Skintight gymwear is out, baggy is in: Gen Z is redefining gym fashion and millennials are catching strays

A Gen Z vs millennial gym wear fashion war is developing on TikTok as youngsters trend toward oversized rather than tight-fitting outfits. Zoomers are rejecting the clingy leggings and form-fitting spandex of yesteryear in favor of big shorts and baggy sweatshirts for their workouts, according to search data and activewear experts. The reasons why rest in the different ways these generations view their active identities.

This phenomenon follows similar trends as Gen Z gym-goers seek to distinguish themselves from millennials. Today’s TikTokers might get flashbacks from the crew vs ankle sock battles of 2024.

From form-fitting to free-flowing

Speaking with Vogue in late March, Style Analytics founder Molly Rooyakkers presented a striking statistic showing just how strong the current trend toward baggy activewear has become in the 2020s.

“Searches for ‘baggy gym outfits’ on Pinterest have risen over 400 percent in the past year, predominantly among 18 to 24-year-olds (58 percent),” she said.

Meanwhile, retail stock of baggier bottoms increased by 50 percent each year since 2022 while leggings fell from 44 percent in 2021 to 32 percent in 2025. The new thing is joggers, loose pants, and workout skirts.

Fashion design companies certainly noticed the trend. In 2024, FittDesign listed oversized hoodies and wide-leg pants as part of their top activewear trends report for the year. According to these experts, people are increasingly looking to blend function and fashion in their gym wear.

“Oversized hoodies, wide-leg pants, and bodysuits represent the diversity in athleisure wear, offering comfort, style, and functionality,” the company wrote. “These pieces seamlessly transition between casual and formal settings, underscoring the blurring lines between fitness and everyday fashion.”

Gen Z vs millennial gym fits

These experts aren’t manufacturing this shift for attention and sales. Gen Z and Millennial TikTok users are openly waging gym wear war on the platform, with Zoomers declaring that purely tight outfits are so over. Instead, they favor outfits that mix tight and loose to create a more complex silhouette.

@catsparklelife tight on tight outfits are not my thing, it’s giving middle school 😭 #cuteoutfit #pinterestinspo #outfitinspo #outfitideas #leggings #leggingsoutfit ♬ original sound – Neon

Fashion TikToker @catsparklelife gained 4.9 million views since March 1, 2025 with her video saying that combining a tight top with leggings is “giving middle school.” She recommends mixing tight pants with a baggy top for maximum Gen Z approval.

Fitness influencers agree, and have been leaning into the oversize gym wear trend for over a year now. On Feb. 12, 2024, user @maryloud7 posted a video that would gain over 5.3 million views declaring that baggy clothes are “perfect for bulking.” She wore a simple, loose black t-shirt and matching pants for her powerlift training.

Commenters remarked on the young man in the background who couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her.

“See people can still be attractive in the gym with baggy clothes / get male attention it’s not abt how you dress it’s I you’re strong etc wearing baggy clothes needs to be a thing,” wrote @pigsforlife44.

Some Millennials are struggling to figure out the new trend. User @l3hcar, in what she called “the most millennial thing I’ve ever posted,” said that she loves the Gen Z gym style but can’t seem to make it work for herself.

“I lose my mind when I see a girl at the gym wearing, like, the baggy sweatpants with a little sports bra and like the big AidPods,” she confessed. “I just think it’s the cutest outfit ever and I want to look like that at the gym.”

What’s behind Gen Z’s love for loose gym fits?

The shift in gym wear style likely comes down to cultural differences between Gen Z and Millennials. While Millennials grew up during a time that idolized thinness, Gen Z’s upbringing included the body positivity movement and more diversity in appearances. The younger group values individuality and may be less inclined to believe that working out and liking how you look requires suffering.

“Millennials were still shaped by the ‘beauty is pain’ mentality — inherited rules about how to dress and for what occasion,” Nobu Pilates founder Marsha Lindsay told Vogue. “Gen Z has grown up in a more inclusive environment. Dressing for confidence and individuality is more important than wearing a uniform.”

There’s also always the possibility that the newer generation is rebelling from the old. Last year, we saw a whole TikTok battle over crew socks vs ankle socks between the two groups.

“Wearing my ankle socks to the gym so those Gen Zs know it’s a ‘older lady’ lifting more than them,” wrote @shann0628 for a video on July 30, 2024.

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