Professional men are still obsessed with the quarter-zip. Here's why.

As a young(ish) millennial whose style of dress has been described arsenic ranging from hedge money intern to European lit Ph.D. candidate, I for illustration to spot what my antheral peers are wearing. If 1 enduring inclination has struck maine recently, it's the quarter-zip.

In fact, erstwhile Brooks Brothers — which sells tops successful cotton, cashmere, and capacity materials — unveiled its Spring/Summer 2027 postulation past Thursday astatine Radio Park successful Rockefeller Center, a baby-blue quarter-zip was among its latest offering.

"It utilized to beryllium you would deterioration a suit and necktie to spell to work, now…there's nary 1 meaning of really to spell to work," Brooks Brothers imaginative head Michael Bastian told Business Insider, adding that the younger generations are drawn to the practice marque because "there's a definite reliability there."

Google Trends shows that searches for "men's 4th zip" person risen by much than 300% complete the past 5 years, predictably spiking successful the autumn each year. A speedy look astatine past year's societal media trends showed that TikTok personality Jason Gyamfi, who shared a video of himself touting it, is partially responsible for the spike. And successful 2026, the numbers roseate dramatically again, outpacing past year's spike.

After speaking pinch manner pros, I understood why men for illustration maine are still flocking to the garment: It allows men to look competent successful today's firm world while making arsenic small effort arsenic possible. And Brooks Brothers isn't the only marque continuing to thin in.

Lyst information shows that Ralph Lauren dominates the searches for men's quarter-zips, though Alo Yoga is catching up. Even Adidas has a $220 4th zip sweatshirt.

Scott Liebenberg, CEO of Tapered Menswear, a marque specializing successful clothing for men pinch diversion builds, described what I had noticed. "A blazer says I tried. A hoodie says I didn't," he told Business Insider. "The quarter-zip someway says, 'I didn't effort and still look amended than you,' and that's precisely the aspirational temper correct now: competence without visible effort."

It's why the quarter-zip has endured arsenic a staple of the master antheral wardrobe — it's provided workers pinch precisely what they needed to convey who they are successful the workplace successful the easiest measurement possible.

The quarter-zip was already a closet staple for firm men

Even earlier young men for illustration maine learned to admit the quarter-zip, it was already a staple of the modern antheral wardrobe. Jason Cater, main imaginative serviceman astatine Peter Millar, told maine why.

"It's 1 of those uncommon pieces that moves effortlessly betwixt athletics and mundane life, arsenic astatine location connected the course, successful the office, aliases off-duty," he told Business Insider.

Cater added that astatine his company, the quarter-zip has been a cornerstone of their marque strategy for the past 25 years, owed to its versatility. He maintains it's why this point successful your dad's dresser is still 1 of the astir manner celebrated pieces successful the office, arsenic communal arsenic a navy bluish blazer aliases achromatic loafers.

Stitch Fix stylist Maria Mihas agreed, telling Business Insider it's why galore of her clients want it, because it's versatile capable to brace pinch a wide assortment of items. Customers aren't action dressing anymore. They want foundational pieces.

"The quarter-zip checks each of those boxes, which is why we're styling it constantly," she said. "It transitions incredibly well, layered complete a tee for weekends, paired pinch trousers aliases chinos for work, aliases worn nether a overgarment for meal plans."

The 4th zip is astir effort

Many men's manner professionals work together pinch Cater that the quarter-zip's sustained fame tin beryllium chalked up to what it says without words. It's astir effort optics.

Justin Baer, laminitis and CEO of Collars & Co., a manner institution that pioneered the dress-collar polo shirt, told Business Insider that the quarter-zip allows men to look intentional successful their day-to-day dressing without giving the belief that they are trying excessively hard.

He isn't amazed by the uptick successful quarter-zips, arsenic his institution has seen its customers progressively opt for what he describes arsenic "comfortable sophistication."

"What's absorbing is that it has besides go somewhat self-aware," Baer added. "The 'finance bro' stereotype exists because the garment became associated pinch ambition, professionalism, and upward mobility. Like galore taste uniforms, group joke astir it because it became recognizable, but those jokes don't diminish its popularity. If anything, they reenforce its domiciled arsenic a symbol."

The quarter-zip whitethorn look for illustration a emblematic men's sweater, but its sustained popularity, moreover among younger generations who dictate manner trends, shows that it's much than that.

As my Gen Z colleagues mightiness say, "it's a vibe, actually."