When Charli xcx released brat in the summer of 2024, she also introduced to the masses her distinct personal style. Since then, the so-called “brat aesthetic” has seeped into fashion.
While the singer herself has been in the public eye for well over a decade, she was something of a fashion chameleon. But in the lead-up to brat, Charli adopted the style we now know well: a sexy, raw club kid aesthetic. Though teeming with leather and stone-wash denim, Charli’s wardrobe also strikes a balance—flowy tendrils, airy chiffon, and boudoir dressing are just as paramount to her look as her wraparound shades and impressive boots.
For Charli, no moment is too small to make a statement—be it a casual outing or a black tie event. The singer is a noted fan of graphic tees. In 2022, the day before she released her album, Crash, she strolled through the streets of London in a pink praying shirt, its red cursive script proclaiming: “They don’t build statues of critics.” Not everything needs to be written on her chest though—Charli and her stylist Chris Horan use her fondness for sheer dressing (spanning Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Saint Laurent, and even her Danielle Frankel wedding dress) to telegraph her DGAF attitude. Très brat, indeed.
In Elements of Style, we’re distilling a celebrity’s fashion sense into its most basic components. Here, we break down the five key pieces in Charli xcx’s closet.
Wraparound Shades
What: Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, For Art’s Sake, Courrèges
Where: Performing at the Grammys, the Magnum after party in Cannes, Glastonbury
Wear it with: A McQueen skull scarf, a Saint Laurent boiler suit, vintage denim John Galliano-era Dior bra and panties
Sheer
What: Dilara Findikoglu, Saint Laurent, Beaufille, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Givenchy, Ann Demeulemeester, Rodarte
Where: The Brit Awards, Wimbledon, the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, the Nosferatu premiere
Wear it with: Pointy-toe pumps, rectangular sunglasses, knee socks, an oversized sweater, Boucheron jewelry
Statement Stompers
What: Jean Paul Gaultier Couture by Ludovic de Saint Sernin
Where: The Met Gala, her birthday party, the Balenciaga show
Wear it with: Micro shorts, a couture gown, an oversized button-up, a faux-fur coat, a Coach Brooklyn bag
Underpinning-Inspired
What: Saint Laurent, Marni, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Dilara Findikoglu
Where: The Toronto International Film Festival, the Met Gala, the Saint Laurent show
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