I didn’t expect to be writing a column about fashion this week. Then again, I didn’t expect to hear a conservative podcast mention fashion earlier this week, either, but here we are.
The fashion choice in question is quarter-zips. They’re available for men and women to wear, but they’re surging in popularity among men — particularly young men.
It’s easy to see why they can become a go-to part of a guy’s wardrobe. They bridge the gap between casual and dressier occasions. They look great with jeans, khakis, shorts, or even joggers.
It’s fine for a middle-aged guy like me to say that, but why are young men flocking to don quarter-zips? The trend may be more than simply a stylistic choice; it may signal that a generation of boys who grew up hearing that they were the source of all the world’s problems is rejecting that narrative.
The far-left UK newspaper The Guardian has noticed the trend in Britain, and of course, it placed a racial framework around, reporting: “The subtext is that quarter-zips, often associated with white, middle-class finance bros… signify professionalism, while Nike Techs, often associated with black, working-class men living in cities, represent criminality. To wear a quarter-zip… is to complete your transformation from a ‘hoodlum’ into something more respectable.”
USA Today was a little less dramatic about it when it reported that “people engaged with the quarter-zip’s popularity say it goes beyond just trends and clothes — it’s a lifestyle that reflects a commitment to sophistication.”
It’s funny because I just like the way they look.
On Wednesday’s episode of the Colson Center’s Breakpoint podcast, John Stonestreet points out:
It may be that this is more than just a fashion trend. Beginning last year, there were reports of an upsurge in the number of young men going to church. And not just any church. By and large, the young men that are looking for spiritual answers are not choosing “seeker-friendly” or mainline progressive churches. It is as if they want something to challenge them.
[…]
It seems as if a significant number of young men, sick of the meaninglessness of low expectations and infinite distraction, are looking for something else. Many simply seem to want to act like men. Having been told for so long that they are what’s wrong with the world, that all masculinity is “toxic” and the “future is female,” they’re looking for answers in not all the wrong places.
It’s something that I’ve been tracking for a while. Last April, I wrote, “On the positive side, many young men are turning to conservatism and Trumpism in particular. They see qualities in men like Donald Trump and JD Vance worth emulating, and they see that the policies that this administration advocates don’t treat men and boys as second-class citizens. It could be a game-changer for the politics of the future.”
Related: There's a Glimmer of Hope for a Generation of Young Men
“Even better, some young men are turning to Christianity,” I wrote later in that same piece. “Anecdote isn’t data, I know, but at my church, we’ve seen an influx of younger men. Single guys, college-aged men, and young families led by husbands are coming in and getting involved — teen boys, too. It’s encouraging.”
It’s a phenomenon that we still see at church nearly a year later. And our church doesn’t hold back from preaching the Word of God.
At least one generation of young men is searching for meaning. They’re looking past the narrative that they’re the problem and seeking truth and significance. While some are looking in the wrong places (hypermasculinity, Islam, and misogyny), many young guys are looking to a robust, weighty faith. If they stick to it, that will serve them well.
Who knows if the quarter-zip trend is part of this new way of looking at life for young men? But if it is, it’s another encouraging sign that these men are not lost after all.
