Gen Z Is Now Romanticizing 8 Things They Once Called Millennials Cringe For
PeopleImages | Shutterstock Millennials have gotten a lot of flak from all the generations, but probably none as bad as Gen Z. But, as it often happens, what's old is now new again, and Gen Z is looking at some of the millennial habits and trends they once totally mocked and romanticizing the early aughts as a time they really feel nostalgic for.
Dubbed millennial optimism by Gen Zers, the hipster culture of the early 2000s is no longer considered cringe. The younger cohort wishes they could go back to a time with more fall photoshoots, women in hats and boots over jeans, lumberjack-looking guys making homemade pickles, and a sense that the coolest place to be in the whole world was Brooklyn.
Millennial trends Gen Z is nostalgic for that they once openly mocked:
1. Instagram filters
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Photo editing and filters were embraced by millennials, and pretty much everything they posted on socials was overly filtered and obvious, as was expected around 2010. As the 2020s rolled around, however, perfect photo editing that did not appear to be edited at all became the thing, and the millennial standard was considered cringe.
Fast forward to our AI photo world, and the younger gens are feeling a sense of loss for the days when whimsical edits like flower crowns and photos that looked like polaroids were the norm.
2. Aesthetic photos
While aesthetic photos are far from a thing of the past, there was a very distinct look to millennial photos of the 2010s. Think a photo that appears to be in sepia except when a glasses lens is over the subject, then it's in full color. Or a photo of a Starbucks Frappuccino held up in front of the Empire State Building for some reason.
It was easy to mock these photos a decade later, but now that everything looks the same and the sense of artistry, even if it didn't make sense, that came from millennials finding their own identity is something that's hard to recreate.
3. Shoe photos
Once again, shoe photos are far from a thing of the past, but millennial shoe photos were specific. The brand mattered. If you were not wearing Converse, Vans, or Dr. Martens, there was no point in a shoe photo, but it was definitely taken anyway.
Now, shoe photos are more about showing where you are. Ben Robinson of Stitchdown even wrote, "There’s nothing more normal than walking down the street and seeing someone taking a photo of their shoes. Everybody does it! It is, in many ways, what makes us human." And that article was published in 2021, so go figure!
4. Twee fashion
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History seems to be continuously repeating itself. Twee fashion is absolutely having a comeback right now! Kristin Bateman explained in an article for Vogue, "If Tumblr defined an entire generation with ripped tights, messy liner, Dr. Martens, and the idolization of icons like Skins’ Effy Stonem, then twee was its feminine, artsy sister that peaked in 2014." The style was a whimsical version of the 60s mod era complete with Peter Pan collars and mini skirts.
Bateman's article went on to discuss the revival of twee in 2022 with Coach's spring 2022 collection, along with Dior and Miu Miu's spring 2022 shows. Bateman described the return of twee in fashion as "the return of the Tumblr era," and if anything is the return of the Tumblr era, millennial optimism is it.
5. Maximalism
Speaking of fashion, we can't talk about fashion without talking about the maximalism of it all. Graphic T-shirts with leggings and Uggs and beanies with giant pom-poms; and that's before discussing the accessories.
Stylist Hallie Abrams posted an article on her blog showing readers exactly how to dress in a maximalist way by mixing patterns. Combining our graphic T-shirts with graphically printed leggings was far from stylist-approved, but you can definitely look at it as "pattern mixing."
6. Skateboarding
The coolest thing you could be as a millennial was a skateboarder. Even if you couldn't do any tricks, skateboarders were the coolest people ever.
And this is coming off the heels of Tony Hawk's fame as a pro skater, someone that all of us know the name of but somehow always forget the face of (if you know, you know). The last of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games was released in 2015, making it prime time to influence millennials and the millennial optimism trend.
7. Older technology
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A lot of millennial culture had to do with going backward when it came to technology. Using typewriters, Polaroid cameras, disposable cameras, and record players.
The older technology came with the aesthetic that we craved at the time, especially when they were updated in pastel colors. Now, Gen Z is yearning for the more analog days, and the millennial cringe trend has found love again.
8. Peace, love, and keep calm
Everything about millennials at this time was straight vibes. We had mottos like "Keep Calm and Carry On," even though that originated from the British government in 1939. We made everything about peace and love because the world around us was definitely not that, and people in older generations wanted to blame it on us even though it was definitely not our fault.
As the trend goes, millennials' optimism has not gone away. The Harris Poll reported that "Over 4 in 5 millennials (84%) report feeling optimistic about their futures ... " So maybe there's something to be said about keeping calm and carrying on.
Millennials have mostly turned away from their colorful wardrobes and Starbucks orders, but this newer generation is just getting started. Maybe with this resurgence, millennials will start reliving their glory days and truly keep calm and carry on.
Lyss Micalizzi is a writer covering human interest and pop culture, with a master’s in Literature and Culture, a bachelor’s in English Literary and Textual Studies, and over six years of writing and social media experience. Their work is driven by the belief that stories are what make us human.
