I am smack in the middle of the “zillennial” micro generation, and as summer has ramped up, I’ve found myself caught between two worlds. The itty-bitty crop tops of my youth seem too revealing, yet I don’t want to look matronly. I decided to renounce my short-short cutoffs, but the longer shorts I bought to replace them feel dowdy and unstylish. I want to evoke that I’m still young and interested in fashion but avoid looking like a TikTok victim. Help! I’ve never felt a fashion crisis like this before! — Leah, New York City
I’m not sure when we became so enamored of identifying ourselves by generation — somewhere after Gen X but before Gen Z, when marketing gurus got hold of the idea and the pathologizing of everything became a trend — but I am not sure it’s doing anyone any favors. It sounds to me as if what you are experiencing is not, in fact, related to the generation to which you belong, but to the life stage you are in.
Specifically, that midway point of young adulthood when you are neither one nor the other; when you have said goodbye to your student self and are trying to figure out how your grown-up independent self may look. That’s a transitional period everybody has to navigate, no matter what their nominal generation. The question is really how to best dress to ease your way through it.
The first thing to realize is that while, as a zillennial, you may identify as permanently in-between, the particular in-between wardrobe period you are experiencing is one of evolution — and it ends. Rather than commit to a whole new look, you should consider adding a few judicious pieces and tweaks to act as a bridge between where you were and where you are going (which is, granted, still T.B.D.).
Indeed, the stylist Tina Chai said, the answer may be to lean in to the in-between. For example, take your regular jeans — or even better, a high-waist, slightly flared pair — and add a sleeveless mock turtleneck. With your arms bare, you create a body-skimming line while also playing with the idea of coverage. (And remember to tuck in the top and add a belt. Nothing says pulled together like tucking in a shirt.)
Another option, Ms. Chai said, is a simple body-con dress in a midi length. The hemline telegraphs “adult,” but the cling adds some suggestion. Finally, she advised considering “an oversize shirt or a longer skirt in a semi-sheer fabric like organza or lace,” which is another solution that only seems staid.
“It’s all about balance and the mix,” she said. “Revealing less skin overtly allows more room to play with other elements.”
See, for example, Zendaya, a zillennial herself and (along with her “image architect,” Law Roach) something of a role model in experimenting with fashion. Then see her look at CinemaCon in 2023, when she wore a backless Louis Vuitton vest and big pinstripe trousers. Business in the front; party in the back.
For other ideas, consider the Zillennial Zine, which is more than happy to opine on the art of the in-between. Or, said Wisdom Kaye, the model and influencer (with 11.5 million followers on TikTok), use accessories to signal your personality. Take a more covered-up “adult” piece and “spice it up with some charms or key chains, or some fun socks, or anything really that just feels like you.”
Ultimately, he said, it’s about “taking that uniform and remixing it with elements that tell your story.”
Put another way: It’s not about the generation, it’s about the journey. Between frumpy and Coachella, there are multitudes.
Your Style Questions, Answered
Every week on Open Thread, Vanessa will answer a reader’s fashion-related question, which you can send to her anytime via email or Twitter. Questions are edited and condensed.
