeing popularity surge in resin rings and a +800% increase in searches since September (thanks to the likes of Bella Hadid wearing the jewellery). An interesting collection of very ‘90s-style looks.
But what do people who identify as Gen Z make of all this? Do they agree? From Awa, a Swedish singer based in the UK to Jade, a creative consultant in the U.S., there’s one consistent theme that emerged: nearly every Gen-Z trend they told me about seems to be based on an originally ’00s or ’90s look. While I might have experienced these the first time around, I do like the latest updates on the 2021 versions. So keep scrolling for everything you need to know on the biggest Gen-Z trends right now.
