Summer Trends — REFINE Magazine

By: Alexis Caines

Every season it seems like a trend emerges, stemming from a viral TikTok user and being taken by your favorite influencer and made even bigger. As a passive scroller and teenage girl, I too fell for the trends this summer. I spent my summer at home in Massachusetts where I saw what the coastal granddaughters were up to, and as a social media user, I also kept up with the rest of the world.

Brat Summer

We’ll start off with arguably the biggest trend of the summer: “Brat”.

Every social media user knew about Brat, and even those out of the media loop were aware of it. “Brat” was Charli XCX’s highly anticipated album which was released on June 27 and since then various remixes, features, and other versions have followed. “Brat” became more than just an album, some could even call it a lifestyle.

Anything lime green automatically became brat. “That’s so brat,” is a phrase my friends and I used often. We used it to refer to outfits, hair, nails, statements, and attitudes.

According to Glamour Magazine, “This is brat summer, and it is feral and green. The sleek clean girl is out; the messy internet It girl is in.”

“Clean girl aesthetic” was popular in the summer of 2023, but it’s since been dethroned by British pop sensation Charli XCX embracing the new “feral girl” look. Clean girls were all about neutrals and slick backs.

Brat was quickly embraced by Kamala HQ, the X account for all things Kamala Harris since her announcement to run for the 2024 Presidential Election. Her social team latched onto “brat” summer and projected it to younger generations as motivation to vote. Charli XCX, although from the U.K. and removed from U.S. elections, gave her stamp of approval saying “kamala IS brat,” in a tweet.

Charms

The next big summer trend I picked up on was charms. Charm bracelets, charm necklaces, and keychains with charms. I was personally hooked on the trend and love the jangle of the charms on my wrist. Charms can showcase your personality and the things that are most important to you. .

There’s plenty of ways to create your new jewelry, from price to style to color. You can find charms and chains on Amazon. You can also make a day out of it and spend some time with loved ones customizing your charmed accessory. Boxbar Philly is a boutique in Old City that offers a full charm bar where you can create either a bracelet or necklace. Boxbar is a higher end charm store, but you can choose from many different options when it comes to the chain and the charms. You can also find a wide array of charms at Walmart or your local craft store for a lowkey option to make at home.

I went to Boxbar a few weeks ago for a self care day and I love my bracelet. Each charm shows a piece of me. My favorite is the “LOVE” charm, resembling the iconic LOVE statue right in Center City.

Adidas Sneakers

The last big trend of the summer was Adidas Sambas and Giselles. From June through August I felt like I couldn’t step out in public without seeing them.

When I was in middle school, Stan Smiths by Adidas were very popular and the brand has never gone out of style. They’ve had many popular lines that have been worn by different generations over the years.t This summer it was all about Sambas and Gazelles. Everyone was wearing them. From kids, to teens, to 30-somethings and beyond, it was the shoe of the summer.

Sambas and Gazelles can be worn a few different ways. They can match an already bright outfit or add a pop of color to an otherwise neutral look. They can be an everyday shoe or something to make a nicer outfit a little more casual. Most likely, your favorite celebrity has a pair. Jack Schlosberg and Kate Walsh both rocked a pair of Adidas’ during their visit to campus on Sept. 16.

As we head out of “brat” summer and into autumn, I can’t wait to see what new trends will emerge and be brought to life by our favorite celebrities and influencers. But for now, I hope to keep seeing charm bracelets and Sambas, and for everyone to keep ‘bumpin’ that’.