As a young(ish) millennial whose style of dress has been described as ranging from hedge fund intern to European literature Ph.D. candidate, I like to see what my male peers are wearing. If one enduring trend has struck me recently, it’s the quarter-zip.
In fact, when Brooks Brothers — which sells tops in cotton, cashmere, and performance materials — unveiled its Spring/Summer 2027 collection last Thursday at Radio Park in Rockefeller Center, a baby-blue quarter-zip was among its latest offering.
“It used to be you would wear a suit and tie to go to work, now…there’s no one definition of how to go to work,” Brooks Brothers creative director Michael Bastian told Business Insider, adding that the younger generations are drawn to the heritage brand because “there’s a certain reliability there.”
Google Trends shows that searches for “men’s quarter zip” have risen by more than 300% over the past five years, predictably spiking in the fall each year. A quick look at last year’s social media trends showed that TikTok personality Jason Gyamfi, who shared a video of himself touting it, is partly responsible for the spike. And in 2026, the numbers rose dramatically again, outpacing last year’s spike.
After speaking with fashion pros, I understood why men like me are still flocking to the garment: It allows men to look competent in today’s corporate world while making as little effort as possible. And Brooks Brothers isn’t the only brand continuing to lean in.
Lyst data shows that Ralph Lauren dominates the searches for men’s quarter-zips, though Alo Yoga is catching up. Even Adidas has a $220 quarter zip sweatshirt.
Scott Liebenberg, CEO of Tapered Menswear, a brand specializing in clothing for men with athletic builds, described what I had noticed. “A blazer says I tried. A hoodie says I didn’t,” he told Business Insider. “The quarter-zip somehow says, ‘I didn’t try and still look better than you,’ and that’s exactly the aspirational mood right now: competence without visible effort.”
It’s why the quarter-zip has endured as a staple of the professional male wardrobe — it’s provided workers with exactly what they needed to convey who they are in the workplace in the easiest way possible.
The quarter-zip was already a closet staple for corporate men
Even before young men like me learned to appreciate the quarter-zip, it was already a staple of the modern male wardrobe. Jason Cater, chief creative officer at Peter Millar, told me why.
“It’s one of those rare pieces that moves effortlessly between sport and everyday life, equally at home on the course, in the office, or off-duty,” he told Business Insider.
Cater added that at his company, the quarter-zip has been a cornerstone of their brand strategy for the past 25 years, due to its versatility. He maintains it’s why this item in your dad’s dresser is still one of the most fashion popular pieces in the office, as common as a navy blue blazer or black loafers.
Stitch Fix stylist Maria Mihas agreed, telling Business Insider it’s why many of her clients want it, because it’s versatile enough to pair with a wide variety of items. Customers aren’t option dressing anymore. They want foundational pieces.
“The quarter-zip checks all of those boxes, which is why we’re styling it constantly,” she said. “It transitions incredibly well, layered over a tee for weekends, paired with trousers or chinos for work, or worn under a jacket for dinner plans.”
The quarter zip is about effort
Many men’s fashion professionals agree with Cater that the quarter-zip’s sustained popularity can be chalked up to what it says without words. It’s about effort optics.
Justin Baer, founder and CEO of Collars & Co., a fashion company that pioneered the dress-collar polo shirt, told Business Insider that the quarter-zip allows men to look intentional in their day-to-day dressing without giving the impression that they are trying too hard.
He isn’t surprised by the uptick in quarter-zips, as his company has seen its customers increasingly opt for what he describes as “comfortable sophistication.”
“What’s interesting is that it has also become somewhat self-aware,” Baer added. “The ‘finance bro’ stereotype exists because the garment became associated with ambition, professionalism, and upward mobility. Like many cultural uniforms, people joke about it because it became recognizable, but those jokes don’t diminish its popularity. If anything, they reinforce its role as a symbol.”
The quarter-zip may look like a typical men’s sweater, but its sustained popularity, even among younger generations who dictate fashion trends, shows that it’s more than that.
As my Gen Z colleagues might say, “it’s a vibe, actually.”
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