Gen Z Says is a bimonthly column chronicling the latest trends in the fashion-and-beauty space through the lens of Who What Wear’s own Gen Z editors. Expect a download on the upcoming class of tastemakers, emerging designers, and shopping and style choices straight from the generation setting the trends.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being chronically online, it’s that Gen Z’s trend cycle waits for no one. Just when you’ve finally wrapped your head around one formerly dated item becoming cool again, someone under 30 is already wearing the next controversial trend like it never left. This fall, that means the fashion pendulum is swinging in some particularly unexpected directions.
After spending an unreasonable amount of time scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, and the feeds of the coolest people I know, I’ve started to notice a pattern. The best fall outfits aren’t necessarily built around the trends we’ve been talking about for the last few seasons. Instead, Gen Z is reaching for pieces that feel a little nostalgic, a little preppy, and—in some cases—like something you might have sworn off years ago. Think low-rise skinny jeans instead of baggy denim, old-school canvas sneakers in place of the latest hyped-up suede shoes, and colorful outfits that make quiet luxury feel like a distant memory.
Below, these are the fall trends quickly becoming shorthand for under-30 style right now.
Canvas Sneakers
Sorry to your suede sneakers, but Gen Z is going back to basics. Canvas sneakers—think Converse, Keds, and Vans—have that perfectly unfussy, slightly nostalgic quality that feels right. The cooler the outfit, the simpler the sneakers seem to be. Bonus points if they look a little lived-in.
Low-Rise Skinny Jeans
Yes, you read that correctly. After years of increasingly wide denim, skinny jeans are creeping back into the conversation, and naturally, Gen Z is skipping straight to low-rise versions. The 2026 approach feels less 2010s and more early-aughts model off duty: long tops, tiny camis, sleek pumps, and an intentionally narrow silhouette.
Color Blocking
The beige era may finally be losing its grip. Turquoise, tomato red, royal purple, and other hypersaturated shades are appearing everywhere, and the most interesting outfits aren’t stopping at one. Gen Z is mixing seemingly clashing colors together, bringing back the kind of unapologetic color blocking that demands to be noticed.
Quarter-Zip Sweaters
Preppy knitwear has officially entered its cool-girl era. Quarter-zips are replacing crewnecks as the sweater silhouette to know, especially when styled slightly oversize with jeans or layered over a tee. J.Crew’s Tiny Rollneck campaign with Emma Chamberlain only adds to the feeling that classic American prep is having another revival.
Wayfarer Sunglasses
Tiny sunglasses had their moment, but Gen Z is looking to a decidedly more classic shape now. Wayfarer-style frames are popping up on fashion people everywhere, bringing a slightly retro, effortlessly cool energy to even the simplest outfits. Consider them the anti-trend sunglasses that somehow became the biggest silhouette du jour.
