If you’ve been scrolling through your TikTok page recently, you might have seen LOTS of teenage boys wearing a quarter-zip sweatshirt with a Starbucks iced matcha latte in hand. Why? It’s a simple question with a straightforward answer: boys nowadays are starting to become like their grandparents.
So how did the trend all start? It began when boys across TikTok decided to ditch their signature Nike Tech look and transform into middle-aged men wearing quarter-zip tops. Soon, every guy just about everywhere started to follow the trend and change their whole personality. Yes, a personality change also comes with the quarter-zips. Boys are now listening to Clario and asking you to “name five songs” when you’ve literally seen Clario live three times. They also say they’re “different” because they like “Star Wars,” and they won’t talk to at least five other girls when you’re “talking” like those Nike Tech-clad guys will.
The OG matcha boys essentially said, “We don’t do Nike Tech, we don’t do coffee, it’s straight quarter zips and matchas around here. We upgraded in life; we wear glasses now.” This implies that teenage boys all over have matured from their Nike Tech style into “gentlemen” in their quarter-zips. Teenage boys have turned into full-fledged dads, reading the newspaper on Sunday morning, trying to mansplain global warming to you.
They think they’re “niche” and “not like the other guys,” even though about three-quarters of the male student population is now wearing the same dark blue quarter-zip with khakis. Spoiler alert! They are probably the exact opposite of being niche and different because I’ve seen my 70-year-old grandpa wear the same outfit for every Thanksgiving since I was about eight.
Has it worked in their efforts to be different? Maybe. I mean, I’ve definitely seen a switch in boys’ personalities and the way they act; however, it does not mean they’ve changed for good. Trust me, in about five months, a new trend will come around where all guys will want to wear some $150 shirts you can only find at a random store in Sweden, and the whole cycle will start again.
