With an affordability crisis taking hold, financial stability is in fashion. Whether it’s wearing a quarter-zip sweater or the latest “401(k) mullet” hairstyle, young men, especially, are leaning into styles that give an air of monetary responsibility.
“Men not only found a voice but are finding their place through these trends,” said Thomaï Serdari, professor of marketing and director of the fashion and luxury program at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Clothing, hairstyles, music and even underwear have often been seen as leading economic indicators. For example, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan believed that men’s buying habits regarding underwear were a good indication of whether consumers were making fewer discretionary purchases.
Here’s what experts say these new trends show about how consumers feel toward the U.S. economy and the job market.
The old 401(k) is now cool.
