“It’s Not All Behind a Screen”—Why Some Gen Z-ers Are Shopping Made-to-Measure

Back in March, I went to Charvet—a storied Parisian shop best known for its shirting and slippers—with the mission of getting a made-to-measure nightshirt. My sales associate and I spent well over an hour poring over bolts of fabric, discussing buttons, and debating which monogram was just right. After we were both quite satisfied with the order (I cannot in good faith make a purchase at Charvet unless I have my sales associate’s blessing, least of all because an MTM shirt starts around €600), I went down to the main floor to check out, where I noticed a fellow Gen Z-er asking his sales associate about a custom shirt.

Days later, I joined a few editors at the Chanel store on Rue Royale to try on shoes from Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection. It was at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week, and Chanel-o-Mania was in full force. Judging by Instagram and TikTok, it felt like everyone was either talking about the shoes or documenting their own hero’s journey of visiting every Chanel store in Paris in search of the right pair in the right size. And though I pride myself on not succumbing to trends, I almost purchased a pair of chocolate flats with a Rudolph-red cap toe—even though they were half a size too small.

Though I left Paris empty-handed, the shoes stayed on my mind. Were they something I actually wanted, I wondered, or was it my social media algorithm speaking?

The author at Charvet, picking out a made-to-measure nightshirt.

Courtesy of Jalil Johnson

For the past few years, much has been said about the algorithm’s influence on shopping habits, and by extension, its role in spawning the microtrends that seem to surface every few weeks (remember Tomato Girl Summer?). Algorithmic dressing is, in the simplest terms, a reflection of the content a person consumes. Much of Gen Z grew up with screens in their pockets, so it’s no surprise that so much content is now devoted to helping people find their personal style—even if that pursuit often results in yet another iteration of the same look.

So, where does Gen Z go to find its own sense of individuality when it comes to getting dressed? While a generational interest in thrifting and vintage has certainly helped Gen Z-ers find their personal style outside of the algorithm, a small sliver of us are also shopping made-to-measure.