- Millennials and Gen Z are known to have different styles.
- Influencer Krista Lavrusik told Insider that the generations think differently about clothes.
- She told Insider that millennials take fashion criticism seriously, while Gen Z is more easygoing.
Millennials and Gen Z can't seem to agree on much when it comes to style.
While the young generation embraces baggy, low-rise pants, millennials cling to their high-waisted skinny jeans. There's also been debate about the "right" way to part your hair and which patterns look cool versus cringey, to list a few examples.
But these surface-level differences might point to something other than simply a difference in denim and hairstyle preferences.
Krista Lavrusik, a 37-year-old fashion creator who describes herself as a millennial mom with Gen Z style, said it actually shows that the two generations just think a lot differently about fashion.
"Gen Z doesn't take things too personally, and I feel like millennials do," she told Insider. "Like the whole side part and skinny jeans things — why don't millennials try changing them and see?"
Lavrusik, who has a combined 230,000+ followers across Instagram and TikTok, told Insider that she first began making fashion content on social media to help bridge the gap between generations.
"I was seeing all of these really cute girlies that were incredibly fashionable, and I just realized that none of them were moms," the mother of four said, adding that she questioned why "they get to have all the fun."
So Lavrusik became a real-life Pinterest board, she said, making videos about how to look trendy, feel good, and still be confident in your age.
"When I got on TikTok, all of the young ones started telling me they want to be me in 15 years, and I felt older than dirt," she said. "And I was like, wow, this doesn't apply to just moms anymore. I want to be someone that's stylish overall."
Through that fashion and social-media journey, Lavrusik has learned a thing or two about the differences between millennials and Gen Z.
Mainly, she said, millennials seem to stick to comfort and safety in fashion, and as a result, wear potentially outdated styles because they've grown up in them.
Gen Z, on the other hand, focuses on what feels good in the moment, she said.
"We don't dress as different as you might think," she said of the two generations. "It's just that Gen Z has an 'I don't care' mentality, which I very much relate to. It's like, 'I'll wear whatever I'm feeling good in.'"
Of course, there are actual style differences between the two groups. Lavrusik pointed out that Gen Z often finds inspiration in styles from the '90s, while millennials seem to be "stuck in the early 2000s."
Stylist Erin Eagle also previously told Insider that there are two key style differences between the generations that are easy to spot.
In terms of clothes, Eagle said, Gen Z prefers anything baggy, while millennials opt for form-fitting garments. And when it comes to shoes, the younger generation loves chunky footwear, while millennials gravitate toward flat options.
While speaking with Insider, Lavrusik emphasized how important it is to feel good in whatever fashion you choose to wear — whether it's a trendy Gen Z style or something you've had in your closet for 20 years.
But she does have one thing to note for Gen Z.
"Respect your elders," she said with a laugh. "And help each other rather than putting us down."
