December 9, 2025
The trend has grown in popularity as it becomes the male youth fashion staple of the moment.
The quarter-zip sweater has grown in popularity since the trend took off on social media.
Black men and male youth have caught onto the fashion wave by posting about their own “quarter zips and matcha.” As an overall lifestyle, participants drink the green tea latte as they don a more professional look. The trend has highlighted a breakaway from more culturally-recognized outfits such as Nike tech suits and Jordans.
However, the trend has made some who usually rock the “YN” aesthetic to instead put on sweaters. As the trend refuses to lose steam, some Chicagoans are breaking down its greater impact on the Black community, especially its boys and young men.
Younger Chicago residents put on their finest quarter-zips for a supportive event at a local ice cream spot Dec 7. Deemed the Chicago Quarter-Zip Link-Up, the event sought to support businesses in one neighborhood that suffered from break-ins last month. There, they discussed what putting on the soft-knit sweaters means to them.
“I feel proper when I wear a quarter-zip,” said a 14-year-old Lake Rome to WBEZ. “I’m a Whitney Young [High School] student, so I pride myself on nothing less than excellence.”
Another teen, a 19-year-old college student named Raymond, said his own quarter zip helps him feel “fancy” and “professional.” A prominent city leader also showed up with his own quarter-zip to mark the occasion. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to, rightfully so, sip matcha with his Black male constituents.
As tens of participants came, it not only showed support for local businesses but also served as a testament to the quarter-zip trend’s impact.
“This quarter-zip meetup is bigger than just about what you’re wearing,” said Corey DooleyJohnson, one of the event’s organizers. “It’s about how you’re living. It’s about community service and brotherhood. What we want to do is bring that holistic community feeling back. We want to create a positive network among young Black Americans, especially young Black Chicagoans.”
While the quarter-zip trend aims to promote seemingly positive traits among this demographic, some critics worry its effects could harm the community. The “Quarter zip” could come across as a symbol of respectability politics, playing into the look of the “tech bro” by appearing more white.
The trend, initially a joke on social media, caught on like wildfire amongst the TikTok-focused youth of America. Now, Black boys are trying matcha to match their fashion aesthetic. More importantly, they are using the moment to maintain a professional outlook on how they conduct themselves.
“It started as something kind of funny,” added Corey Phillips, another event organizer. “But I think it’s something positive. We see a lot of trends that promote a lot of negativity, like youth doing things that aren’t productive. You haven’t seen many times where the media showcases young men of color coming together.”
However, naysayers warn that the trend could make those not wearing the quarter-zip seem “unprofessional,” although one’s clothes should not determine their behavior. Wanting to shy away from deeming one outfit more “dangerous” than the other, critics urge Black men not to view such indicators to prove their worth in society.
“I’ve seen some people online say, ‘You’re just culture-appropriating or you’re trying to fit into the white man’s box,’” DooleyJohnson told the Chicago Sun-Times. “But that’s not true because Black Americans have always had a sense of style, and that has a wide variety. But I have seen some people say we’re trying to conform to white supremacy. But I don’t believe that’s true.”
On the other hand, Black men have used the quarter zip to “repurpose” the “tech bro” aesthetic. Now, they have transformed a traditionally professional clothing option into a way of getting fly.
From the Black dandy until now, Black men have taken charge of their fashion choices. It further shows their ability to make any staple into its own moment.
“There is a long tradition of Black men taking symbols of elite spaces and repurposing them, sometimes just to be humorous, but sometimes [to express] identity and sometimes for defiance,” said Chicago Fashion Coalition President Marquan Jones. “We take something that wasn’t meant for us, and we make it ours, and we make it even more relevant and cool.”
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