Looking to embrace your inner Charli XCX? Find out how to have the ultimate Brat summer in London.
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It’s 2am in a packed club, everyone is wearing neon green, smudged eyeliner, leather boots and skirts and manic hair. Gone are the slicked back buns because it’s Brat summer.
Brat summer derives from Charli XCX’s hit new album Brat, with its nauseatingly cool neon green album cover. The clean girl aesthetic is so last year; say hello to the feral club girl whose accessories include last night’s makeup and a tube of sparkly lip gloss.
Do you want to be ‘so Julia’ in London this summer? Grab your fuzzy journal and take notes.
Do some bratty thrifting
First, you need the outfit, so hit the most trendy second-hand shops in London. Start on Brick Lane, the hub for all things Y2K, and stop at Brick LaneVintage, Garmasutra and Kin.
Just around the corner, you’ll find Brick Lane Vintage Market, a huge market with heaps of independent vendors. Look out for Lemon Belly where you can “dance for a discount,” but be warned: you might end up on their Instagram.
While shopping look out for anything neon green or grunge, or sparkly tank tops, mini skirts, leather, vintage baby tees and maybe a pair of kitten heels. For the perfectly imperfect makeup look, stop at Primark for black eyeliner, a smokey eyeshadow palette and a tube of lip gloss.
As for your hair? Let her flow big and free.
Eat up and explore
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Even though it’s in character for brat summer to consume all your calories in alcohol, the responsible option would be to refuel at some of London’s tasty restaurants. What’s more Bratty than the Brat restaurants themselves? Indulge in a beef sirloin after walking the length of Brick Lane. The Tent, meanwhile, is sooooo Julia. Enjoy your meal in an enclosed dim tent under stars and glowing planets.
After the extensive preparation, it’s time for a drink. During Brat summer, any old dirty pub will suffice, but to elevate the night, hit up Blame Gloria; covered in patterns from floor to ceiling and a disco ball radiating colourful lights around. It also serves cool drinks from the ‘Eton Mess’ with fruity flavours and vegan foam to ‘Sticky Toffee Old Fashioned’ with bourbon.
For a photo shoot, hit the graffiti tunnel, Leake Street Arches, in South Bank to vamp your Instagram feed and embody the character. Another fun and colourful activity is the God’s Junk Yard, a mesmerising treasure trove filled with neon signs.
For an experience by the canals in Hackney Wick, grab drinks at Crate Brewery which is a popular and lively spot. While you’re there check out the unique street art on Bream Street, Fish Island and Smeed Road. Also covered in street art, you can grab a pint at the historic Lord Napier Star. Afterwards, unleash your inner rage and go axe-throwing at Skeeters.
Hit the clubs
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For the main event head to the slimy dance floor and flashing lights at Metropolis Club for a Charli XCX party on 27 July. Tickets go for £5.50 before 11.30 and £11 for anytime entry. If you miss that, they will host another Brat night on 31 Aug.
Brat summer exists beyond themed nights, so if neither of these work out hit popular clubs such as KOKO (a multi-levelled former theatre), Ministry of Sound, Fabric or Colour Factory.
For immersive Brat lighting, stop into E1 Club, and for a rooftop party go to Night Tales which is a real Hackney highlight and is hosting an open-air series through summer. For the ultimate outdoor party, check out The Cause in Docklands, where you can dance the day and night away underneath London’s cable car. Prefer to stay central? Stereo in Covent Garden is a buzzy restaurant and bar which channels the vibrant late-night cultures of New York and London with undertones of Parisian chic.
Lastly, brat summer relies on attitude. While Brat may carry undertones of existential dread, Charli XCX’s album contradicts the perfect image of clean girls by saying “This is me; messy, careless and fun.” Brat summer means rebelling against other people’s perception of yourself.
Please like, share and comment below and see if we have anything else to inspire your next visit to London.
