In spring 2022, a fashion micro-trend called the “coastal grandmother” took off as one of the most engaging and widely adopted trends of the spring and summer. Marked by blue striped button-downs, straight-leg jeans, gold jewelry, iced tea and collared sweaters, the trend dominated the fashion and lifestyle choices of Gen Z for a brief period. 

TikTok micro-aesthetics like the coastal grandmother, clean girl and mob wife have not only captivated Gen Z but become almost as ubiquitous as the app itself. The popularity of these hyper-specific trends is not only indicative of the generation's ability to shape culture but also their embrace of collectivism. With a whole generation so easily shifting their identities to embrace quickly changing fads, one wonders what happened to individuality? And why does Gen Z feel the need to conform?

TikTok mania

One of the biggest trends to take over TikTok is the clean girl aesthetic—a trend that dominated social media all of 2023. The clean girl aesthetic not only focused on fashion but lifestyle too, embracing simplicity and cleanliness from head to toe. Clear lip gloss, dewy skin, clean eating advice, workout sets and tutorials on slicked-back buns flooded Gen Z feeds. 

It seemed Gen Z was on board for this to be the trend of our generation—until last month, when creator Kayla Trivieri posted a video claiming that “Clean girl is out, mob wife is in.” It got 1.7M views and spurred the creation of 16.8K videos with #mobwife.

The opposite of a clean girl, the Sopranos-inspired mob wife aesthetic is all about fur coats, chunky gold jewelry, messy makeup and imperfection. Since the trend emerged, Depop searches for leopard print and gold hoops are through the roof, a sign of Gen Z’s urgency to participate in the newest craze.

It’s clear that these trends have a strong hold on Gen Z, but why? Such rigid aesthetics stifle individuality—but is that a bad thing? 

A global pandemic

While all generations faced loneliness due to the effects of COVID-19, it seemed to hit Gen Z hardest, as we lost out on one of the most important social and developmental times of our lives: high school and college. 

Since the pandemic began in 2020, almost half of Gen Z reported greater difficulty maintaining meaningful relationships with friends. While many millennials also said friendships were harder in the last couple of years, they were less likely to attribute this difficulty to the pandemic than Gen Z. 

By losing access to one of the most formative social settings, our generation experienced unique and profound loneliness. It’s because of this extended lack of connection that Gen Z has a heightened desire to belong. 

So, while the trends that Gen Z latch on to are often criticized for their homogeneity, they are a source of connection and community after a significant period of isolation. They symbolize a sense of kinship for Gen Z because when we participate in these trends, even if it’s from the comfort of our bedrooms, we know we aren’t alone. 

How brands can succeed with Gen Z

While brands can certainly follow these trends and adapt their inventory to match whatever aesthetic pops up next, it will only succeed in the short term, because the lifespan of these trends is short.

Look at Summer Fridays, a brand fully embracing the clean girl aesthetic. Summer Fridays lip balm has become the finishing touch in every clean girl routine—but in the wake of the Mob Wife trend, glossy lips are out and red, messy lips are in. Can Summer Fridays survive now that Gen Z is rushing to become, or at least look like, mob wives?   

That’s the danger of chasing trends, rather than honing in on what the trends mean to Gen Z. Rather than creating a lookbook of Carmela Soprano accessories (which will be out of style again by June), brands need to develop nimble marketing strategies that pinpoint Gen Z’s intrinsic desire to feel connected. 

Glossier is nailing this. The beauty brand has embraced Gen Z’s preferences like no other by emphasizing its love of connection. Its products are built to fit any aesthetic. It created a community-based shopping experience both online and IRL, appealing to Gen Z’s desire to be seen and share a collective moment. The brand also promotes inclusivity with a wide selection of foundation shades and products built to layer based on preferences—marketed to all genders and ages. 

While these aesthetic trends may seem frivolous and surface-level to some, they hit home for Gen Z. Brands should use this desire to their advantage, investing in themes of community, togetherness and overall collectivism to help us find what we desire most: connection.