Summer is no longer just a time of the year; our need to constantly consume has seen the sunny weather become angled through a lens of commodification. It’s women who have been the targets of this branding exercise – from 'hot girl summer' to 'feral rat girl summer', these pre-existing modes of femininity have given way to 'brat summer', the current trend that has been dominating internet discourse and is now seeping through to mainstream consciousness. Brat summer is a state of mind. Nights out are brat. Being an It Girl is brat. Famously, even potential presidential candidate Kamala Harris is brat.
We have singer Charli XCX to thank for the advent of brat summer, with the 31-year-old having released her sixth studio album, Brat, to huge commercial success (reaching number two on the UK album charts and three on the US Billboard). Superficially, Brat as an album consists of the sleazy, raw grind of intoxicating electronica and a thick, heavy bass. It gives the image of a self-assured popstar enjoying success; a party girl regularly on nights out fuelled by vodka (or perhaps something stronger, if "365" is to be believed).
But it is a fundamental misunderstanding of Brat if you believe this is just an album full of club anthems. Behind the bangers belies a sense of vulnerability, uncertainty and grubbiness. From "Girl, So Confusing", which looks at the things unsaid between friends-come-rivals, to the insecurities about body image in "Rewind", Brat encapsulates the contradictory volte-face women often face when at pivotal points in their life.
![charli xcx](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/charli-xcx-performs-onstage-at-the-thrive-with-pride-news-photo-1721980684.jpg?resize=980:* "LA Pride And Tik-Tok Host "Thrive With Pride" Concert With Charli XCX")
When asked to describe brat summer herself, Charli XCX referred to it as “messy”, saying its aesthetic is “a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra”. It’s the antithesis to the polished, clean girl aesthetic that has previously dominated social media in recent years. With more than 353 million views on TikTok, the clean girl was characterised by her glass skin, slicked-back hair, simple make-up, healthy eating, and wearing the pale, oatmeal and biscuity tones associated with wealth and ‘quiet luxury’. Brat summer is the antidote to this – the album cover is a bright, acidic green, and it relishes in its grubbiness.
Arguably, this move towards generally embracing the chaos as opposed to curating a clean demeanour may be a more psychologically healthy way of living. By striving for the perfect, polished lifestyle of the ‘clean’ girl, we may simply be setting ourselves up for failure.
“Perfection is impossible – we will never be fully satisfied,” Dr Sandi Mann, senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, tells Harper’s Bazaar. “This is amplified by comparison with other people who we consider perfect and is a recipe for stress, misery and failure.
“Rather than striving for perfection, we should look to embrace ‘good enough’. This can be a powerful shift in mentality.”
As an aesthetic, brat summer is loud, not muted. The simplicity of the album design means its easily replicated; the vibrant green is now the colour of the summer, with people sporting green nails or t-shirts. It’s unapologetic in its boldness, reclaiming a space away from the misogynistic notion that women must be feminine, delicate and perfectly groomed at all times. It highlights that there’s strength in embracing messiness.
“Accepting a lack of perfection and some uncertainty in our lives is important,” says Dr Mann. “This might mean that sometimes things are messy – either literally or in a more figurative state. Not everything can be clear cut or defined.
“We need to learn to cope with uncertainty. Introducing some ‘messy’ aspects in our lives and tolerating this can teach us how to cope when something bigger or unexpected comes into our lives.”
Social media has played a significant role in amplifying the notion of people having to appear ‘perfect’ at all times, with filtered pictures and curated videos making the lives of those we follow look enviably peaceful and picture-perfect. It’s having a palpable effect on our wellbeing, as we strive towards something we know doesn’t exist, but that we want anyway. In several studies, teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have a substantially (from 13 to 66 per cent) higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time. Brat summer is the ultimate rebellion against this; it tramples on curated, false perfection and encourages women to embrace their uncertainties and flaws, and to have fun anyway.
It can seem a little alien (forced, even) to suddenly adopt a laissez-faire attitude, but there are ways to sprinkle a little of the brat summer mood into your routine, even if your days of being a 365 partygirl are behind you.
“When learning to embrace chaos, it’s good to start with small amounts,” Dr Mann says. “For example, if you feel that everything in your house has to be clean and tidy, there might be one area where you accept that doesn’t have to be the case. This might be a toy room for people with children, or a particular cupboard or drawer.
“Getting used to making mistakes is valuable. When we see mistakes as a positive thing, it takes away the pressure of perfectionism.”
