Fashion Cringe: A Generation Divide
Do you still wear a cross-body bag, French-tuck your shirt, or squeeze into tight clothes? Sorry to say, those style choices may be cringeworthy. Brutal honesty is in, and it's time to confront the wardrobe pitfalls that come with growing older.
The line between being old-fashioned and being cringe is thin. Cringe is when you lose touch with fashion while trying to appear youthful. French-tucking your shirt, a once-sophisticated move, now makes one look out of touch. Crossbody bags, once a novel and youthful accessory, have fallen on the wrong side of the generational divide.
Fitted clothes are indeed ageing, and this is where younger generations diverge from their elders. For Gen Z, loose-fitting clothes are the norm. Leggings, once streetwear staples, are no longer fashionable. If you want a gym-ready outfit that looks cool outside, switch to a tracksuit bottom or flared workout pant.
Leather jackets are also having a moment this winter, but only if they're big and blowsy – not close-fitting biker styles. And those with trainers on display? That's just cringe.
But ankles are the real culprit of fashion despair. Gen Z is horrified by exposed ankles and trainer socks. Trousers should pool over shoes, making for an unhygienic and fraying bottom inch. We oldies need to adjust our expectations – after all, we're the ones who once thought it was cool.
Embracing cringe is a badge of honour in this context. We may refuse to accept that we're getting older, but if being called cringe means feeling alive, then so be it. The cycle of fashion will continue, and we'll keep embarrassing ourselves trying to keep up.
Do you still wear a cross-body bag, French-tuck your shirt, or squeeze into tight clothes? Sorry to say, those style choices may be cringeworthy. Brutal honesty is in, and it's time to confront the wardrobe pitfalls that come with growing older.
The line between being old-fashioned and being cringe is thin. Cringe is when you lose touch with fashion while trying to appear youthful. French-tucking your shirt, a once-sophisticated move, now makes one look out of touch. Crossbody bags, once a novel and youthful accessory, have fallen on the wrong side of the generational divide.
Fitted clothes are indeed ageing, and this is where younger generations diverge from their elders. For Gen Z, loose-fitting clothes are the norm. Leggings, once streetwear staples, are no longer fashionable. If you want a gym-ready outfit that looks cool outside, switch to a tracksuit bottom or flared workout pant.
Leather jackets are also having a moment this winter, but only if they're big and blowsy – not close-fitting biker styles. And those with trainers on display? That's just cringe.
But ankles are the real culprit of fashion despair. Gen Z is horrified by exposed ankles and trainer socks. Trousers should pool over shoes, making for an unhygienic and fraying bottom inch. We oldies need to adjust our expectations – after all, we're the ones who once thought it was cool.
Embracing cringe is a badge of honour in this context. We may refuse to accept that we're getting older, but if being called cringe means feeling alive, then so be it. The cycle of fashion will continue, and we'll keep embarrassing ourselves trying to keep up.
those who still rock the crossbody bag and French-tuck shirt are like totally out of touch lol I feel u Gen Z is all about loose-fitting clothes and trainer socks no more leggings or fitted jeans for us oldies 
it's time to trade in our leather jackets and biker boots for big & blowsy styles and comfy tracksuits but honestly ankles being exposed is just a whole thing 
who thought that was a good idea? 
anyway, embracing cringe as a badge of honor is kinda relatable I mean, who hasn't tried to keep up with fashion trends that are way out of their league 
. I also remember when low-rise jeans were a thing and thought they were the coolest thing ever 
... now they just make me cringe too 
. But honestly, who cares what others think? We should rock our age-old styles with pride! 
especially when it comes to those ankles - pool those trousers over shoes like nobody's watching 
oh girl, I feel you... I'm guilty of wearing those super fitted clothes and thinking they're still cool 
and yeah, cross-body bags were super popular back in the day too, but now they just look like grandma's bag 
loose-fitting clothes are definitely where it's at now and we should all just be comfortable in our own skin 
! Like I know some ppl still rock those tight clothes & crossbody bags and I'm like "girl, you're not as young as you think" 
. I mean, I know some ppl think they're cute but nope, not my fave. The way the article puts it tho - being cringe is just part of growing up & embracing our flaws 
. Love that message! 
! But honestly, can you blame me? My legs were all toned and stuff from playing sports all the time 
.
. If you're feeling cringe-y, who cares? It's all part of the journey, right? 
The French tuck thing was actually a pretty cool move back in the day (think 90s-early 2000s). And don't even get me started on those skinny jeans - they were EVERYTHING before it was cool. 
What? Don't get me wrong, if it works for you, go for it! 
. I think the thing is, fashion trends are always going to be cyclical and we're just gonna have to learn to laugh at ourselves 
but at the same time I feel you, Gen Z is totally rocking their looser fits and it's kinda refreshing? Maybe I'm just old and out of touch, but can we all just agree to rock our ankle socks and chunky sneakers together? 
and yeah i can totes see why gen z would find it weird...i mean, whats wrong with a good ol' fashioned leather jacket though? 
. I'll stick with my old school style, thank you very much 
. Who needs fashion rules when you've got a good pair of sneakers? 
And can we talk about how weird it is to see people still worrying about being "cool" at our age? Like, we're not trying to be cool anymore, we just want to be comfortable and look good in our own skin.