In case you haven’t been scrolling through TikTok lately, you might have missed some very big news. It’s official: Gen-Z has declared the Millennial favourite “jeans and a nice top” as officially “over”, which begs the question, what do teens and twenty-somethings wear for a dressy evening out? Apparently, it’s just a case of switching around your pieces and opting for a plain-top-and-fun-trousers combination, and now celebrities are following suit too.
Take Emily Ratajkowski’s birthday week outfit for example. If we were to look through her past looks and guess what she’d wear next, I’d put money on a simple, fitted top and loose trousers (a pairing you’ll see time and again on her Instagram feed), but this time around Ratajkowski appears to have taken tips from TikTok and gone for quite possibly the most statement pair of trousers one could imagine, and with a plain, white bandeau. And honestly, we’re here for it.
Whether her look is an intentional nod to Pride month in the US, or just a very stylish outing for a pair of Dolce and Gabbana trousers from the Spring/Summer 2002 show, this buzzy outfit certainly stopped us in our tracks. There’s something about the rainbow stripe that feels like a 90’s throwback, and any pair of trousers that low-slung immediately takes us back to the Noughties (especially when worn with a boob tube), but given Gen-Z’s penchant for retro dressing, this look is so up-to-date it’s almost ahead of it’s time. And, given the fact that Ratajkowski is a card-carrying Millennial, it’s further proof that the next generation are setting the tone when it comes to being fashion forward.
A quick poll in the Who What Wear office reveals that jeans and a nice top are still just as relevant (and we aren’t quite ready to trade in our blue denim just yet), but if you are looking for a way to push your style further, this is definitely one to try. Not sold on rainbow patchwork? Don’t worry. We’ve rounded up some more Gen-Z inspired ways to channel the look for summer, or your next night out (no sequins required).
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