Gen Z woman mystified at being told her fashion staples make her look “old”

A Gen Z woman has enlisted the help of TikTok users to upgrade her wardrobe, as she is mystified by comments that she dresses “too old” for her age.

Emma Morris, 26, is keen to ditch her millennial style to look more like her demographic cohort. So she posted a video to her account @emmmorris showing her trying on new outfits and asking viewers their opinion.

In the footage, which has amassed 5.9 million views since it was posted on September 24, Morris wears an outfit that was popular a decade ago—a tight, long-sleeved beige/gray top paired with light blue skinny jeans. “Is this outfit too old for a 26-year-old?” she asks in the clip, adding, “It’s literally just a basic outfit, how can it be that wrong?”

Morris told Newsweek that she has been told her fashion choices make her look older, a sentiment echoed in the comments of her followers, but that she finds the comments helpful.

“I regularly get dressed and ask my TikTok and Instagram followers for feedback,” said Morris, who is based in Shropshire, England. “I don’t take offense, instead I use it as constructive criticism and advice to help me dress and look my age.”

The video shows Morris transition to wide-leg pants and more modern tops, aligning with the current fashion trends favored by content creators. The overhaul is part of Morris’ broader effort to reclaim her fashion identity as she navigates life as a new mom.

“I’ve been posting for many years now about general day-to-day lifestyle content. However, since becoming a mom I have lost my sense of style and now seem to look old for my age somehow due to wearing skinny jeans, matte makeup and unstyled hair,” Morris said.

Her journey took a turn when she was approached by stylist Milly Kate Powell, behind the account @what.milly.wore on Instagram. She has since taken Morris under her wing, guiding her through the transformative process.

“Her styling will help me look my age, and also be practical to motherhood,” Morris added.

In the video, she tries on various pairs of high-rise, wide-leg jeans and pants from multiple retailers, in hues of white, beige and blue, paired with a brown T-shirt. Some of Morris’ new looks were applauded by her followers.

“Girl the jeans and the brown shirt is so cute you just need a more dewy makeup look,” one viewer said.

Another added: “Love those first jeans!!!”

“The baggier jeans make you look younger honestly,” a third viewer said.

Others suggested that Morris’ hair and makeup choices could have been responsible for her more mature look, but some said that this was not such a bad thing.

“You look like a beautiful young women. This comments are ridiculous. I think it’s because [you] talk with class and don’t have skin showing [people] are confused,” one viewer said.

Another added: “The mum look is universal, no matter what age you are.”

“You don’t look old at all, but you come across very mature and put together, something most 26-year-olds aren’t,” another said.

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