Virtue Signals: Gen Z’s Flirtation with Fashion Conservatism
They say fashion is cyclical—but who knew modesty would be back on the runway before low-rise jeans even finished their comeback tour?
While Millennials are still clinging to their slip dresses and dopamine dressing, their Gen Z counterparts are buttoning up—literally. Picture it: high-neck blouses, full-length skirts, somber palettes, and tailoring so sharp it could cut through the performative chaos of their Instagram Stories.
Call it chic chastity, trad-core, or TikTok tabernacle fashion—whatever label you slap on it, one thing’s clear: the youth are dressing like they’re headed to a monastery in the Cotswolds (with a Prada bag, obviously).
Whether it's the tailored minimalism of The Row, the Catholic schoolgirl redux of Miu Miu’s Fall 2023 collection, or the thrifting of 1950s silhouettes from vintage bins, this new wave of style says more with less. Gen Z isn’t turning into their grandparents—they’re reinventing the aesthetic codes with ironic precision. Think pearls worn with beat-up Sambas. Think Laura Ashley on a vape break.
Fashion always has its rebels, and Gen Z’s rebellion looks less like fishnets and more like wool skirts and buttoned trenches. Conservative —someone check on Kesha-– seems to be the new indie sleaze. Is this simply the next fashion step for an over-sexualized youth? Or are we headed for a wardrobe malfunction?
Fashion has always been a thermometer for the cultural climate—and right now, we're red hot. Our country is as politically divided as our closets: micro shorts with Mary Janes, sheer tops and pilgrim collars. Whether it's pious or punk, this new wave of conservatism isn't about silence. This is style turned sermon, where concealment becomes commentary.
With this shift, the “trad wife” aesthetic has stormed back into the spotlight, wrapped in gingham aprons and romanticized domesticity. Gen Z influencers idolize a rebranded 1940s housewife—equal parts Pinterest-ready pie crusts and gender-role rigidity.
So the question remains: Is feminism officially last season—or just being re-stitched? Has trad-wife, chastity chic become its modern silhouette?
One thing is clear—this new wave of conservatism isn’t a return or a revival. It’s already here, woven into faith, politics, and fashion like a seam you can’t rip. And as high collars and covered silhouettes move from niche to norm, it’s worth asking: is fashion leading the culture, or just dressing for the times?
