SNL parodies anxiety-ridden Millennials in 'Forever 31' sketch—and we feel personally attacked

"Saturday Night Live" tapped into a growing sense of generational awareness this weekend with a sketch that landed immediately with Millennial audiences. The faux commercial, titled "Forever 31," aired during the episode hosted by Quinta Brunson and presented a sharply observed parody of fashion trends, aging, and the emotional shifts that come with entering your thirties, reported The Atlantic.

In the sketch, Brunson joins SNL cast members in promoting a fictional brand that plays off the mall staple Forever 21. But Forever 31 caters to a different kind of woman entirely — "stylish but tired," as the voiceover declares. From the moment Chloe Fineman appears in wide-legged trousers and a slouchy sweater, the audience knows what kind of tone the sketch is aiming for. The wardrobe is made up of oversized basics in muted tones like beige and grey, described in the ad as "every color of the bummer rainbow." Navy blue is offered only "if you're feeling skanky." A $120 t-shirt, loose trousers ideal for egg-freezing appointments, and blazers that make Diane Keaton look provocative, round out the collection.

The style is self-aware, practical, and pointedly comfortable, but unlike earlier SNL sketches that targeted fashion trends, Forever 31 isn't laughing at women for making these choices — it's laughing with them, recognizing the shift that happens when trends lose importance and real life takes over. There’s a scene where a character says, "I could probably carry a baby to full term and not change my clothes." Another simply says, "My parents are older now, and I think about that a lot." The sketch touches on themes of fertility, shifting libido, the growing awareness of mortality, and the pressure of balancing personal and professional lives — and it hits home.

In recent years, Millennials have been reckoning with the realities of aging — emotionally, socially, and economically, and Forever 31 subtly captures that. And not just about clothes, the accessories are equally revealing: a giant tote bag replaces the mini-purse of one’s twenties. It holds sensible flats, hummus, and an iPad. There's a brief nod to Warby Parker glasses and the inevitable one stray chin hair. The aesthetic feels pulled directly from brands like COS or The Row, but instead of mocking luxury minimalism, the sketch simply frames it as the logical endpoint for a generation that’s been through recessions, social upheaval, and now their thirties.

Having Quinta Brunson lead the sketch made the delivery even stronger. As Janine on Abbott Elementary, she plays an upbeat, overachieving Millennial navigating a world that doesn't always make sense. On SNL, she carried that same energy into the sketch, delivering lines with a balance of humour and empathy. The only real joke, as some viewers pointed out, is that Forever 31 isn't a real store. But if it were, it would already be sold out.  Other viewers had similar opinions. @lamblamb143 wrote, "I'm 35 and I like some of those outfits, and they definitely got me on the hummus." @RobeLifeMusic said, "Hopefully, Forever 41 is when we all transition into full-length satin smoking jacket robes." @kikiTHEalien added, "Not me the other day thinking of buying beige flats and a big purse, because I want to be able to wear heels to events, but not on the way to events."