Gen Z Event Spending Diary
Premier Lacrosse League
Despite Gen Z’s desire for instant gratification, 22-year-old Sydney recognizes the pressure of social media to constantly buy new outfits. That’s why she leans into a minimalist style that allows for versatility.
Get to Know Sydney
Age: 22
Gender Identity: Female
Location: Charlotte, NC
Enjoys: Tennis, fashion, traveling
Area of Study: Psychology and Economics; also completed Dartmouth's Mini MBA program
Favorite Types of Events: Concerts, local brand pop-ups
Favorite Brands: Zimmermann, Reformation, Agua Bendita
Social Media Platforms: TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn
Aesthetic: Simple and classic. Love fashion, especially long flowy dresses that exude an effortless chic look. Inspired by others and Southern roots.
Sydney's Shopping Style
Minimalist Aesthetic: Values Versatility
She seeks versatility in high-end clothing—something that can be dressed up with jewelry and heels or dressed down with sneakers and a ponytail.
Invests in Staple Piece
For this event, she looked for a new wardrobe staple, choosing a simple navy long dress from one of her favorite brands, La Ligne. Perfect for her new post-grad life in NYC.
The Influence of Friends
Group influence often leads to new purchases. When her friends buy new clothes, she often feels the pressure to follow their lead.
To keep their social media grid fresh, they try to avoid wearing the same outfit twice to photo worthy events.
Uses Instagram Reels for Product Discovery
She turns to social media to scroll through her favorite influencers Instagram accounts for clothing inspiration.
“Sophia Richie is probably my number one influencer. I love her, and I mean, I'm definitely on the Alix Earle train too.”
Expense Breakdown
PRE-EVENT
La Ligne Dress: $260
2 Front Row Tickets: $183
DURING EVENT
2 Drinks (Michelob Ultra + White Claw): $22
POST-EVENT
$0
TOTAL: $465
Social Media Breakdown
PRE-EVENT
Instagram: Used Premier Lacrosse IG to gather information on the players.
Event Website: Used website to gather additional stats on each player and find out who the opposing team was.
DURING EVENT
Instagram: Shared experiences via photos, videos, and stories. No specific hashtags, filters, or AI features used.
Did not follow live event coverage on news or social media.
POST-EVENT
Instagram: Followed Premier Lacrosse League
Event Website: Checked event website to look at upcoming games
Brand Comms: No noticeable changes in ads or brand communication on social media.
Before the Event
In preparing for the Lacrosse game, are you planning to purchase new clothing, accessories, beauty products, or anything else?
Yes, I bought a new dress—not just for the event, but because I thought it would be a staple piece in my wardrobe. It's a simple navy long dress from La Ligne that's lightweight and can be dressed up with jewelry and heels or dressed down with sneakers.
Where do you go to find new items?
Lately, on Instagram Reels, I have been finding outfits or pieces I love, usually from influencers. Typically, I look on Shopbop, Revolve, and sometimes TheRealReal for a great selection of pieces. I love Shopbop because I feel like the brands and pieces they have selected for their website fit my style.
Sophia Richie is probably my number one influencer. I love her, and I mean, I'm definitely on the Alix Earle train too. I feel like everyone is; she's just super funny and pretty real compared to other influencers. Honestly, those are the two my friends make fun of me for. I'm not really into celebrity gossip, so I usually don't know what's going on, but those two are the ones I actually follow and keep track of.
Sydney
How does your group influence your pre-event spending habits?
I would say friends definitely have an impact on pre-event spending habits especially if they are talking about a new outfit they bought for the event. Sometimes I can feel pressure to also buy a new outfit.
During the Event
Which aspects of the event are most likely to influence you to post on social media during the event?
At halftime they brought out two teams of 8-year-olds playing lacrosse, which melted the hearts of the audience causing everyone to pull out their phones and take photos. It pulled on the audience's heartstrings!
Which event sponsors captured your attention?
The only brand that stood out to me was Ticketmaster. They had their tailgate tent stands set up, and their logo was visible everywhere around the event. On the back of every player’s jersey, you could see the Ticketmaster logo. I even saw little kids wearing jerseys they bought with Ticketmaster branding on them. It was clear that Ticketmaster made a significant impact with their sponsorship.
After the Event
Did your actual spending on merchandise at the event exceed or fall below your initial expectation?
My spending expectations were met. I feel like going into events or even the airport, you know the prices—even for a bottle of water—the prices are super inflated. So, to that point, I wasn’t surprised when I spent $22 on a White Claw and a beer when I could normally get an entire 12-pack of White Claws for $20.
The front row tickets were a great purchase, and compared to most concerts where $183 would not even buy you one ticket, it was a plus. There were also much cheaper options, such as $50 for a ticket, but the experience of the front row was worth it.
What types of in-person events do you plan on attending in the next 3-6 months?
I hope to go to a few local event pop-ups because they're typically really cool brand collabs. I often visit Palm Beach and attend the outdoor SoulCycle events that spill out into the square—it's pretty cool how they take over the space and aren't afraid to market outside the box. Another favorite is Pop-Up Bagels in New York. They team up with big names like Dominique Ansel Bakery, creating these mash-ups that are so fun to check out. I like to see how other brands are helping each other out.
