Gen Z's Summer Isn't Just a Vibe—It's a Whole Crafted Persona
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Are you a coastal cowgirl or a tomato girl? This year women are embracing "summer personas" that influence everything from wardrobe choices to food preferences.
According to a new poll of 2,000 U.S. women aged 18-42, 74 percent said they are actively channeling a specific "summer vibe" this year. The study, conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by smoothie brand Jamba, highlights a growing cultural phenomenon.
Among those who embrace a summer persona, a striking 91 percent say it reflects their truest self—a sign that what started as TikTok trends are becoming genuine expressions of identity.
File photos of women with some of the popular "summer personas."
File photos of women with some of the popular "summer personas."
zamrznutitonovi, Jacob Wackerhausen, OKrasyuk/Getty Images
What Are Summer Personas?
The concept of summer personas has evolved from a blend of internet micro-trends, nostalgic aesthetics, and the seasonal rhythm of content creation. While people have long dressed for the seasons or planned summer "eras."
Starting in 2021-2022, influencers coined catchy titles often representing moods, aspirations and aesthetics. From the "vanilla girl" to the "clean girl" and of course "brat summer," Gen Z and millennials have been the driving force behind the curated persona.
Jo Hayes, etiquette expert and social trends commentator, told Newsweek: "It's the universal human desire for identity, and personal life meaning, that drives this 'persona' phenomena."
From Grandmacore to Pilates Princess
The survey asked respondents, all either Gen Z or millennial, to choose their top persona from a list of popular seasonal aesthetics. The top choices were:
Grandmacore Gals (22 percent) : Drawn to cozy, vintage-inspired simplicity. They favor comforting meals like barbecue, seafood boils, and iced tea.
: Drawn to cozy, vintage-inspired simplicity. They favor comforting meals like barbecue, seafood boils, and iced tea. Coastal Cowgirls (20 percent) : Embrace rustic-meets-beachy style, enjoying frequent pool days, summer drinks, and themed gatherings.
: Embrace rustic-meets-beachy style, enjoying frequent pool days, summer drinks, and themed gatherings. Pilates Princesses (17 percent) : Focused on wellness, they're the most likely to match outfits to their aesthetic, read books, and sip green smoothies.
: Focused on wellness, they're the most likely to match outfits to their aesthetic, read books, and sip green smoothies. Tomato Girls (14 percent): Inspired by Mediterranean romance, this group is known for colorful food, frozen cocktails, and plenty of Instagram-worthy meals.
Each persona also came with distinctive habits. For example, coastal cowgirls average 10 summery drinks per week, while Pilates princesses exercise four days weekly and read an average of seven books over the summer.
"Every human craves a strong sense of identity. In previous generations, individuals would launch from these families into careers and vocations that further enforced these identities. For example, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and most definitely the role of husband or wife, mother or father," Hayes explained.
When it comes to inspiration, TikTok leads the way, with 44 percent of women citing it as their primary source for developing their aesthetic.
This digital influence is translating to offline choices. A third of respondents (33 percent) said they planned their vacations around their chosen summer identity, and more than half (59 percent) matched their outfits to the look they're curating.
"Many young women do find themselves in the 20-something drift," Hayes said. "They may not yet be in 'getting married' or 'having babies' territory, so they can't take on the 'wife/mom' identity... So they seek out another 'persona' to give their life some sense of identity."
But is it a good idea to choose a summer persona? Hayes explained: "A sense of identity is a good thing, and if the 'persona' is a healthy one, like doing Pilates and drinking green smoothies, as long as it doesn't turn into a 'full identity' thing, where one gets completely absorbed, with blinkers on, avoiding other life-giving activities that might align with other personas."
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