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After the Barbie pink summer of 2023 with its girly and flirtatious aesthetic, candy pink is making way for bold green with the “Brat Summer”. This phenomenon, popularized by the album Brat by British singer Charli XCX, embodies self-confidence, boldness and authenticity. It has even been taken up in politics and in advertisements.
The term “brat” has become ubiquitous on social media in recent months, from X (formerly Twitter) to Instagram to TikTok. The trend isn’t limited to online platforms; it’s also found its way into American politics. Witness Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, whose official banner on X is now displayed in neon green. This color was not chosen at random since it clearly refers to the latest album by British pop singer Charli XCX, which marked this summer.
Feeling good in your body, feeling good in your head!
Authentic and messy
The “brat” aesthetic has taken over the web since Charli XCX’s album of the same name dropped last June. Bold and confident, the “brat” identity is distinguished by its neon green color. But what does “being brat” mean? “The Brat girl is a girl who’s a little messy and likes to party, who sometimes does stupid things… but who’s also very honest,” the 32-year-old singer explains in a video on TikTok.
The album currently tops the US Billboard Dance/Electronic charts, with over 500 million streams on Spotify. It’s influencing not only radio but also fans’ wardrobes and decor. Yet the album’s cover is the most minimalistic, showing only the word “brat” in black on a green background. In this 15-track album, it’s the single “Apple” that has become the soundtrack to many of the “brat dance”, a choreography repeated millions of times, both among Olympic athletes than on social networks. And it doesn’t stop there. The brat spirit is also making its mark in advertising campaigns for the Deutsche Bank. On TikTok, the hashtag “#BratSummer” already has thousands of publications. And like any ephemeral trend, it has certain dress codes.
Grunge influences
The “brat” aesthetic mixes various clothing styles, including grunge, indie sleaze and Y2K influences, in reference to the 2000s. The looks are simple: white tank tops without a bra, low-rise jeans, and denim or leather pieces. Makeup is often dark, with smokey eyes.”The essentials of brat summer are just a pack of cigarettes, a Bic lighter, and a white tank top with no bra, that’s all you need“, details Charli XCX on the BBC. If this aesthetic stands out, it is also because it is completely at odds with refined trends such as the “clean girl” and “quiet luxury” seen on social networks.
The brat is “It’s anti-fashion, a rejection of logos and brands. It’s the thrift store spirit, wearing the same dress one week“, analyzes Aude Fellay, professor of fashion design at the HEAD school in Geneva, in an interview with AFP reported by the Parisian. It is also a state of mind, a way of life that wishes to no longer follow the classic dictates of beauty, namely beauty and thinness.The Brat girl embraces her imperfections, has oily skin, a less than perfect body“, Pascal K Douglas, consultant for the American trend firm Fashion Snoops, explained to AFP.
Following the album’s buzz, Etsy statistics report a 40% increase in searches for “lime green” creations over the last three months, compared to the same period in 2023 according to information from the American media. CNBC. However, it could be that the “Brat Summer” is already living its last hours. Like any viral TikTok trend, it is always replaced by another. Recently, it is the “very demure, very mindflul” (very reserved, very thoughtful), a trend centered (a little ironically) on modesty and discretion, contaminating the TikTok stratosphere. As proof, the hashtag #demure has accumulated more than 230,000 publications in two weeks, making the slogan the new trend of the coming fall.
“It’s going through your life with calm, with kindness, with consideration. For others, it’s not about making waves. It’s not about drawing attention to yourself. And in a way, not drawing attention to yourself is the power of being wise.“, details Charles Trepany, journalist for USA TODAY in an interview for NPR. And once again, this mantra has been taken up in American politics.