Has brat summer already become mainstream?

Recently, the so-called "brat summer" was even covered in a dedicated report by TG1, which, despite having adopted a more dynamic informative style lately, remains the most institutional voice of Italian television journalism. This shows that the trend, initially widespread only among Anglo-Saxon users, has managed to establish itself in a way that, if we think about it, is increasingly rare today. The production of online content, in fact, tends to be very fragmented, to the point that very few times does the attention of the vast majority of people get focused on a single trend. The person responsible for what has become the most popular phenomenon of the summer is precisely Charli XCX - already known for being a singer capable of launching viral projects but at the same time sophisticated, combining different registers and samples. The concept and more generally the visual identity of her latest album Brat, her sixth career, were so appreciated on social networks that they became a meme and were reinterpreted in many ways - in a process of collective appropriation that is still ongoing and anything but obvious.

But the thing became truly mainstream with the association with the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris - Charli XCX herself tweeted: "Kamala IS brat," supporting her run for the US presidency. Shortly after, Biden's campaign X account - whose new name is "Kamala HQ" - changed the profile background image to one reminiscent of the famous Brat cover. Gevin Reynolds, a spin doctor who previously worked on Kamala Harris's staff, called this move "extremely smart" in the Guardian, especially considering "how crucial young voters are to winning" the election. Among the many who embraced and promoted the brat aesthetic is actor Kyle MacLachlan, known among other things for Twin Peaks, who posted several videos wearing an acid green t-shirt and singing Brat songs. But there have even been playlists and summer reading selections themed around brat, created by reputable publications - including the American Vulture.

Where "brat" comes from

The brat summer has gone mainstream despite the term not having a real meaning, as often happens with many phenomena related to digital culture: the adjective is paired with almost anything, along with the now iconic acid green color. "Brat" could be translated as "bad girl" - even though the term itself is genderless. However, the meaning of the word is more nuanced: it tends to be used more to refer to a "sassy girl," but with a connotation of pride and emancipation. In its more radical interpretations, "brat" also means being proud of "being a bit gross." In this sense, brat summer is the summer in which one claims the freedom to behave - when necessary - in a disorderly, brazen, mischievous, or coarse manner, while remaining charismatic. And even if no rules are actually broken in the end, this very illusion - somewhat decadent - is still "brat."

On the Guardian, it is written that "brat summer" describes "the way young women currently aspire to live." If we think about it, the brat style is the opposite of that represented by Taylor Swift, who, unlike Charli XCX, has built her success on a very traditional stereotype of femininity. Charli XCX herself said that the brat style was an attempt to disprove the cliché that pop stars must always look - especially on their album covers. The acid green associated with the brat aesthetic didn't come out of nowhere: it is closely linked to the great success this color has had in recent years. Pantone, for example, chose a very similar shade as the color of the year in 2017: it was "greenery," a yellow-green hue reminiscent of spring and which, according to the company, responded to the need to rejuvenate and renew. Furthermore, Miuccia Prada, already known for appreciating and often wearing this hue, wore a lime-green dress to the Met Gala last year, as well as in 2018. It should be remembered that this color was also the protagonist of Prada's SS96 collection, one of the brand's most famous and iconic, to the point that it helped introduce the ugly chic style - now a fundamental part of the brat aesthetic.