"There's a new movement unfolding on TikTok that may have Nike a little worried. Over the past couple of weeks, young Black men on the app have been posting videos of themselves procuring matcha lattes and disavowing their go-to Nike Tech tracksuit jackets in favor of quarter-zip knit sweaters. Fashion trends change all of the time, right? No big deal."
"Why is my TikTok algorithm full of young Black men talking about quarter-zips and drinking matcha lattes? And what, pray tell, is a Nike Tech? Most of this is exactly what it sounds like. Quarter-zips are the knit, collared sweaters that only zip a quarter of the way down in the front. They are associated with a more preppy and/or business-casual attire-the kind of sweater you'd expect to be layered over a crisp white button-down shirt accompanied by a pair of chinos and loafers."
Youth on TikTok are posting videos showing matcha lattes and swapping Nike Tech tracksuits for quarter-zip knit sweaters. Quarter-zips evoke preppy, business-casual styling often layered over button-down shirts, chinos, and loafers. Nike Tech jackets are full-zip fleece tracksuits identifiable by a bold black V-shaped chest line and are especially popular among young Black men in urban or historically low-income neighborhoods. The trend juxtaposes perceived upward-class style markers with established athletic streetwear preferences, suggesting underlying conversations about respectability, stereotype management, and cultural perception. The juxtaposition can signal both playful irony and deeper engagement with racialized expectations.
Read at Slate Magazine
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