At The Sweat Tour at Madison Square Garden, Brat Summer Never Really Dies
This past summer belonged to Charli xcx. The British singer’s album brat, released in early June, sent out a bat signal (or, perhaps, a brat signal), encouraging fans to be their most feral selves—to be 365 party girls, to be messy and unapologetic. As summer faded into fall, many wondered what would come next. But as a sea of chartreuse began to close in on Madison Square Garden hours before Charli and Troye Sivan were set to take the stage on their Sweat Tour, it became clear that the craze isn’t going anywhere.
What makes an outfit brat exactly? Charli’s stylist Chris Horan weighs in: “Anything bitchy and never anything too perfect,” he tells Vogue. While there was no shortage of “brat green,” others got into the spirit with quippy slogan tees, lingerie, chunky silver jewelry, chainmail, chaps, furry boots, and bloomers galore.
Concertgoers took that directive to heart. Some people leaned into the DIY spirit, like Kelley Heyer, who created the viral “Apple” dance, which she performed live during the song. “This is a skirt that I thrifted, and I bedazzled it with a brat tramp stamp on the back,” she says of her black pleated micro-mini. But some attendees went full-throttle on the fashion in Diesel, Acne Studios, Balenciaga, Heaven by Marc Jacobs, and Rick Owens. Lawson Taylor accessorized custom Eleen Halvorsen chaps and a corset with a neon green Balenciaga Le City bag and Rick Owens boots. Meanwhile, Bridget Shurdod purchased her entire outfit for the occasion, inspired by the singer’s Acne-heavy wardrove. “I went because I saw all the looks that [Charli] was doing for the tour,” she says.
The bratty energy continued inside. Second Daughter Ella Emhoff dutifully performed the “Apple” dance in a knit “brat” beanie (Secret Service, however, declined to participate) while Troye Sivan himself hit the stage in custom Pandora “sweat” chains. Later on in the show, Lorde joined Charli to work it out on the remix wearing matching looks from Saint Laurent’s über sexy fall 2024 collection.
“It’s incredible to be a small part of a huge cultural moment,” Horan says. “It is also so rewarding to see any sort of Charli’s style reflected back in people’s looks. I think the most important aspect is Charli herself though—she’s a beacon for all of us during a time where we are tired of artists trying to appeal to everyone.”
Though brat has dominated the zeitgeist lately, fans also showed out for Sivan. One attendee, D, wore leather chaps (leftover from last year’s cowboy Halloween costume) and a harness in homage to Sivan’s recent BDSM-esque look. While D carried a homemade sign that looked like a bottle of poppers (which they made for a Pool, Poppers, and Pride party in June), tank tops and tees aplenty referenced Sivan’s poppers merch.
Whether people were repping Charli xcx or Troye Sivan, there was a prevailing sense of community. “To be brat is to be unapologetic about yourself, to be proud of yourself, not to be afraid to express your true colors, your personality. It’s an ultimate form of self-love,” says Grant Basilio.
“To be brat is to—can I say cunt?” Jordyn Wheathers whispers. “To serve cunt! Just be who you are. I’m such a shy person but here I can be myself and show my style and be an extrovert. It just means to come out of your shell and be who your true self is.”
