Gen Z: The Generation Of Nostalgia
The second youngest with the oldest souls of them all. A generation obsessed with all things vintage, no matter the era. And yes history always repeats itself, but it was never this quick. We are actively speedrunning through each era of fashion and culture not knowing our true desire is color. Color in a sense of chicness, culture, and intentionality. We grew up in the 90s and early 2000s with so much purpose and color around us. And it was all ripped away from us the second we got older. Where did all that color go? Why didn’t we get the chance to have our own version?
When it came to today’s fashion I was always weary of those with a vast interest in it for a multitude of reasons. I can always see right through them. It’s never genuine. For the past couple years I observed as Tiktok has done almost irreversible damage to the fashion industry. Making it so oversaturated, the real innovators are outshined by people who only want to cop “pieces” for the sake of having them. But, after digging deeper I came to a realization. It’s not their fault at all. They just wanted something to grasp onto because our generation has nothing. Yes the idea of thrifting is getting watered down, but that’s only because our stores don’t sell anything of purpose anymore. We’ve seen the current state of our fashion and turned to the past for answers. The overconsumption is an issue in and of itself but it’s deeper than that. We have no identity and no purpose within our generation.
The 80s dominated with neon athleisure and new wave clothing, the 60s + 70s introduced colorful floral patterns and bell bottoms paired with platform shoes, and the 90s took the lead with alternative fashion and streetwear. Each decade had their staples, and we’re left with boring black, white, and greys. And, truthfully it goes beyond fashion. I still remember the day I was riding in the backseat of my mom’s car and we rode past a Mcdonald’s just to see all of its vibrant colors replaced with black and white. I remember being so confused on what the purpose of that was. Just to later understand this boring sentiment would later seep into every section of our lives. Our fashion, food, toys, and lives have no more color. So we look to the past to try and recreate those times of rich culture. I no longer judge those who’re searching for their identity in this way, because we have no choice. I hope there’s some kind of revolution to birth our own renaissance because we truly deserve it. We waited our whole lives to be given nothing.
