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- The millennial summer of 2019 was full of leopard print midi skirts, hard seltzer, and CBD.
- Many of these trends took off in the fall or spring, but they peaked this summer, thanks to millennials.
- Are you having a hot girl summer?
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Summer may be coming to a close, but its defining trends are still thriving.
Many of these trends originated in the fall or spring, but millennials brought them to the forefront in the summer of 2019. Millennials are reshaping the food and beverage industry with their preferences for spiked seltzer and CBD, redefining the leopard print in fashion, and remixing rap with country when it comes to music.
From this summer’s look to this summer’s catchphrase, here’s a look at the peak millennial summer.
The Drink: hard seltzer
Sheila Marikar of The New York Times called sparkling water, or seltzer, "the drink of summer 2019."
But it’s hard seltzer that really kicked off this summer, thanks to young millennial men who identify as "bros," reported Business Insider’s Bethany Biron. "At barbecues, on beaches, and at fraternity parties, legions of men are suddenly singing the praises of hard seltzer," she wrote.
The leader of the pack? White Claw. "It’s ridiculously good. If I’m at a party now and someone offers me an IPA or a White Claw, I definitely take a White Claw," Ben Shea, a producer in Santa Monica, told Biron.
It’s so popular that Four Loko, PBR, and Natural Light all made moves to join the hard seltzer industry this summer, reported Business Insider’s Kate Taylor.
The Food: anything CBD
The rise of CBD took off last year, but it really peaked this summer. It’s caught on everywhere from San Antonio to New York City and Los Angeles in the form of CBD lattes, CBD-infused donuts, and more.
An active ingredient in marijuana, CBD doesn’t get you high. Millennials love it for the anxiety relief and calmness it’s said to provide. But they’re not the only ones — boomers are a fan too, according to Jean Ban of Supermarket News.
Even 75% of chefs named CBD and cannabis-infused food as a hot trend in 2019, reported Amelia Lucas for CNBC, citing a National Restaurant Association Survey. While the FDA has prohibited adding CBD to food and drinks, some restaurants are selling CBD-infused products to meet demand, she said.
Regulations surrounding CBD are a gray area, and local regulators have been cracking down on its use this summer, according to Lucas.
The Look: the leopard-print midi skirt
It’s near impossible to go a day without spotting the leopard print midi skirt on the street — or during an Instagram scroll. Look no further than the parody Instagram account @leopardmidiskirt to see just how the silk bias-cut leopard print midi skirt has become a classic summer staple — particularly in New York City, as Jess Bergman points out in the Tweet below.
It’s plenty versatile, having been paired with everything from vintage tees and leather jackets to sneakers. As Claire Valentine for Paper wrote, "Animal prints contain multitudes, from self-aware playfulness, self-serious sexiness or that renewed favorite, camp."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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SEE ALSO: Brokest, loneliest, and richest: Here’s how the world sees American millennials in 2019
Source: Business Insider – hhoffower@businessinsider.com (Hillary Hoffower)