What They're Wearing: Gen Z at Joshua Tree
I spent 36 hours in the desert with some of the biggest TikTokers.
A few weeks ago, I, along with three other elder millennials, took a bus to Joshua Tree with about 25 influencers, mostly Gen Z TikTokers. It’s always a bit awkward to be a journalist in a sea of content creators but since I’ve been filming more videos lately, I was excited to make some fun content in the desert with Urban Outfitters (our hosts). And it was fun but it was also a look into what this age group is wearing.
The hilarity began a week before the trip when the Urban Outfitters PR team sent an itinerary with outfit ideas for all of our activities. I texted my editor friend Amber, who was coming on the trip, panicking. Even though I’m often told I dress younger than my age, there was no way I was going to be able to pull off tube tops with halter ties, biker shorts, and asymmetrical handkerchief tops. I wore it all when it was trending for the first time — in 2003! I’m not one of those millennials who doesn’t think trends should come back around. It’s cool when they do! I just can’t wear all of them again.
Luckily, we could choose anything from the Urban Outfitters site and I found some extremely cute things I thought I could pull off. I’ve always loved UO (as well as sister brands Free People and Anthropologie), maybe because of the Philadelphia connection, or just nostalgia. I chose items with a boho edge that would work for a picnic, a walk in the desert, dinner, and other activities.
On the 3-hour bus down, Amber and I busted out our laptops to get some work done. It was 9 a.m. on a Friday, after all. Multiple influencers commented on our mobile set-ups, with some thinking we worked for the brand and others saying how “cute” we looked. (You have to laugh or you’ll cry.)
One of our first activities was the “walk” in Joshua Tree proper. It turns out, it was a bit more of a hike. It wasn’t a strenuous one but there were rocks and slippery sand, and absolutely none of us were dressed for it. We wore mini dresses and skirts, micro shorts and halter tops, all with boots, loafers, or ballet flats — not a hiking shoe in sight. A photographer made a joke to me that he was going to put a photo on Influencers in the Wild, a popular Instagram account that pokes fun at the ridiculous situations influencers get themselves into.
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We got a lot of stares from families walking by dressed correctly and using walking sticks. We might have looked slightly insane, but we also looked pretty cute. And at least I wore my New Balance sneakers so I didn’t slip on a rock.
During the hike, I kept pointing out clothes to Amber. It was fun(ny) to see the items I thought I was too old for worn by a Gen Zer in a way I wasn’t even considering. Those leopard biker shorts that caused me to panic looked very cool with a more feminine black top and leather boots. The jorts that went all the way past the knees looked chic with cowboy boots, a basic tee, and a western belt. I know these are content creators who might dress a bit more creatively than the average person. But it was still a bit inspiring in TikTok’s neutral, dull, “clean girl” world to see fashion be fun again.
The rest of the trip was equally as fun and hilarious.
I continued to be inspired by the way the creators put their outfits together, with lots of pieces from their own closets mixed with the UO clothes in really quirky-cool ways.
I think I pulled off lace and leather well when it got cold at night. I did my best to keep up, while sticking to things I felt comfortable in.
But you know how I realized the trip inspired me? At one of the little gifting suites on the trip, I grabbed the Kimchi Blue Ellie High Rise Stretch Capri Pant. Yes, capris. I was really unsure if I could wear them again at my big age of 40. But when I got back to L.A. and hit up a Glossier event, I wore them with my Vrg Girl smock top, Sam Edelman ballet flats, and Sheer Polka Dot Crew Sock. I had to push past the feeling that my legs aren’t thin enough. But I’ve decided that if you worry too much about looking smaller in your clothes, you’ll dress worse.
But I’m still not wearing basketball shorts.
Loving all the looks!
looked really fun