Grunge, normcore and sporty casuals return for the resignation generation.

This aesthetic is echoed in a recent surge in young people leaving their jobs en masse, blaming dissatisfaction, exhaustion and low wages. As a result, the collective fashion consciousness is drawn to the slackers, stoners and drop-outs who might have been doing it right all along. At its core, the new slacker style is an amalgamation of grunge, normcore and loungewear, a relaxed aesthetic influenced by the youth subcultures of the ’90s and ’00s with an added dose of mid-2010s anti-fashion irony. The anti-tailoring trend is an ode to casual, threatening the monopoly of the suit on the men’s runway. Even brands like <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-ready-to-wear/fendi#gallery-collection">Fendi</a> and <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-menswear/givenchy#gallery-collection">Givenchy</a> rejected sleek tailoring this season in favor of slouchy silhouettes, dad shorts, bucket hats and low-rise denim.&nbsp;
The biggest style icons du jour aren’t known for rocking a perfect suit on the red carpet either, but rather for showcasing a quintessentially informal street style in candid paparazzi pics. Timothée Chalamet is often snapped out and about in joggers, hoodies and baseball caps, while Pete Davidson rarely ventures anywhere in anything more formal than basketball shorts, sweatshirts and oversized tees. That’s not to mention how often Adam Sandler’s couch-ready outfits make the rounds on Instagram and Twitter, prompting a mix of bemusement and humorous praise.&nbsp;

Previously, these chaotically unperturbed looks were largely reserved for popping out for an iced coffee with a raging hangover hoping you don’t bump into anyone you know. Now, they have the stamp of approval from designers like Jonathan Anderson whose SS23 men’s collection for <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-menswear/loewe#gallery-collection">Loewe</a> spoke to this thrown-together sensibility through clashing baseball caps, oversized sweaters and neon sport tights. London-based menswear brand <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-menswear/bianca-saunders">Bianca Saunders</a> presented a similar vision of soft simplicity with a series of relaxed, youthful silhouettes. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-menswear/vetements#gallery-collection">Vetements</a> took the slacker theme even further with oversized hoodies and T-shirts emblazoned with the ultimate anti-ambition statement: “I’m not doing shit today.”&nbsp;
Alex Quicho, Head of Cultural Intelligence at trend agency Canvas8, describes the appeal of slacker fashion and culture today as providing “a sense of escapism and autonomy during a period of uncertainty, however limited. Momentarily forgetting about your future, your career, or your bank balance is helping Gen Z recover joy in the moment and, for some, ‘trying hard’ altogether is losing appeal.”
For the most part, today’s slackers aren’t interested in dropping out entirely. Quicho suggests the trend is a natural pendulum swing away from minimalism and sleek <a href="https://www.goat.com/apparel">streetwear</a>. The look could also be described as a branch of the anti-fashion movement. A key tenet of this trend is its ability to prove that some garments reach a point of being so uncool that they become cool again.

One such garment is the plaid flannel shirt, which Kate Moss helped kick off at Bottega Veneta, wearing a simple blue plaid shirt over a white tee and loose denim. Indeed, <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-ready-to-wear/bottega-veneta#gallery-collection">the show’s opening looks</a> seemed so ordinary that it felt odd even seeing them on the runway. But, of course, there was a twist. In Matthieu Blazy’s artful optical illusion, these pieces were not made from flannel or denim, but from leather, making them a lot more luxurious than they looked. As it turns out, it can take a lot of effort to look like you don’t care.
“‘Appearing effortless’ has always been a bit of an oxymoron,” notes Quicho, “From ‘no-makeup makeup’ that takes hours to perfect, to ‘off-duty dressing’ that idolizes supermodels’ casual outfits worth thousands of dollars, to tutorials on ‘how to post the perfect Insta dump’ that reveal the thoughtfulness behind intentionally blurry pictures or close-ups of trash.”

Social media trends also point towards a desire to be seen as slacker-adjacent. The picture-perfect Insta posts that have dominated social media for more than a decade are no longer the indicators of status and cool that they once were. Instead, “ugly” Insta-batches of lo-fi selfies have taken over, while BeReal makes the elusive promise of providing a more authentic online experience. Alongside all this, the speed of internet micro-trends shows no sign of slowing down, so it’s no wonder that some of us feel like checking out is a better option than trying to keep up at all.
Ultimately, emitting a slacker attitude is a kind of defiance. Our teachers told us it wasn’t cool not to try, but there was always something intangibly cool about the kids who didn’t seem to care. Every generation feels disenchanted in their own way. While there are numbers to back up the Great Resignation, the reality isn’t that young people are quitting their jobs to do nothing. “If anything, the rise of slacker culture signifies greater cynicism around aspiration and status symbols,” Quicho concludes. “Exploring the slacker aesthetic gives Gen Z room to question: Could I make do with less? Why am I striving for this? Who am I trying to impress? And how can I define my own happiness beyond what society expects of me?”&nbsp;
There’s a lot that’s out of our control so there can be comfort in taking our wardrobes back to nostalgic basics. The slacker aesthetic taps into our desire to prioritize comfort, whether through sleazy grunge or oversized tracksuits. It’s a lesson in caring less what other people think, dressing for yourself and taking your foot off the gas when it comes to work and style.

Vetements Only Vetements Hoodie 'Black'

Supreme Brushed Plaid Flannel Shirt 'Natural'

Amiri Cargo Wide Jeans 'Vintage Indigo'

Teddy Santis x 990v2 Made in USA 'Grey'

Givenchy Oversized Hooded Bomber Jacket 'Black'

Martine Rose Care Free Oversized T-Shirt 'White'

Burberry Check Side Panel Sweatpants 'Camel'

Bottega Veneta Wmns Resort Teddy Slide 'Parakeet'

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