TikTok microtrends are one thing, regional trends are another. TikTok microtrends might have whimsical names and the kind of virality that inspire think pieces and celebrity adopters, but who in your real life is actually dressed like a mob wife?
Regional trends are the ones you see around where you live. Having lived in New York, I always know the It-Girl trends before the magazines report them because, well, New Yorkers are the ones creating the trends. I knew Adidas Sambas were about to blow up because they were all over Brooklyn years before they were all over TikTok. Same with Onitsuka Tigers. Where do you think fashion gurus like Hailey, Kaia, and Zoe Kravitz get their inspo?
But certain NYC trends don’t leave the city — some don’t even leave their neighborhoods. For a few weeks, every girl on the L Train will be wearing different versions of the same outfit. Made up of vintage variations, this trend will cycle through boroughs and then be replaced. (I’m looking at you #blokecore)
Likely, your hometown, high school, or college had a version of this — the trends that were so specific to that palace and that time that no one else understands. In middle school, we all collected Jack Wills underwear, which we would proudly display in the locker rooms. Then, Aeropostale and Abercrombie, of course. And in college, I hate to say that we fawned over campus bands and considered snagging their screen-printed merch the ultimate sign of status. Where are those bands now? Working in consulting or finance.
Los Angeles, local culture is leggings and Erewhon. The latter used to be an IYKYK LA thing, but thanks to Hailey Bieber and TikTok it has gone worldwide. The next LA brand to break out of the City of Angels? Oddli.
Currently, in Los Angeles, every cool girl has been wearing Oddli boxers.
Boxers for women is no novel concept, the women in menswear trend has fully entered the mainstream. Boxers as underwear, peeking over denim, is just as common as boxers as outerwear. But one brand is favored by girls in the Community Goods line, at the Silver Lake Flea, and strolling through the Mar Vista Farmers Market.
Oddli is an LA brand, cut and sewn in DTLA. It is made in LA from deadstock fabric that otherwise would have been thrown away. The Gen Z phenomenon is owned by two best friends Jensen and Ellie whose TikTok community and Close Friends IG stories have built a cult-like following. But in LA, this is more than a niche online community. Wearing Oddli is like a head nod.
According to the website: “IF YOU SEE SOMEONE WALKING DOWN THE STREET WEARING ODDLI, SAY HELLO – WE HOPE YOU BECOME FRIENDS”
TikTok · Oddliwww.tiktok.com
14.8K likes, 97 comments. “❤️”
And customers take this to heart. It often progresses into a question: “Is that Oddli?” More times than you expect, the answer to this question is met with “I know Jensen!” or “I’m friends with Ellie!” LA is a small town after all, meaning you’re probably a stone’s throw away from one of the Oddli boxers girls. And you’re probably even closer to somebody wearing Oddli.
While they’re famous for their boxers, Oddli has progressed to baby tees, pants, skirts, and even a cult-favorite quilted blanket. They also offer personalization on products like the baby tees — classic catering to Gen Z’s individuality complexes. And I eat it right up.
A sign of things to come, Oddli recently made a capsule collection for Urban Outfitters’s Urban Renewal sustainability collection. From LA flea markets and pop-ups to nationwide stores, the brand is on its way up.
If you haven’t seen it on everyone you know already, you’re about to. Oddli is going to be everywhere.
