17 Millennial Trends That Are No Longer "Cool," According To Gen Z
Trends come and go from generation to generation. At the end of the day, you don't have to follow any — embrace whatever is "cool" to you! But it's pretty interesting to hear what people have to say about the trends that were once *huge* but have since faded out.
We recently asked the Gen Z'ers of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which millennial trends are no longer "cool," and their responses ranged from light-hearted to a little controversial. (And older generations chimed in, too!) Here's what they had to say:
1."Monochrome furniture, sure. Everything all gray? You'll be refurnishing within 10 years, if not sooner."
"Monotone colors. The black, whites, and greys have never been cool. They are boring."
—33, Oregon
2."I’m a cusper, so I don’t know if my opinion counts, but 'I did a thing' needs to be left behind. If you, as a grown adult, did a grown adult thing just say that. 'I bought a car,' 'we got engaged,' 'started a new job,' etc. Whatever it is, PLEASE just say it, and let’s celebrate it."
"Don’t make it weird by acting all 👉🏼👈🏼 ~awkward~."
3."Skinny jeans. It reminds me of Gru from Despicable Me."
—25, Arkansas
4."I may be an older Gen Zer, but I work regularly with younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha. What we don't see are bold eyebrow styles. More and more people are opting to embrace their natural or almost-natural brows instead of big or skinny brows. (And it's entirely because of how eyebrows carbon-dated our siblings and parents in pictures.)"
"[Instead], I see so many kids wearing their skinny jeans and ankle socks. At the same time, there are more straight-leg pants and stripey highlights. It's a big mashup of the 2000s and '90s fashion."
—24, Florida
5."The Jim Carrey face: People who do it are automatically cringey and cannot be taken seriously. They tend to be stuck in the '90s and refuse to grow up. It's completely unoriginal, and it makes people feel uncomfortable. Let Jim Carrey do it and no one else. It's embarrassing for you and your friends."
—16, USA
6."The 'smol girl' and 'big boy' thing/saying things in a baby-like tone of voice. It's as if I'm talking to a person who can't seem to escape the old, really bizarre face filters off of TikTok and Snapchat. Like, their humor is based on using everyday words and phrases and making it worse by putting what sounds like a baby voice over it."
"It's embarrassing and, quite frankly, old and overused to the point where I thought people only did this in the mid-2010s and not in the current time."
—16, USA
7."Acronyms. Bae, ttyl, brb, lol. It is one thing to type them, but it's something else completely to say the acronym. Just laugh! Don't say 'lol.' It feels like you're mocking me!"
—27, Georgia
8."I’m actually an elder millennial, born in 1983. I’ve hated the term 'adulting' since the first time I heard it. In my 20s, I felt like older generations already had a hard time taking us seriously. Adulting just makes you sound immature. You’re adulting because you are an adult, and that’s what adults do."
—Anonymous, Michigan
9."Taking photos of your food, and posting it on social media. Nobody cares what you ate, how many bowel movements you had, or what you are thinking. Some experiences and thoughts should stay in your head. Not everything should be shared with the world."
—46, USA
10."My 19-year-old colleagues told me that I give off Aunty vibes. Why??? Because I wear headbands. Guess headbands are no longer chic; they're just sending me straight to old town."
—40, UK
11."Statement necklaces; they are bulky, overwhelming, and just impractical."
—15, USA
12."Sending an actual text on your phone. Everybody uses Snapchat as their messaging app, and no one actually texts anymore. I get it — Snapchat is cool because the messages are deleted automatically and don't clog up your phone, and you can send instantaneous pictures of yourselves with just one click."
"But I remember when texting was all the rage back when I was in high school."
—28, North Dakota
13."It's not a 'doggo.' You're 30. You didn't 'do a thing.' You had a baby. Once again. You're 30, please. I beg you. Stop talking like you're 6."
—16, USA
14."Side parts, because they only look flattering with certain features/face shapes, and it often looks too unbalanced."
—20, Illinois
"Side parts. They just make your hair and overall head look unbalanced and uneven."
—16, USA
15."I am an older 'millennial' who grew up in the '90s and didn't fit or agree with many millennial stereotypes. I have been counting down the years and months until high-waisted jeans go back out of style, and low-rise '90s jeans and baggy cargo pants would make their ultimate return to being stylish again. High-waisted pants are way too modest, old-timey, and just plain uncomfortable. They need to return to their rightful place where they belong in the past!"
"There is nothing more sexy (or comfy) than a low-rise pair of pants that hangs right off the hip line. (Think Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilera in their iconic music videos) The more pockets and the baggier, the better, but a nice flattering pair of jeans with a flare or bell bottom is also appealing and feels great when you wear it. Those clothes make me feel so great about myself when I wear them, and I'm so glad we'll see more of them back on the clothing store racks and the younger generation. Good job, Gen Z, you've got great taste!"
—32, Anonymous
16."The Disney adult thing is just so creepy."
And finally...
17."Millennial here. Here are a few things I've heard from my Gen Z coworkers with my own personal commentary: 1) Skinny jeans. I like my skinny jeans. I like how they feel and how they look. 2) Side parts. It's either I wear a side part or look like a Benedictine monk because I'm balding. And as fast as my hair grows, I'm not shaving my head every day, so comb-over side part it is! 3) Open toe shoes. We ruined this one for ourselves. We joked a little too much about feet pics, lol."
4) Neutral millennial gray. This is mainly because the majority of us don't own homes. It just made sense for apartment living.
5) Smoky eyes. Makeup trends come and go. No biggie.
Overall, millennials and Gen Z tend to get along very well. We're both pretty over the perpetual generational competition between our generation and baby boomers. We know that working together is the only way to make things better. The kids are alright!"
Do you agree with these? What are some other millennial trends that you think are now "outdated?" Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, feel free to use this Google form.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
