Gen Z is not the one-size-fits-all cohort brands and retailers were hoping for. Generally defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, this generation holds a growing global spending power of $450 billion—and they expect more nuanced products and authentic storytelling.
Understanding Gen Z isn’t just a competitive edge. In a webinar, Robbie Sinclair, Future Snoops VP of Fashion and Péter Kecskés, Future Snoops strategist of youth, said understanding Gen Z must be an integral part of brands’ strategies looking for growth and stability in today’s complex market.
“The truth is Gen Z is frequently mischaracterized, and they’re treated as this kind of monolithic, age-defined group that’s shaped by sweeping generalizations,” Sinclair said, adding that just 10 percent of the cohort share the same tastes, dislikes and purchasing habits. “The other 90 percent is wildly varied, yet much of the industry has built its strategies on that slim overlap.”
A series of contradictions mark this cohort. While young men are increasingly leaning to the far right, young women are moving further to the left, creating a widening ideological divide. Much of their news consumption comes from unvetted soundbites and podcasts, blurring the line between informed journalism and opinion-driven content.
According to Kecskés, 80 percent of Gen Z report feeling lonely over the past year, and 62 perent say they struggle to build deep, meaningful relationships. Despite this, they’re spending more time online than engaging in traditional social settings like bars or clubs.
These factors are shaping four Gen Z factions—or groups within a larger group of opposing views. “These factions are happening at the same time, some overlap, some contradict, but they’re all equally as important. And for some Gen Zers, they may have moments of sitting in each of these factions, sometimes at the same time, but sometimes from week to week. And as they experience life in these short periods, they can kind of dip between the factions,” Sinclair said.
Neo Trad
The Neo Trad faction explores traditionalist values, aesthetics and gender roles—but for two opposing reasons.
Some Gen Zers are ready to embrace domestic traditionalism. The reemergence of traditional gender roles manifests in fashion through hyper masculine and hyper feminine ways of dressing. Sinclair said Neo Trads gravitate toward rugged, militaristic men’s wear and delicate women’s wear “as a way to feel grounded and seen.”
Others are flipping cultural context clues on their head and challenging assumptions by reclaiming fashion items, styling cues and colors that have been previously associated with conservatives.
“The result is a shared visual language where traditional symbols are simultaneously celebrated and contested, and this reveals the complexities of Gen Z’s identity, politics and sense of irony and the intellect behind them. A lot of people think that Gen Z is just scraping the surface and don’t dig deep, but they’re highly intellectual,” Sinclair said.
Model and social media personality Nara Smith is a catalyst for the Neo Trad aesthetic.
Extended Adolescence
Extended Adolescence is a faction of Gen Z that is dealing with soaring costs and milestone anxiety by stepping off the traditional path, not out of rebellion, but for self-preservation. Instead of chasing markers of success they can’t afford or don’t believe in, Sinclair said the faction is turning inward by “indulging in little treats, favoring whimsical and personalized products and embracing joyful hobbies that offer temporary control.”
From balloon silhouettes, bag charms and kitschy embellishments to sober and wholesome activities like charm bracelet workshops and adult sleepovers, Sinclair said Gen Z is increasingly drawn to designs and experiences that reconnect them with their childhood.
Loewe
“These intentional choices aren’t based on immaturity at all,” he said. “They’re community-led, emotionally intelligent, and they’re driven to this kind of deep need of self-soothing.”
Justice Seekers
The Justice Seekers faction represents how rage is reshaping Gen Z’s cultural landscape. Gen Z demands that brands to step out of the shadows and take a stance on topics like gun control, the environmental crisis, reproductive rights, access to education and racial injustice.
“They’re transforming raw emotion into creative resistance, so fashion becomes protest, and art becomes activism with uncompromising intensity,” Sinclair said. “The Justice Seekers is a faction fueled by feminists, queer and anti-authoritarian values, and they organize through digital platforms. They reject institutional authority, and they embrace civil disobedience as an authentic expression.”
This mindset has given rise to punk, grunge and indie sleaze trends. Justice Seekers are transforming fashion into armor through aggressive details like heavy distressing, slashes, spikes and harsh dye treatment.
It is also kindling a sexually liberated aesthetic that is not intended for the male gaze, and stands against the societal expectations of acceptable behavior, he said, noting that Charli XCX, FKA Twiggs and Julia Fox embody this movement and style.
Charli XCX
Items can be as simple as statement T-shirts like Connor Ives’ “Protect the Dolls” tees or more overt like with “dark theme” dressing. “We all know that witches represent oppression and forced conformity, especially against women, and throughout history, women have been othered for their powers and strength. So, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a rise in witchy aesthetics by 40 percent,” Sinclair said.
In general, Sinclair said macabre energy is signaling a broader cultural shift toward designs built on distrust and trauma.
Disassociates
Amid ongoing social, political, and economic turbulence, many Gen Zers are intentionally distancing themselves from both reality and the digital world as a form of self-preservation. This faction, called the Disassociates, feels less engaged at work. They’re muting comments on social media, cutting costs and dealing with decision fatigue.
Instead of chasing maximalism, Kecskés said Disassociates are finding power in the absence by creating intentional voids of color, detail, individuality and opinion. “We’re seeing the decline of peacocking and the rise of comfort dressing under this new kind of self-expression that emerges through withdrawal. Gen Z gravitates toward effortless choices,” he said.
While Cos, Uniqlo and Muji are examples of brands that have mastered “quiet resistance,” Kecskés said this faction is challenging brands to build desire around clothing that is designed not to stand out.
Cos Remade denim capsule.
Courtesy
Trends like quiet luxury, normcore and anti-fashion may vary, but Sinclair said the message is the same. “For many, simplicity is survival,” he said, adding that the cost-of-living issues are making Gen Z lean toward clothes that last longer than a season.
Kecskés pointed out how this conscious disconnection isn’t passive. “It’s all about protection. It’s about fighting against consumer exhaustion and algorithm fatigue. Essentially, Gen Z is redefining what matters in fashion, digital engagement, social connection and consumption itself,” he said.
