How Convenience has impacted Millennials in their lifestyle, eating habits, and daily functions?
November 14, 2024Introspective Writing
April 5, 2025New Wave
Leo Ching Ling
Research and Proposal
Generation Z refers to the generation born from 1997 to 2012 defined by PEW Research Group USA. They are a generation born in the digital era which in turn encourages individuality and self-expression (Twenge, 2017). As those in their 20s are gradually joining the workforce with previous generations, their workplace identity has not yet been fully awakened. Surveying 25 Singaporean Gen Zs, the majority will choose to challenge traditional norms and expectations (Fig 1.1) and individual goals over community goals (Fig 1.2), which may be the root of them being open to unconventional yet functional professional attire (Fig 1.3).
Questioning how they may be different from the previous generation, the key takeaways are that we have “higher awareness of social issues” and are “more opinionated”(figure 1.4). This could be due to the influence of social media, which has been present since they were young. Arguably, millennials also have had their fair share of the digital age, but they were not exposed to it as young as Gen Zs were, and the technology in the 1980s were also not as widespread as in the late 1990s and 2000s. MySpace was the first social media site to reach a million monthly active users around 2004. This is arguably the rise in popularity of social media. (Ortiz-Ospina & Roser, 2024)
The access to opinions worldwide and support for individual statements could have encouraged Gen Zs to be more outspoken about their own ideas. Popular perspectives about traditional norms may have greatly influenced their mindset on how to face society. Therefore, unlike standard workwear, they might opt for current trends, which includes comfort, expression, relaxed silhouettes, neutral tones, and minimalist aesthetics. (Holmes, 2021).
With the principles of modernism, which focuses on individuality and rejecting traditional norms, and postmodernism, which uses deconstruction and pastiche (Kuiper, 2024), I’ll be exploring silhouettes that are both interesting and subtle, outfits that are eye-catching without being overly attention-seeking, catering to the growing interest in unique office wear.
By reconstructing traditional workwear, it can retain the characteristics of classic designs while giving it a breath of fresh air. Altering seams and adding unexpected details can create garments that are both familiar and unexpected. Textual elements such as pleating and heat-setting can also create an emphasis for the garments with added depth and dimension. Design elements such as proportion and hierarchy could also be done in an eye-catching yet subtle manner.
Argument
Every generation has their own opinions on society and a strong desire to be themselves. As newbies joining the workforce, they had their own expectations to make a change in the current system and impact the society in a way they would see as “better”. Interviewing Ric Ang, 49, a Gen X who is in the media field, he said as a young man he was also full of confidence that his era would create a positive change as compared to the boomer generation where everything is by the book.
Compared to others, Gen X is more defiant and unapologetic. They seek stability and have stricter work ethics than any generation, but value work-life balance and a casual work environment. (Yutuc, 2024) Ric added that joining the workforce had eventually molded him into becoming one of them. The longing of working in an environment that was fun and engaging did not end, but he was forced into submission as that was what the society was like then.
As society is adjusting rapidly to social media, this could be a real opportunity for a change in mentality. In recent years, there’s been a societal shift towards more inclusive and diverse workplaces as social media influencers and articles have stood out with persuasive key points on how that would help businesses grow bigger. (Cole, 2022) As social media platforms continue to democratize fashion and challenge traditional beauty standards, people are becoming more open to unconventional styles and expressions of individuality (McRobbie, 2013).
It may have been difficult for Gen Xs to make a huge impact as they are individuals against society, but with the rise of social media, the difference is already stark when millennials enter the workforce. According to statistics, they fulfilled the idea of work-life balance, working for a good income and knowing their self-worth (Heiberg, 2024).
Gen Zs, who are a more individualistic and opinionated generation, coupled with the help of social media and companies moving into the control of Gen X and millennials who are more accepting of this culture, there is a good chance that they are able to overthrow staunch ideals in a workplace and be given freedom of choice in their fashion styles.
In conclusion, as long as the outfits are designed to still look professional while having additional elements of surprise, they would still perfectly align with the aesthetic preferences of Gen Z while reflecting a broader cultural shift towards an era with freedom of self-expression and inclusivity.
Reference
Twenge (2017). iGEN. Atria Books
Harvey, D. (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Blackwell Publishers.
McRobbie, A. (2013). The Culture of Fashion. Polity Press.
Ortiz-Ospina, E., & Roser, M. (2024, March 18). The rise of social media. Our World in Data.
https://ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social-media#:~:text=Social%20media%20started %20in%20the,media%20as%20we%20know%20it.
Yutuc, M. (2024, April 28). 10 Prominent Generation X Characteristics in the workplace | Skill Success Blog. Skill Success Blog.
https://blog.skillsuccess.com/generation-x-characteristics-in-the-workplace/
Cole, B. M. (2022, April 14). 8 Reasons Why diversity and inclusion are essential to business success. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/biancamillercole/2020/09/15/8-reasons-why-diversity
-and-inclusion-are-essential-to-business-success/
Heiberg, D. (2024, May 10). Key statistics about Millennials in the workplace. Firstup.
https://firstup.io/blog/key-statistics-millennials-in-the-workplace/#
Fig 1.1 If they would choose to Challenge Norms(1) – Follow Traditions(5)
Fig 1.2 How much they prioritise Individual Goals(1) – Community Goals(5)
Fig 1.3 How open they are to trying the proposed style.
Fig 1.4 A few opinions from the survey about how Gen Zs are different from previous generations.