Foreign Influences on Gen Z Consumers in the U.S.

Does the new generation of American consumers have an obsession with foreign fashion aesthetics? From K-beauty to European minimalism to British indie sleaze, Gen Z has adopted an international approach to building their style. The continuous rise in social media influence has only fortified this concept, allowing Gen Zers in the U.S. greater access to global products and fashion or beauty inspiration. 

“Aesthetics” are a major component to Gen Z’s attitude towards fashion and cosmetics and refers to visual and lifestyle identities made up of clothing, makeup, colors, music, behaviors, values, and even personality traits that create a recognizable and labelled “vibe”. It’s not just about how something looks — it’s about the feeling, story, or world it represents. Along with aesthetics, “microtrend” is another circulating term among this demographic. Microtrends can be viewed as short-lived, fast-moving trends that become popular through algorithms and creator videos, often lasting only weeks or months. Aesthetics tend to become microtrends, falling in and out of the mainstream, and as of the past few years, likely since the COVID-19 pandemic when global communication and social media had a boom in utility, U.S. Gen Z aesthetics have become an amalgamation of foreign trends and identities. 

What ties these ideas together is the way Gen Z uses aesthetics and microtrends to construct an identity in a cultural moment where traditional markers of American style feel diffuse or outdated. Unlike previous generations who grew up with more unified national fashion cues like 90s grunge, prep, or early-2000s mall culture, Gen Z inherits a fragmented landscape shaped by digital life, rapid globalization, and the decline of a singular “American look.” As a result, foreign styles become appealing not just for their novelty, but for the sense of coherence and cultural specificity they offer. Korean skincare routines, Mediterranean summer looks, Douyin make up, or Japanese Y2K tech streetwear each provide ready-made narratives Gen Z can adopt, remix, or discard as microtrends cycle through their feeds. These global aesthetics become tools that let Gen Z experiment with identity, express belonging, or signal taste in a world where trends move faster than any one national culture can anchor. 

However, this system of trends and aesthetics puts into question how this generation of American consumers perceive the national and cultural identities from which these aesthetics originate. Are they something that can be “discovered”, used, and then discarded? While U.S. Gen Z can play with these looks fluidly, the aesthetics themselves reflect creative traditions, histories, and cultural narratives that hold significance for the communities they come from. As global influences continue to shape American style, understanding the depth behind these borrowed aesthetics becomes essential — not only for responsible consumption, but for appreciating the cultural contexts that make these trends compelling in the first place.