6 Charli XCX Concert Outfit Ideas, According to Bona Fide Brats
There's no rulebook, but Marie Claire editors have a few ideas.
On Charli XCX's album Brat, the British pop star paints a vivid picture of what a brat wears. Sleazy early-aughts style is her fashion north star—specifically anything bedazzled and by Von Dutch. She's in a "sheer white dress, wearing last night's makeup" with "sweat marks all on [her] clothes." Her fishnets are ripped (accidentally snagged "on a lawn chair").
But what do you wear to a Charli XCX concert if 2000s fashion trends make your skin crawl? Or, what if your fashion is genuinely grungy and brat-esque, but you've been waiting to see the singer live for over a decade and suddenly can't think of a Charli XCX concert outfit to mark the momentous occasion?
Six Marie Claire team members (myself included) recently pondered these very questions in our Slack chat. We all had tickets to see the hyperpop star's sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on September 23 during her co-headlining "Sweat Tour" with Troye Sivan, but we had no idea what to wear.
Charli XCX performing at MSG on September 23, 2024.
Bright brat green came up as an outfit option, of course. But few of us own the ugly-on-purpose chartreuse (and I personally didn't want to buy a lime green garment that would hurt my eyes). The no-pants trend came up, too, since it's a constant of Charli's. Fashion e-commerce editor Julia Marzovilla found going pantsless a touch too much: "No-pants isn't a total no, but not for my work-endorsed concert 'fit," she said. But Sadie Bell, senior culture editor and a long-time Charli's Angel, saw the trend as the perfect homage to one of her "all-time favorite artists." Plus, Bell already owned the perfect pair of thigh-high Steve Madden boots to balance out her micro shorts.
And that's the beauty of being a brat. There's no rule book. Nuance is encouraged because Charli's club is free to enter and doesn't discriminate. Anyone can be a brat—America's next potential president, Kamala Harris, is a Charli-certified brat, and Kyle MacLachlan (as in Trey from Sex and the City and Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks) had floor tickets to see the star perform on the "Sweat Tour." It's not what you wear; it's the unabashed, don't-eff-with-me confidence that's crucial to brat-titude.
Charli XCX, wearing head-to-toe Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, during her "Sweat Tour" show.
If your ideal Charli XCX concert outfit involves "bumpin' that" in top-to-toe slime green or a hoodie and your best sneakers because that's what you feel most comfortable in, then that's your bratty best. Only you can figure out the best brat outfit—but Team MC is happy to provide some thought-starters. Ahead, see what six Marie Claire staffers, who all identify at various points along the Brat spectrum, wore to her recent NYC show and their connections to Charli.
And if you still need to buy tickets for the main event, you're in luck: There are select shows from the "Sweat Tour" still available on Ticketmaster, like Chicago on September 30, Dallas on October 9, and a few international shows in England later in November. Though, if you learned anything from Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" and Beyoncé's "Renaissance," you'll want to click quickly.
Now, onto the outfits...
365 Sleepy Girl
Halie LeSavage, senior fashion and beauty news editor
The concert was past Halie's bedtime—but she powered through in a very cute look.
Favorite Charli XCX song: Of the modern era, “Sympathy is a knife.” As a child of Tumblr, “Boom Clap” will always have a special place in my heart.
Her connection with Charli: On paper, I am the last person you'd expect to see thrashing around at the "Sweat Tour." I have a strict nighttime wind-down routine that ends with me cuddled under my comforter with an Emily Henry novel by 9:30 pm. I don't want to hear "club classics" when I go to the club—because I don't want to go to the club, period.
But, plot twist: I've been a Charli fan since high school. “Break the Rules” was my anthem for early morning drives to my AP Biology lab before class. I always went to school and never broke the rules—but listening to Charli let me tap into my imaginary alter-ego who would. And lyrically, Brat really resonated with my experiences as an almost 30-year-old.
Halie's Charli XCX concert outfit: To stay up on a school night, I referenced Charli's Brat era with an outfit that's comfy enough to sleep or dance in. I repurposed a 'Bling Ring' T-shirt from Sofia Coppola's Uniqlo collaboration—Alexis Niers is both a brat and brat in the Charli sense—with a pleated skort and lug-sole boots. Strathberry's sleek crossbody bag was both security- and fashion-girl-approved. I am more of a nap girl than a party girl, but I felt wide awake at the show. I didn't even leave early!
I'm So Julia
Julia Marzovilla, fashion e-commerce editor
Julia went for a method-dressing approach, replicating an outfit from Charli XCX's “360” video.
Where she falls on the brat scale (1 being “hyperpop gives me a headache” to 10 being “I’m still wearing eyeliner from two nights ago"): Probably a 7. I wash my face every night, but this album has been on constant repeat since it came out, and I’m 99 percent sure she’ll be my top artist on Spotify this year.
Is "brat summer" dead? Brat can’t die—it’s a state of being.
Julia's Charli XCX concert outfit: The “360” video is one of my favorites of the entire year, so I had to copy one of the (very easy) looks that Charli wore. Also, how could I pass up on the chance to sing I’m “soooo Julia” all night long?
To make the outfit appropriate for wearing around my co-workers, I swapped a pair of underwear for a micro-mini skort. A white tank top from Hanes, a black bralette, and a pair of flat knee-high boots like the ones Charli has worn throughout the Brat album cycle completed the look. Hers are vintage Prada, but I opted for my go-to pair from Stuart Weitzman—they’re comfortable enough to dance around in.
It’s So Confusing Sometimes to Be a Girl (And Put Outfits Together)
Emma Childs, fashion features editor
Emma Childs in an attention- and butt-grabbing maxi skirt and leather jacket.
Favorite Brat lyric: "And it's just self-defense until you're building a weapon," from “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde." This line was penned by Lorde, the prophet for all angsty and anxious women, and it also gets at what I think is the core theme of Brat. Underneath a brat's bravado and power-strutting ("Girl, you walk like a bitch!") is a gooey, emotional center. Brats make mistakes, as all humans do, and can sometimes hurt people when doing damage control. But then—and this is the best part—we can work it out on the remix.
Can you do the Apple dance? Yes, but badly, and only in the comfort of my private, sub-30-followers TikTok account.
Emma's Charli XCX concert outfit: The "Sweat Tour" was not an easy occasion to dress for. I'm a relatively new but fervent Charli fan—"Vroom Vroom" made it onto my getting-ready playlist during college, but I didn't get my angel wings until "Crash"—and I wanted to do the star justice. So, after three outfit changes, two desperate re-watches of the "360" video, and one panic FaceTime to a friend, here is where we landed: a graphic, collage-printed skirt by the independent brand Ellis, a black Bimba y Lola leather jacket, and my best slingback heels by Sam Edelman.
I chose a black east-west bag by Freja to carry my essentials (chapstick and a portable charger) and finished with paparazzi blockers by Otra because wearing "sunglasses always: indoor, at night, so you can't see" is Charli gospel.
This One’s for the Mean Girls
Sadie Bell, senior culture editor
One of Charli's long-standing Angels, Sadie Bell, in her concert outfit.
Favorite Charli XCX song: “Track 10.” Did I cry when she performed it at both the Brat show at Brooklyn Paramount in June and on the "Sweat Tour" this week? Absolutely.
Why did you go to the show Because Charli is one of pop’s biggest innovators of the past decade, and it’s very fulfilling that the world has caught up to them. She's finally having the moment she’s always deserved! (And because her team was kind enough to give me a press ticket.)
Sadie's Charli XCX concert outfit: Throughout the Brat album cycle, Charli has sported a few key pieces that are ideal rave wear. I opted to wear a few of them to the "Sweat Tour:" hot pants and a baby tee. I specifically wore a graphic tee with very snarky lettering because it leaned into the “tearing-shit-apart” “Mean Girls” trope the hyper-pop star plays with on the record.
To complement the short shorts, I paired the look with thigh-high boots—all of which were easy to dance in. After all, "Sweat" is a tour that asks, “What if you turned an arena into a club?” so you might as well dress like you’re at a warehouse party where anything goes.
Brat and It’s the Same, but I Found I Out Was Going to This Concert 6 Hours Ago
Lucia Tonelli, associate director of social media
Lucia Tonelli in her best Brat-inspired look.
What she admires about the star: I think Charli's the coolest. She’s honest and stark and has a perspective that feels uniquely her own. She doesn’t make you want to be like her; she makes you want to be more like yourself.
Lucia's Charli XCX concert outfit: Finding out you secured tickets to the hottest tour of the moment mere hours before doors open? That’s Brat! With less than a full workday to think up a look, I did what I always do when in a pinch: pinch harder! I gave myself 45 minutes to choose a 'fit and head out the door, which quickly led me to the one Brat Green item in my wardrobe. The radioactive-tinged knit turtleneck was both the centerpiece and an act of method dressing (see: "Sweat Tour")—and it made the rest of my outfit process easy.
I paired my brat green top with oversized, low-rise cargo pants and a “lacy black pair (of underwear) with the little bows.” The rest of the look was mostly inspired by a Charli vibe: an extra-long vintage belt that could double as a whip, the sharpest pair of black boots I own, and a custom-engraved "Charli XCX" Pandora charm necklace.
Aesthetically Brat, Emotionally Barbie
Kelsey Stiegman, fashion contributor
Being a forever brat: I’m a baby brat in terms of [Charli's] music, but I’ve been on that brat aesthetic since high school. I have a lifelong love of fishnet tights and I basically grew up in a Hot Topic.
...but minus the lifestyle: My general vibe is brat, but my resume doesn't support being a brat. I love sleeping until noon, but I probably went to bed at 11:15 p.m. the night before. I’ve also never done anything harder than a tequila shot, so my key necklace is purely ornamental.
Kelsey's Charli XCX concert outfit: I knew I wanted to do a little green moment for the Charli show and balance it out with a heavy dose of black and silver. I wore my favorite faux leather skirt and styled it with a spaghetti strap crop top in an appropriate shade of chartreuse. This look was all about the accessories: a mesh Cider bolero, studded belt, sparkly hair clips, and a key necklace I DIYed using a silver bag chain and my apartment key.
