The Brat Hair Trend Gives Off 365 Party Girl Energy

If the corporate TikTok accounts have burned you out on the phrase “Brat” summer, you’re not alone. Charli XCX’s bratty energy is a mindset, not something that can be emulated through a 60-second video or neon green product. That’s why out of all the trends that Brat has kickstarted, messy, party-girl hair makes sense. It’s having the confidence to throw on some dry shampoo after multiple nights out or letting your hair air-dry into its most carefree state. In short, confident, fun hair is Brat hair.

Just because we’re in the dog days of summer, doesn’t mean Brat Summer has to be over (we haven’t even hit Labor Day yet!). That said, you can have bratty hair all year round—it’s not a costume or style to emulate. Instead, it’s an attitude that prioritizes your unique texture while simultaneously experimenting with bold styles. Ahead, we unpack all the nuances of the Brat hair trend.

The Trend

When it comes to makeup and fashion, looking the part of a bonafide Brat comes easy. Charli’s staple white tank top is probably something you already own in your closet and is easy to style with an edgy mini-skirt and dark sunglasses. For makeup, smudged eyeliner and shimmery eyeshadow make the perfect ’90s party makeup. Hair, however, is a different story. Dyeing your hair neon green probably isn’t an option (and if it is, that’s iconic), not to mention everyone has a very personal relationship to their hair type. Charli’s staple style, for example, features her voluminous curls that swoosh while she’s dancing on a table or behind the DJ booth. So, are curls required for Brat summer? Not necessarily.

Search for “Brat hair” on TikTok, and you’ll scroll for hours, seeing a variety of styles, colors, and hair types. That’s the beauty of Brat! It can be what you want it to be, allowing individual style and taste to reign supreme. TikTok creator Heba took inspiration from the trend and created a waved half-updo with braided swept-back front pieces. Another creator Adri, styled a punk spikey bun twisting and braiding pieces and pinning them down at different angles. Others took the trend as inspiration for big hair changes—TikToker Tatyana got a shaggy butterfly cut with lots of layers, and Alchemy Salon in Melbourne posted a video on TikTok of a client dying their hair neon green with the word “Brat” dyed in black.

How to Get the Look

For Charli it might be her curls, for you, it might be a braided updo, and for me, it might entail a crimper and some hair gems. There’s no “right way” to get the Brat hair trend, and it comes down to harnessing a carefree energy more than re-creating a certain style. Hair is temporary, but having fun is forever.

Experimenting with a hair tutorial is always fun, but embracing your natural hair is Brat, too. Constantly using heat or manipulating your curls can be damaging. Letting your hair dry naturally, or embracing a greasy updo screams “I’m having too much fun to care,” and it also promotes a healthy hair routine.

Overall, the Brat hair trend can’t be bought with boxed dye or glittery hair pins (although that does sound like a cute pairing). There’s not one certain look to achieve or re-create, which leaves room for finding hairstyles that spark a similar joy of dancing in the club with your friends.