The looks here run from a single swap, like high-tops with denim shorts and a backpack, to a full build of an oversized black leather jacket over a white collared shirt and a loose black tie.
How much of your day you can spare for getting dressed should decide the pick: with almost no time, go for the single-piece ideas like the oxford shoes, the bucket hat or the leather jacket, and with a few minutes, try the layered tee or the bomber over a grey hoodie.
Nearly every idea here relies on baggy, slightly beat-up pieces in black, white, grey or blue, from the cargo pants to the graphic tee.
1. Oversized Leather Jacket
Black leather over a white collared shirt and a black tie reads as dressed up and slouchy at once, which is the whole appeal. Keep the trousers baggy and black so the jacket’s boxy shoulders don’t look like a mistake.
I would pick a jacket that sits a size or two large and leave the tie a little loose. Skip anything cropped; it kills the lazy drape.
2. Baggy Cargo Pants
Extremely wide cargo pants with heavy straps, zippers and big pockets do most of the work on their own, so the top can stay simple. An oversized hoodie is the obvious match.
Chains are optional, and I like one at most. The pockets already supply the detail, and piling on hardware starts to look like a costume.
3. Oxford Shoes
Let the jeans break over the shoe so the sock pattern peeks out.
Black laces on brown leather give a slightly off feel that I prefer to a matched pair. Scuffs help here, so don’t baby them.
4. Bucket Hat
A black bucket hat, round dark sunglasses and a piercing add up to a face-first look, and the hat does the heavy lifting. Pull it low so the brim sits near the sunglasses.
Black goes with nearly anything in a dirtbag wardrobe, which makes it the safest first hat. Wear it with a plain tee and let the hat be the loud thing.
5. High-top Sneakers
High-tops with denim shorts and a backpack is the easiest version of this style, and it needs almost no planning. Pick a worn, simple pair over anything polished.
Leave them a bit beat up. A light tank or tee on top keeps the outfit relaxed, and the shoes finish it without trying.
6. Layered T-shirt Over Long Sleeve
Wear an oversized black short-sleeve tee over a white long-sleeve and the contrast does the styling for you. Make sure the white sleeves run past your wrists and the black hem sits lower than the white layer’s body.
Ultra-baggy blue jeans balance the stacked top. A dark backpack finishes it, and I would keep every other piece plain.
7. Bomber Jacket with Grey Hoodie
Navy over grey is a quiet pairing, and a graphic hoodie underneath keeps it from looking like a uniform. Let the hoodie hem peek out below the bomber.
I like grey jeans here, cut wide, with black boots to anchor the bottom. Keep the jacket zipped partway so the print still shows.
Stick to one graphic. If the hoodie has lettering, the jacket and jeans stay plain.
8. Baggy Jeans and Graphic Tee
A baggy graphic tee with wide, cuffed blue jeans is the most skate-park version of this look. Pick a tee that hangs well past your belt, in a washed grey if you can find one.
White sneakers and a backpack finish it. A white long sleeve under the tee adds a layer without adding another loud piece, and I would cuff the jeans once so the shoes show.
Frequently Asked Questions
What style of music is teenage dirtbag?
The term is tied to alternative and grunge music, and the clothes follow from that. Think baggy denim, worn-in sneakers, black leather and graphic tees, all worn loose and a little beat up.
What are some popular teenage styles?
Oversized clothing, ripped jeans and vintage band tees are the staples.
How to dress like a Gen Z teenager?
Mix a nostalgic piece with something edgy and keep everything else plain. A black bucket hat pulled low over round dark sunglasses, with a basic crewneck under it, gets the look across with just one loud item.
Baggy cargo pants with an oversized hoodie work the same way, since the pockets and straps supply the detail.
