Denim, According to Gen Z
The buying power of the millennials has captured a great deal of attention, but Generation Z is on track to become one of the largest social marketing groups denim has ever encountered.
Born from 1995 to 2012, Generation Z is made up of 23 million people in the U.S. with preferences and buying behavior unlike previous generations. The Center for Generational Kinetics reports that members of Gen Z are self-aware, self-reliant, innovative and have never lived a life without social media.
What does this mean for the denim market?
Carved in Blue invited Alexis, a 17-year-old from the New York City area, to Kingpins New York to provide her perspective on the show and trends. Here’s what Generation Z had to say.
Carved in Blue: What trends did you like at the show?
Alexis: I noticed that there was a common trend of rebellious, old, washed out denim looks, which I have not seen in stores. The washed jeans had a gray or brown tint and had many rips for a destruction look. The jeans would occasionally have little streaks of colored paint or unique patches.
I also noticed that there was a trend of comfy, stretch, relaxed denim. The texture of the denim was soft and seemed cozy to wear. There was an indigo chambray shirt in the Carved in Blue TENCEL® display that looked like it had the normal rough feel of denim, but the texture was soft.
Carved in Blue: Were there any surprises or things you learned about the denim industry at Kingpins New York?
Alexis: The e3 cotton display with the cotton plants was cool to see because they incorporated not only how cotton is made into clothes, but also the origin of cotton. I thought it was a different idea to do because when someone, like me, walks into a store and finds a piece of clothing that is cotton, we don’t think about where it originally came from.
Carved in Blue: Do you have any ideas on what brands or mills could do to improve the way they speak directly to Gen Z?
Alexis: I noticed how a lot of mills did not make conversation with me. I think that if they did, it would be more welcoming and I could talk with them. There were a couple of mills that came up to me while I was browsing and asked some friendly questions and that made me enjoy looking at their denim display more. They should try to communicate to Gen Z by starting off with a question like, “What’s your favorite store?” You can find out a lot of information from Gen Z just by the types of stores they like to shop at.
Carved in Blue: Where do you shop?
Alexis: Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, H&M and Brandy Melville.
Carved in Blue: What’s your favorite part of Kingpins?
Alexis: I enjoyed looking at all the different ways denim could be used. There were some clothes that I noticed that I’ve seen in stores like blue skinny jeans and denim shirts, but there were others that stood out as unique to me. There was a pair of jeans that was washed-out indigo with little gold streaks and a dress made from different jean pants, which were very cool.
Carved in Blue: What impressed you the most about this show?
Alexis: The thing I was most impressed and learned from the show is how there are so many ways denim can be used in clothes. Many stores that I shop at sell regular skinny or boyfriend jeans, occasionally having rips or patches. The clothes that I saw at Kingpins were a unique mix of bohemian style and comfort with the look of authentic denim, and many people in Gen Z strive to have that different look. People are looking for authentic style that stores don’t offer.
Carved in Blue: Why do you like fashion?
Alexis: I like fashion because it’s a way to express myself. I am interested in the apparel industry because it is multi-faceted. There is the creative side of fashion, where designing, photography, and modeling are involved, but there also the business side, where marketing, merchandising and forecasting take place.
I have had the privilege to experience all different aspects in the fashion world. I have been attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Summer Live program for five years since seventh grade. In these classes, I have learned about the vast differences between each different job in the industry, and how they all work together like a well-oiled machine.
My favorite classes that I have taken were “A Day in the Life of a Merchant,” fashion journalism and fashion forecasting. In “A Day in the Life of a Merchant,” I traveled to different stores—big and small—in New York City and saw the way they marketed their clothing. I learned how much effort goes into how a store sells their products and why displays matter.
In fashion journalism course, I got to create and design outfits from what I liked to wear. That class involved a lot of creativity to draw exactly what I was picturing in my mind. Most of the outfits that I drew were ones that I own in my closet. In the fashion forecasting class, I learned about fashion through history and how designers often use trends from the past and incorporate them into a new modern design.
Carved in Blue: Do you make buying decisions based on sustainability or impact on the environment?
Alexis: Before buying an article of clothing, I think about much I will be able to wear it and the type of fabric. I don’t want to buy a shirt and have it shrink in the wash after I’ve only worn it once or before I’ve worn it at all. I don’t want to buy a dress and have the fabric material be so cheap that it gets a hole in it.
Carved in Blue: What social media do you use?
Alexis: Currently, the social media apps that I use most often are Instagram, Snapchat and Vsco. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter and I recently got a Pinterest account. On Instagram, I have 1,070 followers, which is the largest number of followers I have on any other social media. Vsco is a photo app like Instagram. You create your own photo gallery for other people to view, but they can’t like or comment on the images.
Carved in Blue: Who do you look to for style ideas?
Alexis: Two people I look to for style inspiration are Blake Lively and Alexis Ren. I like Blake Lively’s style from the period when she was acting as Serena Van Der Woodsen in the show “Gossip Girl” which aired in 2009. In every episode, her appearance would be spot on, from her hair, shoes and outfit.
Another person that inspires me is a Brandy Melville model named Alexis Ren. She is widely known for traveling the world and has done photo shoots for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Puma, Forever 21 and Triangl Swim. I admire her sense of style and how she can put together anything and it looks good on her. It wouldn’t have to come from a higher end brand like Michael Kors, it could come from a store like Forever 21 and she would still make it look amazing.
Something that both women have that I admire the most is the confidence that they have while wearing the outfits they do. I look for clothes based off of what will make me look good and feel confident.
Carved in Blue: What are you wearing today?
Alexis: Today, I am going for a comfy fall look. I’m wearing a salmon sweater from Forever 21, black leggings from Aritzia and gray high socks from Forever 21 with black boots from Nordstrom. I added a white scarf with fringe trim and a red choker from Urban Outfitters.
Carved in Blue: What’s the maximum amount you will spend on jeans?
Alexis: $45
Carved in Blue: Describe your personal style.
Alexis: Boho urban chic
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Alexis: Carved in Blue is denim that expresses your own style.