\u201cLast night\u2019s mascara was this morning\u2019s \u2018smoky eye.’\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most generations, there seems to be (for lack of a better word) a \u201cuniform.\u201d Boomers, especially those who came of age in the late \u201960s, are often thought of in bellbottoms and flowered shirts. Gen X-ers perfected the waist-tied plaid flannels, sideways baseball hats, and baggy jeans. (At least some did in our early 20s in the 1990s.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\u00a0Millennials\u00a0had their own adorable thing going on. They brought us \u201cbusiness casual at the club,\u201d and not only was it charming, but it was also\u00a0practical.\u00a0While, of course, not everyone adheres to generational fashion trends, a woman on Instagram broke down the \u201cvibe\u201d for those who did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jillian Gerhardt,\u00a0a mother of three and self-described \u201cMillennial baddie,\u201d posted a\u00a0video\u00a0on Instagram, joking, \u201cMillennials meant business when it came to partying.\u201d She explains, \u201cThat\u2019s why we all wore business casual to the club. Our whole generation partied as if we thought an HR representative was gonna walk in at any moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She explains her generation took slogans at face value. \u201cWe took \u2018work hard\/play hard\u2019 literally. You\u2019d show up at a party, and half the dudes there looked like they were about to give a marketing presentation. A pencil skirt hated to see us coming. A Peplum top and a chunky statement necklace in every color? Say less! We loved a vest or a blazer.\u201d (She admits she still loves a blazer.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the uniform worked. \u201cNo one was messing with us, though, in our business casual. I mean, we had magazines telling us how to take our look from \u2018day to night.\u2019 From the office to the club. From the internship to the club. No wonder we all dressed like business baddies! Last night\u2019s mascara was this morning\u2019s smoky eye!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s more about hairstyles and footwear. \u201cDon\u2019t even get me started on the sock buns. We loved a stiletto pump. Honestly, we\u2019re always in heels. Business baddies for life!\u201d Gerhardt makes a face and then flashes a peace sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe Instagram comments were full of people who wholeheartedly agreed. One wrote, in part, \u201cMillennial women were walking key chains. Between the digital camera, the wristlet, the hair ties, the Betsy Johnson\u2014you couldn\u2019t lose us if you tried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quite a few felt seen by the blazer comment. \u201cThe accuracy! And I will always love a well-structured blazer!!!\u201d shared another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A mature style<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the subreddit\u00a0r\/femalefashionadvice, the OP asks people to compare traditional Gen Z and Millennial fashion. One person writes of the latter, \u201cMillennial fashion is more professional\/better quality\/structured\u2014linens, trousers, heels, sandals, etc. Frankly, I think it has to do with millennials having more money. Low-key hair, nails and makeup. Neutral colors and patterns. It\u2019s a more mature style.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another Redditor backs up the idea that Millennials were often (though not always) just a dash more upscale, writing, \u201cMillennials prefer timeless, classic. Generally minimalist. Even when there are prints and patterns, the general silhouette will still be conservative with an occasional obsession with era-specific trends. They care more about having a coherent look. Tend to avoid things that seem too childish or raggedy. Still holding onto the Scandinavian trends. Still using the word \u2018hipster.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u201920 minutes from a performance review\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Forbes\u00a0writer Jasmine Browley recently penned an\u00a0entire piece\u00a0about the Millennial aesthetic. She writes, \u201cHere\u2019s a joke that writes itself. You\u2019ve seen the memes: a millennial at a Saturday rooftop party, drink in hand, wearing pressed trousers and a collared shirt. At the club. At the cookout. At brunch. Always dressed like they\u2019re twenty minutes from a performance review. You even see some millennials posting their throwback going-out photos where they\u2019re clad in blazers and heels while holding a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Browley points out that, while some make jokes, there was a pretty serious reason behind much of the trend. \u201cThe internet finds it hilarious. But the joke, like most good ones, is pointing at something real. The blazer at brunch isn\u2019t a fashion failure. It\u2019s honestly a confession that reveals what happened to an entire generation that was told to make work their identity\u2014and did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always kinda working<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
She adds, \u201cThe dominant aesthetic in 2026 deliberately blurs the line: blazers with sneakers, tailored trousers with casual tees\u2014the explicit goal being pieces that transition seamlessly across settings. Millennials didn\u2019t stumble into this aesthetic. They engineered it. They needed clothes that could go anywhere, because they go everywhere still half-working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For whatever reason the blazer and other \u201cbusiness casual\u201d clothes had (and continue to have) such a hold on a generation, it looks like it might be here to stay. And many seem to be just fine with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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