What Gen Z Really Wants: 4 College Students From Across the Country Talk Trendy Campus Style — And What Brands Get Wrong

On any given morning, you might find Luna Clancy sliding on leather flip-flops at University of California, Santa Barbara.

In Durham, N.C., Kelly Gaussaint could be lacing up her Timberlands on the Duke University campus. 

A little further south at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, Makayla Rivera will pick out a knee-high boot from her collection.

And Joy Shen will hit the ground running in Cambridge, MA in sporty sneakers at Harvard College.

FN interviewed a group of four college students from schools across the country in mid-August ahead of their fall semesters. The students had never met before a Zoom round table interview, but they certainly found common ground, from their love of the resale platform Depop to their disenchantment with the athleisure boom.

The young women brought up many stores and brands, but never major department stores — and there was shared passion for thrifting. Most of their shopping is done online, though there is a desire for in-person experiences. They have an interest in sustainability, from their secondhand purchases to the use of an AI wardrobe app. Comfort is key for the group, with most eschewing high heels for boots and sneakers.

Below, find their insights on Gen Z fashion and shopping habits.

How would you describe the style on your campus?

Luna Clancy (UCSB): People are free to express themselves. But the general vibe is very casual and coastal — lots of sandals, lots of layers. You see a lot of swimsuits underneath clothes.

Kelly Gaussaint (Duke): Athleisure has taken over — the Alo sets and the Aerie and the leggings. Are we doing yoga all the time? Let me see denim!

Joy Shen (Harvard): You could be wearing a three-piece suit to class one day, or leather boots. The next day you could show up in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, you’re locked in for a test. People are so busy, they’re running from event to event, so outfits need to change — something that’s versatile and works across different settings.

Makayla Rivera (Spelman): Because it’s an all Black women’s school, a lot of people fall into patterns of signaling with their clothing, whether that’s athleisure wear or because Divine Nine and Greek stuff is so big, you will see so many people wearing their Greek paraphernalia every day. You see a lot of business wear on my campus.

What stores are doing a great job of catering to you and your friends?

Makayla: I’m a Depop warrior, so the majority of everything I own comes from [the resale platform]. Because Depop is on the more expensive side here and there, in-person thrift stores are also big for me — Goodwill, Second Street. I find cute Y2K-themed stores in Atlanta that are small, and a lot of flea markets such as Girl World Flea. Urban Outfitters and Free People when I’m feeling bougie.

Luna: UCSB has a really big thrift culture. Pretty much every single day, there’s some pop-up thrift store on campus or in our town next door. I’ve thrifted a lot of my clothes on Depop. My friends and I like Brandy Melville, Free People and Frankies Bikinis.

Joy: Most of my friends do online shopping. For me, ordering the right size is always a problem. I’m interning for a startup called Verifyt. It’s an online app that helps you create a virtual wardrobe. It’s also a shopping platform that helps you find the right fit. I’ve been using that lately.

Kelly: [I’m a] Depop warrior but also whatever I see — Walmart has some great tank tops. I also go to TJ Maxx and Ross. For basics, I try to outsource as cheap as possible. Malls have been failing me recently. Garage has completely changed. I don’t know what’s going on in the executive office over there.

Luna: It’s turned into athleisure. They used to have the coolest going out tops.

Makayla: I do think that points to a downfall in fashion — everything looking the same, everything being workout [focused]. Why are we encouraging women to work out all the time? What about partying? What about joy?

How much do you shop online vs. in-person?

Joy: 80 percent online, 20 percent in person. Whenever I go to malls, I can’t find anything good, so I go there for the vibes.

Luna: 60 percent online, 40 percent in person because I am so busy. But I prefer shopping in person.

Makayla: 60 percent online, 40 percent in-person. Just because there’s so much more online.

Kelly: I agree.

What do brands and retailers get wrong about Gen Z?

Luna: They tend to focus so much on being trendy and then every store starts to sell the same things. This happened with the bow epidemic, and same with the electric blue color and this teal color. It makes it hard for a brand to stick out to me.

Makayla: You can even see that in media, and how brands style people. I get a lot of my inspiration for fashion from 2000s media, TV, movies. Now, the way that you see characters that are supposed to be Gen Z [dressed in pop culture] is so off to me. They’re going too much based on micro-trends, based on what they see is getting numbers. But half the time, the people that are interacting with different things online are children, not even people our age.

We want real vintage a lot of the time, so if the brands want to get it right, they need to look at what people were wearing instead of making tackier, weird versions of things.

Kelly: When Aliyah’s Interlude and her fashion was big — the miniskirts and the leopard print — that was a good example of brands listening.

Joy: A lot of brands and retailers get wrong that Gen Z only cares about trends or discounts or micro-influencer-driven products. But a lot of us also care about sustainability and making sure that whatever we’re buying we’re making eco-conscious decisions.

How do you discover brands and products you want to buy?

Kelly: Can I be vulnerable? TikTok Shop has gotten me — I have more than five purchases, maybe even more than 10.

Luna: TikTok Shop also really gets me. It makes everything so easy. But a lot of times I discover brands just from asking people.

Joy: Verifyt, they also suggest new brands, so that helps me branch out and find things that I might not normally wear.

Makayla: TV characters. I do get some brands from Instagram, but those tend to be expensive in my opinion.

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a pair of shoes, and what were they?

Joy: On Clouds because I’m a runner. I have bad foot structure, so I don’t wear anything except sneakers — even to formals and to prom, I wear sneakers.

Luna: Uggs, but I always make them last. My cheer shoes are expensive too, and I constantly have to replace them. I’ve spent the most on my athletic shoes.

Kelly: Tyler the Creator’s Golf Wang collab with Converse. I spend the most money on specific artist drops, things like that. If I really like this person, I think, ‘Fine you can have $200.’

Makalya: Either Uggs, or I just got these bright yellow Hunter rain boots, those were probably pushing $200.

Have you ever bought a shoe simply because a celebrity you liked was wearing it or was associated with it?

Kelly: The Louis Vuitton x Timberland combo — I am a big Timb wearer — I was like, ‘Ooh, should I drop a band?’ But I didn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever bought my own pair of Jordans but I do stalk them on StockX and pretend that it’s in my realm. I don’t think they’ve been that great recently, but I like a lot of the old vintage ones from the early 2000s, like the Black Cat 4s.

Luna: Whenever I see Zendaya in the So Kate Louboutins, I always want to buy a pair, but I do not have Louboutin money.

Makayla: I really get a lot of my inspiration from Disney Channel characters, which is funny but true. Let’s say black fringe boots — Hannah Montana wears those — I have a pair of those. I don’t know if I bought those directly because I saw the show, but I think growing up and watching it influenced my fashion.

Joy: I wouldn’t go and purchase [an item a celebrity wore] because I hate it when I end up wearing the same outfit as someone else. It feels like a copycat.

Which celebrities do you think can actually move merch?

Kelly: A$AP Rocky, Rihanna.

Makayla: Tyla, she’s getting the neon [fashion] up in there.

Luna: Hailey Bieber has a big influence.

Makayla: It’s very regional as well. In Atlanta, it’s Jada Wada, Mariah the Scientist, those women move the tide. But growing up in Jersey and New York, it’s different. You see more Alix Earl influence.

What are the hottest shoes on campus right now?

Luna: Rainbow, they sell leather flip flops. Pretty much every single person has a pair. I have a pair myself. I’m wearing them right now.

Makayla: Some [affluent] people have Rick Owens or Isabel Marant sneakers. Maybe Jordans, because Morehouse is right there, so it’s all Black men. Birkenstocks are big everywhere for class shoes. Uggs in the winter. A lot of chunky athletic sneakers are worn by girls with tennis skirts.

I wear boots anytime I can, and I don’t really prioritize brand. I love leather boots, brown boots, fringe boots, polka dot rain boots, any boots.

Kelly: A lot of Birkenstocks.

Joy: Birkenstocks or Uggs. Most of the girls on our campus wear boots.

What’s the sneaker you see the most?

Kelly: A lot of On Clouds. New Balances, too.

Makaya: That’s what I meant when I said chunky sneaker, I think.

Luna: I also see a lot of On Clouds and New Balances. I see a lot of Adidas Sambas — I know they were trendy a while ago but a lot of people still wear them.

Makayla: Onitsuka Tiger and shoes that look similar.

Joy: I would say Sambas and On Clouds are popular on my campus, and the classic Converse. My club even did a collab with Converse and got their club logo engraved.

Is anyone putting on a high heel?

Luna: I love wearing high heels. I’m already five-seven, so I might as well just be taller. My boots have a really high heel — it’s something fierce. It hurts really bad, I’m not going to lie, but I just ignore it.

Makayla: [Heels] genuinely hurt me so bad. I’ll take pictures in high heels, and post those pictures, and then take them off and put my boots on.

Joy: The highest heels I’ve worn are one inch. I just do it for photos, and then I switch into sneakers, but my sneakers have pretty high platforms, so it still gives me an inch or two.

Kelly: I am not a heel [wearer] but I do want to get there. I have some little kitten heels that I are my go-to going out shoes.

What kinds of regional differences do you notice in the fashion compared to your hometown? Did coming to a new place change your fashion?

Luna: Going from Chicago to Southern California, the first thing I noticed was the amount of feet I saw. Everyone’s in a sandal. In high school, everyone would wear socks with their sandals, or else people would clown you. They’d be like, ‘Your dogs are out,’ or I’d feel naked and vulnerable. Then I go to California and I wear socks with my Birkenstocks, and everyone’s like, “What are you doing?’ So I’ve converted into the no sock life.

Also, the way people dress up for class. In Southern California, it’s like summer forever.

Joy: When I got to Harvard — and in general in Boston, a big city — people had diverse fashion styles. Because we were walking around more outside, people were more conscious about layers, about wearing comfortable shoes. Overall, though, people can express themselves more now, and they don’t have to conform.

Kelly: Moving to North Carolina for school, right before my freshman year, I went to Marshalls, and I was like, “Mom, I gotta get cowboy boots.’ Here, we have Wednesday night line dancing, and if you’re not wearing your cowboy boots, it’s a big problem. Being from New York, I buy into streetwear, like my Timbs and my jorts and my baggy pants.

Makayla: Living in Atlanta has just encouraged my boots obsession. It’s made me a lot more into Southern fashion. I have a lot more cowgirl boots now. I tap more into Daisy Dukes with a little tiny flannel and I like pretending I’m cosplaying Southern girl.

When it comes to shopping experiences and dorm/apartment decor, what do you prioritize first?

Luna: Experiences and travel, I just don’t do them as much because they tend to be expensive and I’m busy in college. Out of beauty, fashion, and shoes, I choose fashion because I have my beauty routine down to a science. And I just wear my flip-flops every day because I think shoes are more of an investment. All my decorations were either free or I made them myself or I got them at Ross.

Makayla: I’m big on accessories. I love shoes, but I also love clothes. I almost do prioritize fashion more than experiences. I’m a shopaholic. When it comes to the luxe dorm decor, I also went all out with that. It’s important because moving to a new place, I needed something that made me feel like I was at home and connected me to myself.

Kelly: I’ve been leaning towards prioritizing experiences. I used to be a lot worse. When I would have to pack up at the end of the school year and put my clothes in storage, it was so frustrating. My feed has also been leaning towards a lot of sustainability, and I’m watching the textile landfills and things like that. I really have been trying to internalize that a little bit more.

Joy: The model that I follow is the ‘one in, one out’ rule. I used to prioritize fashion more in high school, but in college it’s turned into experiences more, and the same applies for dorm décor.

I prioritize clothes first because shoes for me, I cycle out a new pair of sneakers every year once I wear it out. And beauty, I know which products are good for my skin, I just buy it online. It’s like a routine, so definitely a new variety of clothes is more exciting for me.