Can I Dress Like a TikTok Teen if I’m Not Part of Gen Z?
July 21, 2021 at 09:19PM Fifteen minutes into my first scroll session on TikTok, I found myself thinking, “Am I old?” Not only was I embarrassingly late to the social media phenomenon, but as I went down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of fashion-related hashtags, I found myself filled with doubt. Am I dressing all wrong? Why don’t I own any pleated tennis skirts? Do I need a tie-dye sweatsuit to prove my youth? If the rise of the TikTok aesthetic has taught us anything, it’s that teenage girls currently own the internet — just look at Gen Z’s Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae, the two most-followed stars on the platform. Using only their dance skills and messy childhood bedrooms as a backdrop, Gen Z users ignited a new trend funnel, quickly giving rise to aesthetics like “e-girl,” “cottagecore,” and “light and dark academia,” influencing young…