From chunky sneakers to long tube socks, Generation Z has brought in an influx of new fashion trends. But one millennial woman told Newsweek that it has finally gone too far, describing one Gen Z staple as “dumb.”
Heather Nianouris, 43, has done her best to stay in touch with the latest trends and is more than willing to give certain styles a try. It can certainly be tough for millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996), who grew up formulating their own fashion rules, only to have them tossed out the window by Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012).
Nianouris, of Dayton, Ohio, can appreciate many of the quirky trends, but there is one style that she simply can’t forgive. It’s none other than the Gen Z half-tuck: one side of the button down is tucked into their pants, while the other half remains out. Nianouris said that it creates an “off-balance, almost chaotic look.”
“When I first noticed the Gen Z half-tuck, I honestly assumed it was a mistake—like someone ran out of time or took a phone call while getting dressed and never came back to finish the job,” Nianouris said. “It’s a fascinating reflection of the moment, though. It’s structured but unraveled.”
@nianouris / TikTok
For millennials, it was all about the French tuck instead—the front half of their shirt or top is loosely tucked in, while the back is untucked. A chic way of looking effortlessly styled that Queer Eye’s Tan France would be proud of.
Nianouris has certainly tried to incorporate other Gen Z trends in the past, but this half-tuck simply “looks absurd” in her mind.
She continued: “My entire life is already one long list of half-done things—half-written thank-you notes and half-sorted laundry. So, when it comes to something I can actually finish, like tucking in my shirt, I’m doing it. That’s the low-hanging fruit of personal accomplishment.”
Nianouris said that the millennial French tuck was much easier to pull off, looked symmetrical and balanced without trying too hard. In contrast, Gen Z fashion is “deeply confusing” because there aren’t as many rules and it is less systematic than millennial style, according to Nianouris.
However, if there is one thing she can praise her younger counterparts for, then it is making white sneakers fashionable with just about everything. Nianouris said that it remains “the smartest thing they’ve ever done.”
What Do TikTok Users Say?
Following her revelation about how Gen Zers tuck in their shirts, Nianouris shared a video on TikTok (@nianouris) on May 1 in which she slammed the style as “ridiculous.” The clip has delighted many and led to more than 39,700 views and almost 3,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
During the video, Nianouris showed how the Gen Z tuck looked on her and said it looks “dumb” with one half sticking out. She then added that she refuses to try and pull it off.
Nianouris has been amazed by the online reaction to her video, as it resonated with plenty of other social-media users.
“Being in your forties is surprisingly disorienting. You still feel young, capable, and sharp, but the culture moves fast, and suddenly you’re five trends behind. It’s hard to keep up, and, honestly, most of us are just trying to feel comfortable in our own skin while the internet tells us we’re getting old,” Nianouris said.
“Just when we’ve figured out how to wear jeans or learned how to use curling irons, we’re told it’s already over. Time to evolve again and update our look with something baffling, like clown pants or chain-mail crop-tops,” she continued.
After her take went viral on TikTok, the post has amassed over 160 comments from amused social-media users.
One comment read: “I tried the shirt one day and my husband said I looked drunk. Never again!”
Another TikTok user wrote: “The half tuck irrationally irritates me.”
A third person posted: “I’m convinced the shirt tuck is a social experiment.”
One comment read: “Same girl, and I will never do the half shirt tuck, it’s a forever no.”
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