If you’re anything like me, you love to hear of older people who have long ceased caring about what everyone else thinks of their personal style. In an age where countless niche aesthetics and microtrends are surfacing regularly, it can be refreshing to see that there is an entire generation of people who are relatively immune to the short-lived trends that plague our for-you pages. This is not to say that younger people mindlessly follow trends without taking their own tastes into account, just that personal style becomes more refined the longer it exists. Someone who has had decades to curate their own aesthetic is truly a worthy opponent to the endless trend cycling that those who are less secure in their style tend to fall prey to.
Although telling someone they have the fashion sense of an old person is not usually perceived as a compliment, there is a whole generation of young people today who are embracing this look. Many are showing signs of trend fatigue, emulating vintage styles in an attempt to escape the frustration of keeping up with endless short-lived microtrends.
Recent styles that have developed as a result of this, such as grandpacore, eclectic grandpa, and coastal grandmother are a few examples of how our generation’s desire for a truly unique personal aesthetic has manifested into trends. However, unlike other popular styles, these grandparent-centered aesthetics are geared toward creating a foundation for personal style that can be built upon for years to come. They aim to provide a timeless look that can easily be personalized over a lifetime, rather than encouraging rampant overconsumption.
To add another level of individually, the pieces that make up these aesthetics are fairly easy to find at the average thrift or vintage store, such as the Coogi-style sweaters, giant button downs, and baseball caps that are at the heart of the grandpa look. Or, even better, go straight to the source and raid your grandparents closet to find well-loved clothing guaranteed to be backed by an authentic sense of style.
It can be daunting to try to understand your own tastes in fashion, considering how quickly trends change and pieces everyone loved a week ago become obsolete. Social media has made it entirely too easy to recreate popular looks and discard them when they lose their relevance, so it’s no surprise that many people are left feeling burnt out. Looking to trends for style guidance and going through so many pieces that don’t actually resonate with your personal taste is a frustrating experience.
As much work as it is to leave the world of trend cycles behind and develop a truly authentic personal style, it’s the only way to fill the void of constant overconsumption. Breaking away from trends that aren’t aligned with your fashion preferences ultimately creates a wardrobe you can take pride in and develop for the rest of your life. I hope that as more people embrace styles championed by grandparents everywhere, the stress of buying into microtrends, as well as the stigma around growing old, will begin to dissipate. For a group such as Gen Z who values authenticity and owning your taste in fashion, no matter how unconventional, being at an age where we have accumulated a lifetime’s worth of personal style should be something to look forward to.
Words by Sydney Fuller.
Graphic by May Avramovitz.