Unless you have been living under a rock, you may have heard of a little term that Gen-Z refers to as ‘brat summer.’ But what is brat summer I hear you ask? It’s a trend that has captured the zeitgeist well and truly. Inspired by Charli XCX’s album ‘Brat’, it is characterised by a distinctive fashion style and carefree attitude.
In a TikTok interview, Charli XCX explained the essence of being a “Brat”: “You’re that girl who is a bit messy and loves to party and maybe says dumb things sometimes. She’s honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile. That’s Brat.”
Still unsure? Think of the Barbiecore aesthetic that dominated last summer, and then think of the total opposite. Think of the clean-girl aesthetic, and then think the total opposite. That’s Brat.
Many celebrities have been quick to adopt the Brat summer style. Of course, Charli XCX, but also Amelia Gray, and Julia Fox who even receives a shoutout in one of Charli’s songs with the line, “That’s so Julia…”
Even Kamala Harris (yes, you read that right) is on board with a Brat summer. Though it is doubtful that the Presidential hopeful will be sporting a white tank and messy bun to the next debate, Kamala has shown support for the trend. Her campaign account, renamed Kamala HQ, now shows a lime green photo in the style of the Brat album cover.
How to achieve the Brat summer aesthetic
The ‘Brat’ look is edgy and shameless, and can also be trashy as explained by Charli XCX. The singer also went on to say; “a strappy white top with no bra that’s like kind of all you need.”
Other essentials to achieving this aesthetic include messy hair, smudged makeup, lots of leather, and a splattering of lime green. This is a look that combines the party girl lifestyle with Y2K fashion. So, if you would wear it to a grungy club then it’s most definitely ‘Brat.’
(L-R: @ameliagray, @charli_xcx, @juliafox, @charli_xcx, @juliafox)