Quarter Zips and Matcha: How a TikTok Joke Became Gen Z’s New “Gentleman” Uniform

By: Rhea Janyavula

Quarter-zip sweaters and iced matcha lattes have quietly turned into one of late 2025’s most recognizable youth style trends, especially among Gen Z boys and young men. What started as a lighthearted TikTok bit — a creator declaring he was “finished with the tracksuit era” and was now all about quarter zips and matcha — has quickly become a kind of unofficial uniform for young people who want to look more polished, studious, and “put together.”

A quarter zip is a pullover with a short zipper that runs from the collar to about the chest. It began as sportswear but has become a staple of office and campus wardrobes as dress codes have relaxed; it reads as smart casual rather than sloppy. Matcha, a finely milled Japanese green tea, has been riding its own wave of popularity, with Gen Z drinking significantly more matcha than the average American and cafés adding more matcha drinks to their menus each year. Mentions of matcha on U.S. menus grew by over 20% between early 2024 and early 2025, reflecting interest in drinks that feel healthier and more “functional” than soda or energy drinks.

Put together, the sweater and the drink create a very specific look: clean quarter zip in a neutral color, neat pants, loafers or spotless sneakers, and a bright green iced drink in hand. The aesthetic reads less like streetwear and more like someone heading to a study group, a part-time internship, or a networking event. Many TikTok videos frame it as a kind of personal upgrade: creators show “before and after” clips where they move from oversized hoodies and darker, rougher styling to lighter knitwear, tidy haircuts, and matcha runs. Coverage in outlets from style blogs to mainstream news has described the “quarter-zip movement” as a social-media-driven push toward discipline, self-improvement, and a more “gentlemanly” presentation.

The trend has moved beyond the screen. In Houston, for instance, dozens of young people recently gathered at a shopping complex for a “Quarter-Zip Meet-Up,” all arriving in coordinated sweaters and carrying matcha or similar café drinks while posing for photos and videos. Local coverage described it as a mix between a fashion meet-up and a community event, complete with group photos and coordinated outfit checks. Even some public figures have leaned into the style. UK rapper Central Cee, long associated with tracksuits, drew attention after posting a video in a quarter zip, casually drinking what fans identified as matcha; comments joked that this made the sweater “officially certified” as part of the new uniform.

Matcha’s presence in this trend is not just about color, although the bright green looks striking on camera. Globally, demand for matcha has been climbing, driven by social media, café culture, and wellness marketing. Analysts expect the U.S. matcha market to continue expanding through the decade, even as tea growers in Japan face climate-related challenges that have pushed some matcha prices to record highs. At the same time, younger consumers are increasingly interested in “sober-curious” and lower-sugar lifestyles, swapping alcohol and super-sweet drinks for beverages like matcha, kombucha, and flavored sparkling water. In that context, holding a matcha latte can signal that someone is health-conscious, focused, and following a global, internet-shaped caffeine trend rather than just grabbing another coffee.

Many participants and supporters say the quarter-zips-and-matcha wave is about taking themselves more seriously and changing how they are perceived in public spaces. Interviews and social posts frame the look as a way to present as calmer, more mature, and more academically or professionally oriented, particularly for young men who feel that certain clothes lead others to make unfair assumptions about them. For some, it is less about fashion and more about a daily reminder to act in line with their long-term goals.

Not everyone sees it so positively. On social platforms like Reddit, Threads, and TikTok, some users argue that the way the trend is sometimes discussed slides into respectability politics, suggesting that people only deserve respect or safety if they adopt a specific, middle-class style of dress. Others simply joke that the quarter-zip look makes everyone resemble junior consultants or unpaid interns. These debates have become part of the story: each new viral transformation video sits alongside a wave of comments either cheering on the “glow-up” or pushing back on the idea that clothing alone should define character.

Whether the phrase “quarter zips and matcha” is still circulating a year from now, the forces behind it are likely to last. Quarter-zip sweaters were already a practical, widely accepted garment before TikTok rediscovered them. Matcha is an established global product with rising demand and a strong foothold in café culture. The deeper story — young people using style and everyday rituals to signal ambition, self-respect, and a fresh start — is older than social media itself.

For the moment, though, one image captures the trend perfectly: a neutral quarter zip, a bright green iced drink, and a young person looking into the camera, quietly announcing that they are trying to step into a more intentional version of themselves.