Nobody embraces new styles faster or more fervently than Gen Z (as documented in After School, my daily newsletter about youth culture). We have them to thank for pretty much all

the trends we’re excited about at the moment, from low rises and Lexxola sunglasses to baggy jeans and Y2K jewelry. So with fall quickly approaching, I decided to go straight to the source to find out what will soon be dominating our closets. We DM’d 21 stylish Gen Zers on Instagram to ask what they’re stocking up on this season. And boy, did they deliver.

Cowboy boots were the most frequently mentioned trend, beloved for their versatility and comfort. One fan went as far as to call them the new white sneaker and explained that the western shoe has emerged as a streetwear staple. As for what to wear with the It boot, the Gen-Z crowd says anything goes. People mentioned pairing cowboy boots with everything from floral dresses to Levi's 501s to sweater vests. And speaking of sweater vests, knit also came up a lot—and if that knit hails from Lisa Says Gah or Paloma Wool, all the better.

Another frequently mentioned trend was bold colors; as one Gen Zer said, “I thought the maximalist color combos of earlier pandemic times were just a phase, but they’re only getting more wild.” Layering, too, is a big priority for fall, ideally involving an oversize menswear blazer a la Hailey Bieber. (As one girl told us, “You can literally dress anything up or down with a blazer. I’ve got every color literally just waiting to make an appearance when fall hits.”)

Below, see everything Gen Z will be buying for fall. And there's no shame in shaping our entire fall shopping lists around their picks.