HAPPY BRAT WEEK!
I can’t lie, I am a HUGE Charli XCX fan, I even named my new car after her! So when she announced that she was releasing a new album a few months ago, I became incredibly excited (and slightly scared, I blame her music for my 2022 party/spiral era). Part of the reason that I am so drawn to her and the music she creates is her persona and style, especially starting from her CRASH period. She encapsulates the messy/party girl aesthetic, whilst still having the elevated aura of being afforded the title “fashion girl” (a more modern/TikTok version of the IT girl), and she has been refining this style for years, tracing it all the way back to the good old Tumblr days.
Charli XCX's grungy music and style resonated deeply with the early 2010s Tumblr generation. Tumblr is a blog-style social media platform that allows users to curate personal identities and join niche online communities. The format of the social media platform fostered the development of various "aesthetics"— which were distinct visual styles unique to the Tumblr community. These included grunge, dark academia, light academia, and pastel goth. During the early stages of her career, Charli XCX became a prominent figure within the grunge aesthetic. Coinciding with her albums "True Romance" and "SUCKER", she styled herself in elements of soft grunge fashion, including plaid, leather jackets, and gave herself bold, edgy makeup (I literally could not picture her without heavy eyeliner). Her impact on Tumblr was significant, with her edgy, carefree persona becoming a source of inspiration for users who also defined themselves as followers of the soft grunge aesthetic. She wasn't the first to leverage the platform for promotion; Lana Del Rey dominated the "Jackie Kennedy" aesthetic, and Marina and the Diamonds influenced the pastel goth aesthetic.
TikTok has heavily contributed to the resurgence of the Tumblr Girl and 2014 aesthetic (the reason these two aesthetics are interchangeable is because the platform peaked at more than 100 million users in early 2014, and many people associate the platform with said year). TikTok’s format is similar to Tumblr in the way it supports multiple different types of people and aesthetics in one environment, which has enabled Generation Alpha to revive and recreate the aesthetic surrounding 2014, a year this generation was old enough to observe certain trends but not old enough to partake in them. This mirrors previous generational trends, such as the grunge movement of the 90s which was heavily inspired by the long-haired rock movement of the 80s, who Led Zepplin in turn inspired.
Since the Tumblr era, Charli XCX has developed a unique style identity while retaining elements from that time. She still does heavy eye makeup (she just did a Vogue Beauty Secrets video on how to get party girl makeup last year). Charli's wardrobe also remains true to her iconic aesthetic. She frequently sports leather and wife-beaters, staples of her 2014 Tumblr-era look. These fashion choices demonstrate a seamless blend of past and present influences. By maintaining these elements, Charli XCX encapsulates the essence of the Tumblr era while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of contemporary fashion.
