The phenomenon of generational style clashes, often labeled as the "ick," is a near-universal experience, with each age group developing its own aesthetic that can appear baffling or even offensive to others. This "ick" is less about the clothes themselves and more about signaling group membership, according to psychotherapist Lillian Rishty.
"What we often label as ‘bad style’ is really ‘style that doesn’t signal membership in my group,’" Rishty explained. "When a younger generation adopts a different aesthetic, it can feel unfamiliar or even threatening because it challenges the norms that an older generation has internalized as ‘correct.’"
Instances of this generational disconnect are abundant. A father notes his teenage sons critique his T-shirts as "dad shirts," while his own nearly 80-year-old father struggles with pants that slip down, a habit the father acknowledges he will likely adopt himself one day.
Pedro Okoro, 59, who grew up in Nigeria and moved to the U.K. in 1996, finds the Gen Z trend of low-slung pants, which he describes as "hanging so low they appear to be in active negotiation with gravity," to be a sign of disrespect. His experience is mirrored when his own nephew, clad in a style Okoro likens to being "dragged through Lagos traffic," dismisses Okoro's pressed attire as a "boomer shirt."
Similarly, Marcia Sherrill, 66, faced disapproval from her daughter for wearing sequin hot pants and stilettos, an outfit deemed inappropriate for her age. Sherrill retorted that her daughter's all-black ensemble with Birkenstocks looked like "the Grim Reaper."
Patricia Valencia, a Gen X therapist, expresses a strong dislike for her 16-year-old daughter's embrace of a 90s California skater boy aesthetic, a look she believes should remain in the past. She contrasts this with her own generation's perceived versatility in style.
Mark Friend, 52, has observed these shifts in his nearly 30-year career sharing office spaces with multiple generations. He recalls a younger colleague whose wide-leg jeans "swished" and a boomer director's silent disapproval. Friend himself received commentary when a 26-year-old colleague declared his dark green waxed jacket to be "so '94," to which Friend replied, "Exactly. That's the point." Millennials, who once championed no-show socks, have seen Gen Z revive the mid-calf tube sock. Calle Foster, 38, initially resisted, feeling it represented a step backward in fashion progress, but eventually succumbed to the practicality of tube socks.
Beyond clothing, scent is another area of contention. Brad Jackson, 44, owner of a cigar shop, notes that some older customers wear so much cologne they create an overwhelming "weather system" upon entering. This echoes the experience of the author's sons, who frequently douse themselves in cologne.
Image: Justin Bieber's pants can also be described as “hanging so low they appear to be in active negotiation with gravity." ![Justin Bieber's pants can also be described as “hanging so low they appear to be in active negotiation with gravity.