Gen Z Style Icons: Fashion Trends, Beauty Hacks, and Streetwear Inspiration

Fashion trends, beauty hacks, and streetwear inspos: we’ve got you covered. 

Modern-day style can be tricky to navigate. With the ever-changing push and pull of celebrity fashion and new trends emerging every week, it can be hard to tell when a look is “in” just for the moment and when it is “in” for the long haul. But we’ve compiled a definitive list of beauty tips and tricks worth keeping and all of the trends worth chasing. Master these looks and you’ll be well on your way to being a Gen Z fashion icon. 

Here are a couple of bite-sized trends, hacks, and brands to get you started:

Fashion Trends:

Stealth Wealth– See Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial style for a complete understanding of what this look exudes. Stealth wealth is the look of quiet luxury, making it seem like you have money by dressing well, but not too well. TV shows like Succession have been partially responsible for the appeal of this cooled-down glamor look, where the wearer gets to look chic, but with the luxury of being laidback. Those who adopt the stealth wealth look often wear upscale casual sweaters and turtlenecks that look comfortable but definitely not cheap. Pairing high end pieces with less expensive pieces is the simplest way to achieve this subdued look. 

The Exposed Bra– The Cannes Film Festival took place just a few days ago and it would appear that many of the female celebrities got the same memo. The memo in question? Make your push up bra visible over your silk evening gown. Underwear as outerwear has been the definitive NFSW look for a while now (Kendall Jenner wore tights and no skirt, showing off some black underwear, and Florence Pugh wore her see-through skirt, revealing her thong at Paris fashion week), but showcasing your bra as part of your evening dress is a fresh take on the look. Sydney Sweeney, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Scarlett Johannson flashed us their bra straps over their strapless dresses on the red carpet all night long in a move that is already pretty game-changing. However you choose to show off your underwear, making your bra part of your outfit is the epitome of confidence.

The 90s– AW22 saw the return of both 90s minimalism and 90s maximalism and SS23 is keeping up that energy. 90s womenswear came back in a big way with the return to work following the pandemic, featuring feminine skirts and suits that brought an elevated, polished look into focus. For more casual, non-business attire, the 90s came to the present day in the form of low-rise baggy jeans. The 90s are back in a big way; it’s time to embrace it.

Glittercore– If Paris fashion week taught us anything, it's that glitter is in right now. Following last season’s emphasis on rainbow-colored, dopamine-giving outfits, including our love affair with Barbiecore, it's no surprise that things have been taken one step further through happiness-inducing glitter. This pop of glitter comes just in time for party season when we will all be stepping out of the house in full body glitter.

Beauty Hacks:

Using a brush to clean your face– Spread your face wash across your face with a *clean* brush. By brushing your acne wash across your face, you’re ensuring that you’re getting completely covered without getting your grubby hands in the mix. Once you start cleaning your face with a brush, you’ll never go back to doing it all by hand.

Clean your makeup brushes after every use– This one should seem like a no-brainer, but the quality of your skin is often determined by the griminess of the makeup brushes you use, meaning that they need to be cleaned regularly. The best way to ensure that you’re cleaning your brushes often enough is to give them a quick wash after each and every use before laying them out to dry. Don’t submerge them in water overnight, since you run the risk of causing the glue that holds together the bristles to wear off.

Use Nair for your eyebrows and upper lip– Using Nair on your face probably seems like a pretty big no-no, especially since nair itself smells like tar and the fear of taking off half an eyebrow is all too real, but Nair only removes hair once it’s been on your face for several minutes, making it nearly impossible to accidentally remove a chunk of hair. Applying Nair avoids the pain of plucking and waxing and can be done in less than 10 minutes in your bathroom. Facial Nair is now available in stores to ensure that you’re using the right products on your face’s delicate skin.

Streetwear:

Patta Femme– Patta Femme has always been a go-to when it comes to women’s streetwear since it released its first womenswear line nearly a year ago. Now, with their latest SS23 collection, Patta Femme is being more size inclusive than it was before, making their streetwear wearable to more people. The Dutch-streetwear company is doing what they do best by releasing hoodie dresses, sweatpants, biker shorts, leggings, and cropped hoodies that maximize comfort. We also have their girlishly pink underwear with masculine black piping to look forward to.

Fila– Fila has had our heart since their “Women’s Capsule” collaboration with Playboy about a year ago, in which they took the sexiness of Playboy’s iconography and turned it into women’s empowerment streetwear. It remains unbeatable for its breezy, summer look and feminine undertones. Other collections of theirs includes their knitwear line that went above and beyond and their practical, but fashionable, tennis clothing.

Palace Skateboards– Palace Skateboards makes streetwear into an addiction. Having gone crazy with head-to-toe denim during their Greek classical line in the past, Palace is unafraid to make bold choices. It goes without saying, that Palace is not for the streetwear faint of heart.

HUF– HUF makes streetwear and loungewear, providing you with everything whether you’re staying at home or hitting the streets. HUF has it all from loungewear, knitwear, graphic tees, and outerwear clothes. 

Tripp NYC– If you want a slightly more alternative form of streetwear, Tripp NYC takes the grunge look and unites it with New York City style. With both a male and female line, Tripp NYC makes everyone look cool with its throwback-to-the-90s-style, baggy, chainmail jeans that lets the world know that you know how to skateboard.

Golf Wang– The creator of this streetwear brand was none other than Tyler, the Creator himself. His brand offers a youthful pop of color through bright graphic tees and an extensive line of bubblegum-colored converses. Alongside his denim zip-up tops, his hats and t-shirts with their zany patterns and sarcastic slogans make the brand what it is.