Words by: Shabnam Sidhu
Art by: Alyssa Sandler

“You’re that girl who is a bit messy and loves to party and maybe says dumb things sometimes. She’s honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile, that’s Brat.” Charli XCX

It is the last summer before my 25th birthday and it feels like a pivotal moment in my life. As reflect on my early twenties, my life has often felt like a hot mess. have an existential crisis every other day. I worry I am not living up to my potential and that every waking moment is being wasted. I am overwhelmed and consumed by my thoughts of not being attractive or confident enough to do the things I want the most. I am tired of failing to put myself out there because I’ve concerned myself with societal expectations.

Being brat is about having the power to control the narrative and the stories that you’re telling yourself about why things are happening the way they are. I can’t control nor fix the status quo. But what I can do is unapologetically love and embrace myself in the same way Charli XCX’s brat is euphorically experimental, edgy and just plain weird. It feels like the long era of clean girl living is finally coming to an end. There are no longer rules on being ‘that girl’ anymore. Now, anyone can be ‘so Julia’ hot, smart and an icon.

As summer approaches and I revamp my life to navigate the turbulences that come and go, here’s how I’m choosing to cement my identity as a brat.

First, I’ll be deleting all my dating apps. Dating apps have ruined the vibe of an entire generation. I’ve been on dating apps since I was 20 and I’ll be the first to admit, it’s an unhealthy dopamine hit. My self-esteem and self-worth are non-existent on a dating app. can’t look in a mirror and tell myself that I’m beautiful or interesting. Embracing brat is to sit with yourself and your thoughts, and to do the things that make you happy without external validation.

Next, I will not be cancelling plans and yes, I will walk like a bitch. Brat is a confessional album and in the remix of ‘Girl So Confusing’, felt seen. I’m a far cry from the feminine ideal and I’ve come to realise that the coolest and sexiest women I know are the ones that are most comfortable being themselves.

And while for the last couple of years, I’ve been at war with my body, brat summer is all about inhibition: no bra, no fucks given, no curated aesthetic. And most importantly, having the kind of audacious fun that bonds you and your friends together for life. No one cares if your thighs touch or that you’ve gone up two sizes over winter if you’re out having spicy margaritas and dancing till the sun comes up.

Last but not least, I will be a 365-party girl. As a self-proclaimed antithesis to the clean girl, this summer I will not be embarking on an individualist wellness venture. Brat is not just about getting drunk and partying, it’s about being able to fall in love again and again and to cry in the club, but nonetheless, you’re in the club.

I have insecurities and I’m constantly teetering between being sexy, fun and nonchalant, and being someone who’s just sad sometimes. I am in my mid-twenties, real intelligent and this summer, I will be talking shit, but will be able to say sorry when necessary, and will be crying out my hangover the next day. It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl.

The truth is, there is no specific way to have a brat summer. It is what you make of it. Brat is freedom and opening yourself up to the possibility of everything. Being looked at and judged is not a new phenomenon so go be everywhere, be so Julia.