French tucks and skinny jeans and ankle boots, oh my — these are some of the sneaky items in your wardrobe that might be aging you.
Millennials — a generation born between 1981 and 1996 — appear to be stuck in a style rut, bounded by strict, self-inflicted rules for how to dress, according to these Gen Zers.
Despite their distaste for the trends of today’s youth, these young stylists say it’s time their elders part with some of their closet staples — lest they be dubbed “cheugy.”
“Gen Z is more willing to experiment with different things and have more fun with fashion versus millennials,” Marla McLeod, a Gen Z Miami stylist, told The Post.
“They really stick to those fashion rules that they don’t necessarily want to break.”
Despite Gen Z’s revival of dreaded Y2K fads — concealer lips, over-plucked brows and low-rise jeans — there are a few ways millennials can give their wardrobe a facelift without making their early aughts faux pas.
“Dressing like a millennial doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” Rebekah Torres, a 20-year-old student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, told The Post.
“But it can also make you appear younger if you would update a few simple things.”
Behold, here’s how to Gen Z-ify your wardrobe.
The “Millennial” — or “French” — Tuck
Sorry Tan France, that signature half-tuck is aging your look, Gen Z says.
The “French” tuck, or “millennial” tuck as Torres calls it, is when only the front of a longer — perhaps even tunic-esque — blouse is tucked into the waistband of, say, a pair of ultra-high rise skinny jeans.
“That definitely screams millennial for me,” noted McLeod, who swears she hasn’t “ever really done that” herself.
Instead, Torres recommends that millennials — who often reach for “shirts that go past their fingertips” — go out and purchase plain tops that do not need the half-tuck method, and can either be fully tucked in or left untucked.
“You can wear a full-length top, just as long as it’s fitted and you can tuck it fully into your jeans,” she said. “Or, even a better solution is a body suit, or even wearing a top that still meets your waistline.”
Fitted vs. Oversized Blazers
The hallmark of Pinterest-era fashion in 2012 — where many chronically online millennials sourced their style inspiration — were the color-blocked, tailored blazers with three-quarter sleeves, likely worn with a pair of slim denim and a silk shirt or a patterned frock.
“There was a time, like early Instagram, where the fashion girls would wear a blazer, skinny jeans, ballet flats and the Gucci belt,” McLeod described. “I feel like that was like a staple.”
Now, the fitted sports jackets have been swapped for oversized, boxy blazers akin to menswear, a trend that is likely spurred by Gen Z’s push for body acceptance, which is stomping out the pursuit of model-esque perfection.
“We are at a place where we’re more comfortable in what we wear and how we look and how we feel due to the fact of, like, oversized clothing, more inclusive clothing,” Brooklyn-based stylist Ashleigh Ashton, 27, told The Post.
“Like, you could go unisex and that’s fine. You could shop in the men’s section, that’s also fine. And I think that this door got kicked open by the Gen Zs.”
Skinny Jeans vs. Baggy Jeans
Get the skinny on this: Your ultra-tight denim is out, especially if paired with the wrong footwear.
“A dead giveaway [of] the millennial style is the skinny jeans with the thigh-high boots,” said Torres, who boasts a following of over 33,000 on TikTok.
This may be because, she explained, “Gen Z is more focused on the silhouette of the clothes” and accentuating their waistline, while millennials want “to elongate their legs,” hence the tight, leggy denim.
For those unwilling to part with the snugness of the ultra-tight jean or a cigarette leg, Torres suggested a pair of slightly boot-cut jeans to maintain the hip-hugging silhouette.
But some fashionistas are praising the style gods that the tight-fitting denim is on the outs, and prefer the silhouette of slouchy trousers.
“I really loved when we went away from skinny jeans,” McLeod said. “I cannot wear skinny jeans ever again.”
Ankle Boots and Low Profile Socks
Gen Z is more open to showing more skin by way of some tasteful underboob, said Ashton — but they draw the line at baring ankles.
TikToker Phoebe Parsons claimed that a millennial’s low-profile ankle socks give away their age — Zoomers always wear tall socks and scrunch them down.
That means showing an inch of skin between the hem of your skinny jeans and the top of your heeled ankle booties is a no-no.
“A rolled skinny jean and an ankle bootie is also a dead giveaway that someone is dressing like a millennial,” Torres said, recommending they find a pair of looser-fitting denim that covers part of the shoe.
Chunky Jewelry
If you’re still clutching to your statement necklaces from Charming Charlie circa 2011 to 2014, it’s time to part with them for good, says Gen Z.
Instead, less is more. Think: The minimalist “clean girl” aesthetic.
“Now, it’s just dainty, small, little necklaces, usually gold or silver, and then small earrings, that are paired with every outfit,” Torres explained.