The moment Jason Gyamfi decided to put on that quarter zip and grab a matcha to record a tiktok is the moment Gyamfi blew into popularity with 31.4 million views which caused Gyamfi’s appearance in ABC News.
On TikTok, Black men are trading sportswear for quarter-zip sweaters and matchas in what they call a shift toward maturity and classiness.
The shift has become known as “the quarter zip movement.” Critics call it “performative,” an attempt to appear unique while blending into a larger crowd. Supporters see it as a sign of growth and self-improvement.
The trend has been popularized by creators like Jason Gyamfi.
“We don’t do Nike Tech,” Gyamfi told ABC news. “We don’t do coffee. It’s straight quarter zips and matchas around here. It unlocked a different level of life for me.”
A quarter-zip is a pullover sweater with a zipper that extends partway down the chest, creating a V-neck look that stays comfortable and casual. The style has gained traction as more men swap their usual looks for the cleaner silhouette.
A senior at Van Nuys High School Samajay Jelks said he wears quarter zips in order to look more aesthetically pleasing and more mature.
“I think quarter zips give a clean sharp look that makes me look educated,” he said.
Some dismiss the movement as performative nonsense that won’t last. Others argue that the polished look creates a better impression than Nike Tech streetwear.
For supporters, the quarter-zip does more than change how someone looks. They say it makes the wearer appear more mature, professional and respectable. The movement has expanded beyond clothing. Participants say that they’ve picked up habits like playing chess, studying and eating healthier.
The movement has also drawn criticism. The quarter-zip look is often framed as countering stereotypes tied to Nike Tech and streetwear, stereotypes that many argue are rooted in racism. Critics say Black men face outsized pressure to change their appearance just to be seen as respectable.
“It feeds into the idea of the lengths that it takes for Black people to be accepted into society and what is deemed right and pleasing to the white men,” president of Black Student Union, senior Dilan Patton said.
The debate raises a question the trend alone can’t answer: whether people are judged by what they wear or by the color of their skin.
Another student Ramirez connected this to Black hip hop history, back to the 2000s when people would call loose streetwear “ghetto.”
Ramirez claims that this is people’s attempt to clean up their look.
“People have always found a way to put down Black people by commenting that wearing a fitting pull over quarter zip could make them look cleaner and encouraging it is just another attempt to remodel the stereotypes they have created,” she said.
Celebrities have pushed the trend further. Rapper Central Cee and artist T-Pain have both been spotted in the look, encouraging others to follow.
Central Cee went viral on TikTok after posting a video with a matcha in hand, pulling over 12 million likes to Gyamfi’s 3.2 million. Central Cee is known for wearing Nike Techs, so his switch sparked comments like “he looks better” and “it’s called maturing.”
For now, thousands keep trading in athletic wear for a sweater meant to signal growth, professionalism and change.
Patton notes his experience as a Black man in the fashion scene.
“You should love who you are, what you wear and your culture no matter who influences you to be ‘cleaner’ or ‘better.’”
This article originally appeared in the Early Spring 2026 print edition.
