Gen Z Has A New Take On “Jeans and a Nice Top”—See It Here

For years, the most common answer to “what are you wearing?” was “jeans and a nice top”. So much so that brands even began dedicating entire sections of their websites to the famous pairing. But, as so often occurs, Gen Z has taken to Tiktok to declare a new take that is making us reconsider what has widely been regraded a reliable wardrobe duo. Now, let us present the plain top-and-fun-trousers combination

Of course, jeans-and-a-nice-top are still just as relevant, but if you’re looking for a way to push your style further, this is definitely one to try. The premise of this formula is pretty simple. Instead of the focus being on the top, we’re making the standout piece the trousers. It’s an understandable transition, as trousers are no longer simply the backdrop to outfits but, in many instances, the main attraction. If you look back to our jeans-and-a-nice-top days, the bottoms options were pretty limited with skinny jeans and, eventually, straight-leg styles. But the past few years have been all about trousers, with so many incredible pairs coming through. Tailoring became the norm for outside the office with wide-leg styles proving incredibly popular amongst minimal dressers, while the 00s revival has offered cargo trousers, bold hues and fun stripes for those who subscribe to the Y2K aesthetic, all of which are solid options for your new top-and-fun-trouser pairings. 

As always, we’ve come with plenty of inspiration from some of our favourite fashion people who perfectly demonstrate how to style this combo. Scroll below to see these looks and to browse some shoppable options to embrace the latest Gen Z-approved outfit formula.