“Fun pants and a cute top” VS “jeans and a going-out top” – which are you?
Recently, Millennials on TikTok have come to yet another stark reality – how we talk about our going-out outfits has changed.
G-Club
July 5th, 2023
July 5th, 2023
Back in 2012, it was popular to ask your girlfriends what they were going to wear on a night out and get “jeans and a going-out top” as a response. Going-out fashion of the late ‘00s and early ‘10s for the average person was completely different from today. Peplum was everywhere, jeans were skin tight, and plastic jewelry bobbles from Francesca’s were all the rage.
@inamarimaki We love fun pants and a tank top
original sound - MARINA
@jennaabarclay Flares + a going out top was just…chef’s kiss #2000s #2000sfashion #nostalgia #millennial #00sthrowback Pop, Lock & Drop It (feat. Bow Wow & T-Pain) (Remix) - Huey
@thethriftythinker I hate to say it but squidging myself into new look skinny jeans was my comfort zone. #sustainablefashion #socialcommentary #fashiontrends #jeansandanicetop #nightoutoutfit #fashiontiktok original sound - Hudi
Gen Z going out look: fun pants and a cute top
Today, if you ask your Gen Z friends what they’re wearing out, you’d probably hear “fun pants and a cute top,” where the emphasis is on the fit, and by that, I don’t mean the actual measurements of your garments, but the vibe of your outfit as a whole. “Fun pants and a cute top” is composed of some form of fun, textural, vibrant pants – anything from cargos, leather pants, and patterned skirts to colorful mini skirts, leopard maxi skirts, and low-rise denim – and a basic, cute top. Going out today is an opportunity to dress in theme and understand the music, the overall vibe, and the aesthetic of the venue or party. If “fun pants and a cute top” was a girl in your friend group, she’s the one who is always on-trend. She lives, eats, and breathes for the next TikTok craze and has probably already sold out a few brands. She’s cool and considered, consciously matching her outfits to her cocktail of the night.
Millennial going-out look: jeans and a going-out top
The millennial “jeans and a going-out top” was more minimal, explicitly focusing on skinny jeans and whatever cute, patterned, maybe slightly revealing top you have. These “going-out tops” were your typical Forever 21 tanktops and T’s, from halter tops with silky textures and early ‘00s floral print to black cotton-ruched tanks. Consider the “jeans and a going-out top” girly as the laid-back, girl-next-door type. She’s unbothered by the trends of today and loves what she loves. She’s confident, sure of herself, and enjoys getting the same cocktail she always gets.
The era of the early ‘00s going-out outfits has transformed, and so have our perceptions of what’s suited for a night out. What might have been cool in the last decade has now been cast out for its reversed alternative. We’re embracing a new age of late-night parties, bars, concerts, and raves with carefully crafted outfits to fit both the vibe and the theme. Whether you’re Gen Z or a Millennial, which do you more closely relate to? The “jeans and a going-out top” outfits that are more relaxed, casual, and unbothered, or the “fun pants and a cute top” fit, which is more put together, considered, and vibrant?