Millennial Criticizes The Gen Z ‘Uniform’ — ‘I Feel A Little Sad For Them’
Is it fashion or a uniform?
Africa Studio | Shutterstock Ever been out at a bar and thought, “Is it me, or do all these people look the same?” Well, that’s exactly what happened to one millennial, Chelsea Vaughn, who spotted a group of girls in New York, all dressed identically — black tops, the same cut of jeans, and matching fur jackets.
Some might say this is the official Gen Z uniform, ranging from college girls taking on a night around the town to young women meeting their friends at the bar after work. Vaughn couldn’t help but wonder: What happened to personal style? Is Gen Z’s fashion game all about blending in rather than standing out?
A millennial woman wondered why all Gen Z dress alike.
Sure, trends have always existed. In fact, Vaughn herself pointed out that when she was younger, they were all rocking blazers to the club, but there was still room for individuality. Not everyone looked the same, and that’s what made fashion fun.
Now, according to Vaughn, it feels like Gen Z has taken trend-following to a whole new level. The other night, Vaughn said she saw a group of ten girls, all walking together, and it was like they had come straight from the same outfit assembly line. Black top, same cut of jeans, matching fur jacket. No variation, no creativity. It was like a uniform — one that wasn’t for work, but for… a night out?
It wasn’t that they were dressed badly — just all dressed exactly the same. The question is: How did we get here? Is there some unwritten rule that says “no one shall stand out?” For a generation that’s supposed to be all about breaking boundaries, this matching look seems oddly restrictive.
Social media could play a major role in why fashion trends seem more popular than personal styles.
If there’s one thing that’s undeniably driving the fashion scene right now, it’s social media. Instagram, TikTok, and even the OG inspiration platform of all time, Pinterest — all play a huge role in shaping trends, often pushing them to the point where they feel less like “style” and more like “replica.” And that’s where the problem lies.
With trends dictated by viral looks, it’s easy to see why so many Gen Zers show up at the bar in the same outfit. It’s not necessarily that they lack creativity, but rather that the pressure to look “on trend” is at an all-time high. New York-based stylist Oré Zaccheus told Essence, “Style is meant to emulate your own lifestyle. What you eat, where you frequent, your career path, etc., but social media distracts you from owning that definiteness. We all could benefit from living more authentically, and style could be the first layer to that.”
Gone are the days of figuring out what’s cool by trying things on, mixing and matching, and ultimately owning your own personal style. Now, it's all about keeping up with what's hot online. It’s no wonder that when you look around, it can feel like you’re staring at a bunch of clones, all with the same "fashion-forward" formula. But where’s the fun in that?
There's nothing wrong with following trends, but it's also important to impart your own personal flair to popular fashion.
Look, it’s not that trends are a bad thing, but here’s the thing — style should be about expressing yourself. Sure, if everyone wants to rock the same look for a few weeks, that's fine. But when you start seeing it on every girl at the bar, you’ve got to ask: Is anyone left with their own spin on fashion?
The real bummer here isn’t that people are following trends — it’s that personal expression seems to be getting lost in the shuffle. When fashion feels like it’s all about fitting in, the magic of standing out starts to fade.
Ariwasabi | Canva Pro
We all know that fashion is cyclical, and Gen Z will start caring less about trends as they get older, but right now, it feels like everyone’s stuck in the same lookbook. Fashion should be fun, not a race to see who can emulate the most popular influencer.
Every generation follows trends. Do we need to talk about the millennial Ugg obsession? The idea of a Gen Z "uniform" isn't a tragedy, but it is different than past generations because of social media's influence. Young people are stuck in an echo chamber of what they are told looks good instead of what they actually like. Life experience will eventually change their perspective, but Vaughn does have a point, even if it is a little harsher than it needs to be.