Watch Baffled Millennial Try to Understand Gen Z's Rules for Wearing Socks

When it comes to fashion, it seems as though Generation Z is at the forefront of new trends. They've ditched the skinny jeans for straight leg pants while heavy eyeshadow has made way for the clean girl aesthetic, leaving millennials squandering for anything in their closet that's still in fashion.

But rather than shunning the new trends and remaining in ignorant millennial bliss, Annaliese Todd, 40, has turned to her Gen Z colleagues—those born between 1997 to 2012—for advice on the best socks to wear for every outfit in a viral TikTok video that was posted to the social media platform last week. As they say, if you can't beat them, join them.

The branded content manager asks her colleagues at Mamamia about everything from fashion tips to dating advice, telling Newsweek that the younger perspective offers her "a peak into a world" that would otherwise be out of reach. The millennial never expected socks to be so trendy, but according to Gen Z, they are a vital highlight in every ensemble.

"I wouldn't think to wear a longer sock with a sneaker as we grew up wearing anklets, but since the Gen Z counsel has taught us to lean into longer socks, I've been doing just that. All the millennials and Gen Xers have," Todd, from Sydney, Australia, said. "Gen Z tend to be bold with sock patterns and colors. I think there's a myth that a longer sock will make your leg look shorter, but I don't think that's the case."

Say what you want about Gen Z, but they certainly know how to follow a trend. A recent survey by Statista revealed that 45 percent of Gen Z are influenced by friends and 33 percent are guided by influencers. Comparatively, 31 percent of millennials replicate what their friends do, and 23 percent copy influencers.

Statista also looked at which fashion trends interest Gen Z the most, revealing that loungewear and fashionable going out clothes were the two most important categories, with 35 percent each. Early 2000s fashion was another iconic trend, with 34 percent, closely followed by activewear, with 32 percent.

But why is it that the younger generations seem to know what works and are so willing to try new styles? Todd believes it's all down to their "confidence to break traditional rules," whereas millennials are more set in their ways.

"I love how they mix styles and outfits that I wouldn't think to put together. I feel like as millennials, we kind of grew up with a uniform that we stuck to, but none of my Gen Z colleagues dress the same. They all have a very original style, except when it comes to socks of course," she said.

After asking Gen Z for advice about her socks, Todd decided to share it to TikTok (@annaliese.todd) on April 17 to show how the self-confessed "elder millennial" is learning from her younger compatriots. Evidently, she wasn't alone in finding the rules confusing and the video has already gained over 2.3 million views and more than 119,900 likes on the social media platform.

Todd didn't expect her video to go viral, but she's been pleased to see it amuse so many social media users, and ultimately provided a much-needed explanation about the sock rules.

"I decided to capture it because I knew that what we were getting passionate about would resonate with how other people feel. The world can be a heavy place sometimes, so it's a welcome distraction to talk about something as silly as sock length," Todd told Newsweek. "I think some people's reactions were rightly defensive, asking why you should care what other people think and to just wear what you want, which of course is true. It's all done with love and humor. Nobody is really shaming anyone."

With over 2,800 comments on the video, many TikTok users wanted to have their say on the debate. One comment reads: "Listen, I'm lucky if my socks match this is too much for me."

Another TikTok user wrote: "Today I learnt there are sock rules???"

While another commented: "Honestly I need all of the sock rules because I don't understand but want to understand."

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