How Gen Z Shops: Why They Buy & What They Love

Ya’ll have heard me go on and on about how much I adore my nearly 24-year-old assistant, Natalie! She is as introverted as I am extroverted, as calm as I am high-strung, and as quiet as I am loud. She is such a good balance for me, and she’s a huge help to me on a daily basis. Also, it doesn’t hurt that she’s the same age as my own daughter! I can (and do!) ask her all kinds of questions about her generation, and her insight has been a tremendous blessing!

Earlier this year, we worked together on a post called, “What Your 20-Something Wants to Tell You and Needs to Hear From You.” So many of you told me you found it helpful, and that thrilled us both! In that post, Natalie and her friends, along with a few of my younger friends, agreed to share some very personal details of what their lives are like on a daily basis, including what they struggle with, what they wish their parents would help them with, and how they really feel about the tech that has always been a defining part of their lives. It’s powerful stuff, and if you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it! You can read it HERE.

One of my favorite things about writing Empty Nest Blessed is that I get an opportunity to educate you (and myself!) about how we can best relate to our adult kids. Gaining first-hand insight helps us as we seek to parent, encourage, and bless them while they move into adulthood.

I asked Natalie to write this post in order to give us insight into her generation. As you’ll see, the characteristics of Gen Z bear out in their shopping habits as well as in all of the other areas of their lives! After Natalie finished the post, I went in and bolded the characteristics of her generation that were present throughout her writing. I hope you’ll find that insightful.

Whether you’re here because you want to keep your style young and fresh, you’re shopping for a younger loved one, or even if you just want to wrap your head around how Gen Z shops and what makes us tick, I hope you find this post helpful and entertaining!

One characteristic of Gen Z is wanting things immediately. Life seems to move a lot quicker than it did for our parents and to keep up with the crowd we often make impulse decisions. We switch jobs more frequently, we get everything on-demand from social media, to entertainment, to responses via electronic communication, all the way down to our diet – which is much higher in on-the-go, processed foods than that of our parents. So how has this quick-fix mentality and obsession with social media translated to our shopping habits? In many ways!

How Gen Z Shops: A Word On Trends

One of the perks (or drawbacks – depending on how you look at it!) of social media is that new styles and trends get circulated FAST. Have no fear of not knowing what is IN right now because one glimpse of your Instagram feed will tell you all you need to know.

Many clothing production companies have capitalized on this trend and mass-produce low-quality, trendy pieces at a cheap price — something now being called fast fashion. (If you’ve heard of companies like FashionNova or Shein, then you know what I’m talking about.) They also use extremely edited and unrealistic photos of models to promote their clothes on Instagram, paying millennial influencers to promote the clothes nonstop.

Although these brands seemed to be a hit at first, the unethical production practices and low-quality clothing items have been gaining exposure as of late. Because many young adults are ethically conscious and also aware of their social image, most end up choosing to shop from companies that are ethical and sustainable.

How Gen Z Shops: What Influences Our Style

Outside of ethics, social media has greatly influenced our tastes and preferences when it comes to clothing. So much of the allure behind “the gram” is projecting your best self — this most likely means an image of someone who can afford luxury items, travel, stay active, and keep up with the times. Designer brands, such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci have taken young adults by storm. Being able to “flex” with a Gucci belt or slides seems to be all the rage right now — for women and men. Also big: Wearing athleisure, AKA activewear in an everyday way. Nike, Puma, Adidas, and Gymshark are all college kids wear on campus.

We do value high quality and ethical brands, but we love to show off an expensive logo! That said, we’re still young and don’t usually have the budget to shop for all of these items. Gifting a young adult a designer item will probably make their whole year(!), but if we’re shopping for ourselves, we usually opt for a combination of affordable and in-style. We also love anything that is great quality and looks like it was a splurge, even if we saved on it.

How Gen Z Shops: What’s In

Neutrals

• White
• Navy
• Gray
• Black
• Occasional pops of bright colors

Pastels

• Mint Green
• Lilac
• Baby Pink

Sustainable Brands

• Patagonia
• Levi’s
• Polo Ralph Lauren
• Columbia
• Athleta

Designers

• Gucci
• Louis Vuitton
• Chanel
• Balenciaga

Activewear

• Leggings
• Bike Shorts
• Crop Tops
• Sports Bras
• White Tennis Shoes
• Ray-Bans
• Oakleys

Timeless/Vintage

• Tommy Hilfiger
• Calvin Klein
• Nike
• Polo Ralph Lauren
• Levi’s

How Gen Z Shops: Natalie’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Pics

Click on any item in the collages below to shop for yourself or your favorite Gen Zer!

Name Brand Athleisure

Affordable Activewear

Outerwear

Shoes

Accessories

Want to learn more about Gen Z? Check out these posts.

• What Your 20-Something Wants to Tell You and Needs to Hear From You
• Parenting Adult Children | Understanding Your 20-Something Kids
• On the Heels of the Millennials: Meet Generation Z
• Five Ways to Build the Relationship You Want With Your Adult Children
• Six Ways to Bless and Encourage Your Adult Kids

This Wednesday, I’ll be bringing you my last Nordstrom Anniversary Sale post! We’ll be talking about the Men’s Section of the sale! It’s been a fun ride, but, somehow, I’m always glad to get the sale in my rearview mirror! I’ve tried to offer helpful posts, but not go overboard in my coverage. (No “try-on hauls” here!) I hope I’ve achieved that balance!

Many of you have shopped and been disapointed that the items on your wish list were sold out by the time it was your turn to shop. I get that! It happened to me too.

But guess what?

I have secret, insider information that Nordstrom is going to do a huge re-stock on Wednesday, August 19, the day the Anniversary Sale opens to the public! So it’s definitely worth circling back to check on your favorites early on Wednesday morning! You heard it here first, y’all!

Haven’t created a wish list yet? You can do it HERE. Want to circle back and check out my faves in each of the major categories? Click HERE.

SHOP NATALIE’S LOOK
(similar items linked)