Over the summer, people globally participated in social media and lifestyle trends on apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. We asked Roosevelt students what they thought of these select trends from the summer, which ones they think will stay iconic, and which ones will be forgotten.
“BRAT Summer” Trend
The BRAT Summer trend originates from Charli XCX’s hit album BRAT. BRAT Summer is all about being a party girl and having a good time, and is best known for it’s lime-green album cover. The song “360” alone has over 197,000,000 streams since June 7th, 2024, indicating its popularity.
Various trends stemmed from the album, including the “Apple” dance, video edits with the song “360” in the background, and BRAT-themed fashion. Not only has there been social media trends relating to the album, but there have also been political campaigns based around the idea of being a “BRAT”. For example, Kamala Harris’ Twitter page is BRAT-themed.
Roosevelt students have a lot to say about BRAT Summer. Rachel Samuel, 11th grade, believes that “BRAT Summer will [stay] iconic because of the.. amount of people that partook in it.” She says that “people are gonna look back at how neon green and apples were used to as a tactic to entice young adults into becoming more involved in politics.”
Bailey Spells, 11th grade, also shares a similar angle to Samuel’s. She tells us that she “[doesn’t] think BRAT Summer will be relevant for much longer because of how fast people move on from trends, but people will look back on it with nostalgia of the summer.”
“Very Demure” Trend
The word demure originated from the 1350’s and the 1400’s in middle English and might have been influenced by old French. ‘Demure’ is an adjective that describes a modest or reserved person or thing. A demure person can be described as polite and a little shy.
The “very demure” trend became popular in the summer and is used to describe modesty and elegance about a hairstyle or nails without drawing too much attention to yourself. The trend became viral on August 2nd, 2024, when creator Jools Leberon demonstrated how she styles her hair and makeup for work. She describes her style as “very demure¨. As the trend became more popular. people started adding to it with sayings such as ¨very cutesy, very clean, very mindful.”
Haley Martin, a junior, states that one trend that she thinks will remain prominent is the “very demure” trend. She describes the trend as cute and funny. She found it humorous and enjoyed the way people used it.
On the other hand, Brandon Mata, 11th grade, believes that the trend is “already dying out, and won’t be around for much longer.” However, he thinks that the trend was funny while it lasted.
Lifestyle and Fashion Trends
Lifestyle and fashion trends, such as the “clean-girl” aesthetic, were very prominent over the summer. Slick-back ponytails, simple outfits, and Stanley cups were all worn by influencers such as Alix Earle (@alixearle on TikTok), Demetra (@demetradias on TikTok), and Katy Gibbs (@katygibbss on Instagram).
One ERHS student, Yerusalem Negasi, 11th grade, states that she “doesn’t get the hype surrounding the minimalistic fashion trends.”
“I think, like, these big influencers are always pushing something new that everyone has to start doing. Trends like these always cater to those who have the money to participate in them, and they almost always die out anyway. Everyone should just do what makes them happy instead of participating in these small microtrends like the ‘clean-girl’ aesthetic.”
Aaliyah Jamison, 11th grade, offers a different approach. She says that “if people like the clean-girl aesthetic, they should be free to indulge in it. It’s cute and simple, and if they like it, then good for them. The TikToks that clean-girl creators make are fun to watch. There’s no harm in the trend.”
