Long live the white tee and jeans

and

May 21, 2025

Hi, and welcome back to Off The Cuff. I’m your guest editor,

, reporting from deep inside the algorithm. This week, I’m tracking bubble dresses, boxer shorts, and a generational divide over the correct way to tuck one’s shirt. Also on my mind: Labubus! I’ve fallen deep into the “propaganda I’m not falling for” meme. I had no idea those little monsters were so contentious.

Ahead, plenty of fodder (and absolutely no propaganda!) for your long weekend ahead.

CASEY’S ROTATION

Everything I’m sharing in the groupchat this week:

Long live the white tee and jeans. After reading that viral New York Magazine article about the rise of the West Village Girls, I can’t stop thinking about what writer Brock Colyar called “the local uniform: a white tank, light-wash jeans, and Sambas, an iced matcha latte in hand, and hair slicked back into a tight ponytail.” Conformity has its obvious downsides, but I think this combination is more of a blank slate, not any sort of blanket statement. Jeans and a white tee have survived every trend cycle for a reason, and I, for one, won’t be retiring them anytime soon. In fact, I just re-upped. (I recommend these.)
Everyone’s favorite it girl says she’s “completely converted” to $60 American Eagle jeans after spotting her mom in a pair. She just told InStyle they’re the most comfortable jeans she’s ever worn — the team confirmed to me that this was not a paid sponsorship — and she said she fears she “won’t ever go back” to anything else. Her go-to fit is low or mid-rise and loose, much like the aforementioned West Village Girls.
A highly anticipated comeback album is already shaping the summer aesthetic. Fans have dubbed it "Lorde Summer," a shift from last year’s bratty maximalism to something more stripped back. Think oversized button-downs, baggy tees, silver jewelry, and scuffed boots. And when hundreds show up to Washington Square Park in variations of the same outfit, it’s a reminder that dressing alike is really just code for wanting to belong.
Meanwhile, fashion’s most exciting runway isn’t in Paris (or on Bleecker Street). It’s on Roblox. The platform’s Dress to Impress game has surpassed six billion visits, with most players in their teens or twenties, and not, as you may assume, the fifth grade. Its recent collaboration with a buzzy Brat pop star pulled in more than two million new players and generated over 200 million social video views. The platform is quickly becoming a cultural engine for digital self-expression, which, it’s worth noting, AE helped lead the charge on.
Button-ups are big for spring, but the way you choose to tuck it is now a telltale sign of what generation you belong to. A 43-year-old millennial from Ohio has gone viral on TikTok for calling Gen Z’s off-balance “half-tuck” look “dumb” and “chaotic,” sparking impassioned comments from millennials defending the more polished French tuck. While the creator admits she loves Gen Z’s white sneaker obsession, she draws the line at fashion that feels unfinished. "My entire life is already one long list of half-done things — half-written thank-you notes and half-sorted laundry. So, when it comes to something I can actually finish, like tucking in my shirt, I'm doing it,” she explains, and as a millennial, I can’t help but agree with her. (I also feel the same about baggy jeans that drag on the ground, but now I’m really showing my age…)
Button-ups aren’t the only generational preference under scrutiny. The Ringer just published a Millennial Cringe Canon highlighting trends Gen Z loves to roast. Among the offenders: the millennial pause, oversharing on Facebook with massive photo dumps, food photography before eating, and the once-ubiquitous “adulting” humblebrag. The piece ultimately frames cringe as inevitable, but also as a weird badge of freedom for a generation that’s officially out of cultural power. I’ll take it.
While Cannes is tightening its dress code with a formal ban on nudity, the rest of pop culture appears to be moving in the exact opposite direction. From the Met Gala’s “no pants” moment, with a number of young stars embracing micro bottoms, to the underwear-as-outerwear styling all over Coachella, Gen Z is turning lingerie into everyday fashion. For those adhering to dress codes, semi-sheer lace maxis, currently taking over my FYP, will give you the same look without getting you banned.

BUBBLE SKIRTS (...AND BUBBLE DRESSES AND BUBBLE SHORTS) BY THE NUMBERS

The early 2000s bubble silhouette is making a very real comeback. Interest in “bubble shorts” hit an all-time high in 2025, with “sequin bubble shorts” taking the crown as the most-searched variation over the past month.

But while shorts are having a moment, bubble dresses have seen 372% YoY growth. Over the past month alone, “bubble dress” has been searched 90% more than “bubble skirt,” with “green bubble dress” leading the pack in trending color searches, followed closely by yellow.

Google searches suggest that wearers are looking for ways to incorporate the silhouette into everyday looks. Among the top “how to style” queries are: jackets with strapless bubble dresses, bubble mini skirts, tube bubble dresses, long black bubble skirts, and short black bubble skirts.

Fwiw, I asked the American Eagle style team what they recommend, and they said the trend seems especially strong in the South: Louisiana and Mississippi are the only two states where “bubble dress” searches outpaced “barrel jeans,” suggesting a regional appetite for Y2K aesthetics.

WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED

“What’s your go-to jean length?”

Few things spark stronger opinions than jean length. (Except maybe shirt tucks.) Curious where young shoppers stand right now, I asked American Eagle’s Instagram community how they like their denim length: cropped above the ankle, right at the foot, or reaching the floor.

The most popular choice was right at the foot, which happens to be my personal preference as well, but plenty of people made a case for letting their jeans drag. My favorite response: “Trailing behind me like a wedding gown.”

TRENDING ON TIKTOK

It’s not just a jorts summer — boxers are back, and they’re bigger than ever. First spotted on the runways in 2022 and since embraced by every cool girl with a Pinterest board, men’s boxers have emerged as a summer staple. This week, my TikTok feed has been flooded with American Eagle’s $20 sleep shorts, especially the colorblock gingham pair. Bonus points if you style them with a crisp button-down (half-tuck optional).

That’s all from me this week! Until next time, may your group chats stay active and your algorithms stay propaganda-free.

More soon,

Casey Lewis and the AE team