What is Brat Summer?

This summer, Charlie XCX has paved the way for a new core aesthetic; brat. The origin of the brat identity began as the artist released her new album back in June. As soon as the album dropped, it immediately gained attraction online and became a whole subculture in itself.

Prior to the brat core taking over the internet, the most prominent theme online was the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. This aesthetic relates to prioritising self care and promoting an overall clean and healthy way of living.

This new era of brat however, diverges from this and promotes exactly the opposite lifestyle.The brat way of living is all about embracing chaos, going out and being authentic.
In order to fully embrace this movement and achieve the brat look, one must align with the aesthetic.

Key elements of achieving the look include an edgy style, undone hair, messy makeup, sunglasses and anything lime green. The core is perfectly encapsulated by herself, she is the ideal muse for anyone looking to adopt this cultural trend.

The "brat" aesthetic is characterised by a rebellious, playful, and unapologetically bold attitude, but it goes beyond just living for fun.

This whole movement also relates to rejecting societal norms and relieving ourselves of expectations placed on us in day to day life. It promotes valuing authenticity over traditional norms of beauty. It aims to empower individuals and promote living true to one’s self.

Now, the brat summer trend has one million posts on tiktok and is continuously gaining popularity. The subculture has been adopted by many celebrities and has recently become a political movement. Kamala Harris has hinted at her brat status in her presidential campaign in order to appeal to gen z.

In essence, the brat summer takeover has taught us to live life through a carefree and authentic mindset whilst also bringing back a bold and rebellious fashion aesthetic.

As we move forward, we hope to carry this brat summer mentality with us throughout the rest of the year, embracing unapologetic self-expression and individuality.