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Charli XCX -

On June 7, 2024, Charli XCX released her sixth studio album, which she described as her "most aggressive and confrontational" but also her "most vulnerable." The album art features a distinctive chartreuse green color.

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Charli XCX -

The vivid tone has become known as 'brat green' and is synonymous with the summer of 2024, which has been nicknamed 'brat girl summer.'

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Brat Girl Summer -

The hashtag #Bratsummer has been tagged in over 40,000 videos on TikTok and 12,000 posts on Instagram. It's a call to all fun-lovers to rise and reclaim the summer.

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Brat Girl Summer -

If Barbie pink was the color of summer 2023, Brat green has claimed 2024. And the messaging couldn't be more different, either. 

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From celebrating girlhood to embracing brat -

Whereas Barbie's hot pink is associated with the playfulness and whimsy of girlhood, the Brat neon green taps into a much more grown-up, rebellious sentiment.

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Julia Fox -

One of Charli XCX's muses for the trend, Julia Fox, is name-dropped on one of the album's tracks, '360.' Fox also makes a cameo in the song's music video, along with countless other female influencers and icons. 

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Decoding the trend -

In a BBC interview, Charli XCX breaks down the trend, explaining: "You are just that girl who is a little messy and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown."

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Decoding the trend -

She continues: "But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat!"

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Embracing chaos -

Accepting imperfections and embracing the chaos of life are central to being brat, which reflects the feeling Charli XCX seizes on this album "me, my flaws, my f--- ups, my ego all rolled into one."

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The Brat aesthetic -

Charli defined the Brat aesthetic herself as looking like "it can go that way, quite like luxury...or...a strappy white top with no bra."

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Welcome to the bratosphere -

The singer's team spent months discussing how to pick the shade that would epitomize brat, searching through references that fit into the 'bratosphere.'

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Welcome to the bratosphere -

Defining the messy, carefree, feral party girl energy of brat also meant encapsulating a sense of uniquely millennial anxiety.

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Clean girl aesthetic -

The bratosphere is several times removed from the dominant TikTok 'clean girl' aesthetic of recent years, which shuns hedonism in favor of muted tones and exemplary living.

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Kamala Harris's connection to brat summer -

On July 20, 2024, President Joe Biden announced he would be withdrawing his candidacy from the 2024 election and endorsed his VP, Kamala Harris, to succeed him as the Democratic nominee.

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Kamala Harris's connection to brat summer -

In what might have been one of the more unexpected voices to lend support to Kamala Harris's campaign, Charli XCX chimed in.

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"Kamala IS brat" -

Her single-line tweet on X: "kamala IS brat" went viral, prompting the proliferation of memes and Brat green t-shirts bearing Harris's name.

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"Kamala IS brat" -

Harris's team embraced the endorsement, topping her X account with a Brat green banner stating "Kamala HQ," appealing to Gen Z voters and demonstrating a sense of humor at the same time.

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Intersectionality and breaking boundaries -

Thinking about the Brat concept in terms of its rebelliousness, Kamala Harris's nomination represents a break from the status quo: the intersectionality of her ticket might be considered brat.

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The deeper meaning -

Charli XCX explained the deeper meaning of the trend to Rolling Stone magazine in a 2024 interview: "There is this element of unabashed, shameless, Me-centric content that is being made, but I also think behind that is a lot of people who use that as a protective layer."

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The deeper meaning -

She revealed: "Brattiness is a cloak. You’re only a brat if you’re acting out against something that made you feel a little bit insecure."

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How to be brat this summer -

Brat is a feeling and a movement, one that you can channel by accepting yourself in all your "messiness." There are some obvious style cues too, led by Charli XCX herself.

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Killer heels -

Whether skyscraper party heels or pointed-toe, knee-high boots, killer heels are very much a part of the brat aesthetic. 

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Wearing ruffles -

It's the summer of female pop, and singers like Chappell Roan embody the brat vibe in ruffled dresses that they might wear to the club later.

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Leather and lime green -

Lime green is the color of brat summer and it really pops when clashing with head-to-toe black leather for an edgy look. 

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Y2K cool -

Y2K fashion is comfortable if impractical, but always cool. The messiness and futuristic vibe has just enough refinement to make it stand out.

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Stockings -

Sheer, white lace, fishnet, or colorful stockings and tights are reminiscent of 90's rave fashion and fit the Brat Girl Summer aesthetic.

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Sunglasses -

Curved frame sunglasses and retro narrow skinny sunglasses are a party girl essential, with '90s and Y2K trends dominating 2024's brat summer style.

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Millennials and Gen Z agree on brat -

From the album cover to the wider aesthetic, there are no rules to having a brat summer, a trend popular with millennials and Gen Z alike.

Sources: (TODAY.com) (CNN) (WWD) (People) (Glamour) (CBS News) (Forbes) (Refinery29) (Vogue)

See also: How to rock the mob wife look

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