Students' take on fashion and beauty
Something revolutionary is happening in students’ wardrobes. Style is being born and bred on campus – as modelled by campus micro-influencers, and captured by TikTok wishlists. Get to grips with how fashion and beauty trends are playing out in the hands (and feeds) of Gen Z students with our sector-specific insights – taken from our own research and other trusted sources.
Students’ thoughts on fashion & beauty
58% of Gen Z students say that what they wear – e.g. fashion, beauty and accessories – is a part of their personal identity.
Gen Z students are starting to think a bit more about things like Augmented Reality for digital try-ons – but with 30% saying AR would improve their shopping experience, this is still relatively new.
Ultimately, it all lies in originality. 8 in 10 Gen Zs and millennials said ‘being yourself’ is the phrase that best fits their personal definition of beauty.
Gen Z students are inherently curious about your brand – 47% want to see behind-the-scenes content from you on social media, making it the most popular content type.
There are factors that will drive Gen Z students away from your fashion or beauty brand, though. The top three? Being too expensive, offering poor-quality products, and a lack of shared values between themselves and the brand.
Students’ feelings on fashion & beauty
For Gen Z, fast fashion is out and luxury clothing is in… but for 74% of Gen Z students, affordability is still the main concern when shopping.
There’s a growing attitude among young consumers that fashion should be cyclical – and almost half (43.9%) of consumers are selling on their unwanted items.
Gen Z students are digital natives – and 53.2% engage with brands on TikTok. Specifically, they’re most likely to buy fashion after seeing it on TikTok and Instagram.
But they aren’t always open to brand discovery on digital platforms. 60% use an ad blocker, and 79% always skip ads.
Gone are the days where beauty is a gendered vertical. Nearly 40% of Gen-Z consumers prefer gender-neutral beauty products, compared to around 30% of older generations
It could be that Gen Z students are sharing beauty products with their younger siblings – 66% of 12-14-year-olds are now discovering beauty products on social media.
Students’ fashion & beauty behaviours
Students are willing to invest their cash in fashion. In 2024, it ranked #2 in their list of discretionary categories that they spend the most on (and was #4 overall including essential purchases).
Fashion and beauty purchases regularly make it into students’ baskets. 68% buy fashion and beauty at least monthly, with a dedicated 14% purchasing at least once a week.
When it comes to spending in general, Gen Z students’ top three priorities are affordability(74%), quality (58%) and convenience (48%). Affordability and quality have been top priority for two years running now.
But when it comes to beauty, Gen Zs are less willing to scrimp than other demographics. 48% said price determined their beauty purchases, compared to a total of 61% across the board.
They may be digital natives, but this cohort of students still prefer to mix and match how they buy fashion and beauty. 46% buy both online and in-person, with 32% just buying in-person and 10% just buying online.
Often, sampling is a key part of the shopping experience for students. 57% have bought something after sampling it on campus, and 54% would supply an email address in exchange for a free sample.
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