Millennial Says Gen Z Should Thank Them for Their ‘Biggest Contribution’

A millennial has revealed what she sees as her generation’s biggest contribution to the fashion world, and it might not be what you expected.

A video posted by 29-year-old Destani Wilson has sparked a nostalgic wave of conversation online about one of the most unlikely fashion revolutions of the 21st century: the battle to normalize leggings as everyday pants.

Wilson said in a viral TikTok video with over 800,000 views: “I hope this younger generation knows that we fought for your right to wear leggings.”

In the video, she called leggings “millennials’ biggest contribution” to fashion and discussed the cultural resistance they faced when they first became popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

“Men and the older generation could not comprehend the difference between tights and leggings,” Wilson explained in the video. “They thought we were wearing tights as pants…We were seen as harlots.”

She recalled how schools implemented strict dress codes, often requiring girls to wear leggings only if paired with dresses or long tops. But for many teens, that didn’t fly.

“We rebelled,” she said. “We wore leggings as pants, and yeah, we were seen as hoes. But over time we did it. We won the war. And you’re welcome.”

Wilson told Newsweek: “I think what inspired me was just thinking about how much better my leggings are now than they used to be. We have pockets now! And they don’t fall down with each step.”

She pinpoints the fashion shift around 2009–2011, when leggings began to replace jeans as the default comfort-wear.

Her candid reflection resonated with thousands, with commenters sharing their memories from the legging-liberation era.

“Do you guys remember the era of wearing leggings under shorts?” said one commenter.

“We did a protest and all the girls wore leggings to school lmao. It was so serious,” another person wrote.

Gen Zers in the comments couldn’t wrap their heads around Wilson’s revelation.

“So did you guys just have to wear jeans every day? leggings are literally my go to pants I couldn’t imagine,” said one viewer.

This isn’t the first time millennial fashion has gained viral attention. Earlier this year, Gen Zers were puzzled by a classic millennial fashion staple: 6-inch high heels.

While many people now opt for sneakers and comfort when going out, Lindsey Piette, 43, said that millennials were “just built different.”

Other viral videos have revealed more ways that millennials paved the way in certain fashions, like 33-year-old Yasmeen Scott, who shared her throwback pictures of her “low rise jeans.”