These days, we’re living in Charli XCX’s world. The singer’s jaunt to Cannes and sold-out Boiler Room set all helped drum up hype for her album, Brat, which was released to instant critical acclaim. But with all of these outings, we’re becoming as intimately familiar with Charli’s sense of personal style as we are her singular sound.
A growing presence in the fashion industry (she’s a regular Met Gala and fashion week attendee), Charli’s sexy, grungy, club-rat style has become innately associated with her musical genre, hyperpop. The singer underwent a wildly successful career rebrand over the past several years, finding her now-signature synthed-out auto-tuned style with the help of the producer Sophie Xeon, who died in 2021. With her recent success, we’ve seen plenty of people take a page out of her book, hoping to revamp their careers with a brand new sound and a look to match.
But Charli XCX is far from the only hyperpop star to adopt the genre’s accompanying aesthetics. Slayyyter, Rico Nasty, Kim Petras, The Dare, Rebecca Black, and Dorian Electra have all dabbled in the style codes: loads of leather, metal hardware, wraparound sunglasses, and stone-wash denim, all adding their own personal touches to create a sense style that feels authentic to their personae.
Charli seems particularly fond of leather, low-waisted jeans in various shades of gray and black, but others have offered their own takes on the look. Petras once wore stone-wash denim microshorts over fishnet tights, paired with a leather bustier, while Rico has donned a leather bandeau held together by a gold bull ring with a leather garter belt over her skirt.
Statement accessories are also crucial to the look. Charli is rarely seen without a pair of black wraparound shades, which she pairs with everything from glittery floor-length dresses to a tee and trousers. (She’s also liable to wear a pair of pointy-toe heels, be it kitten heels or hand-painted Marnis that match her post-Met dress.) Other stars have their own signature accessories. Meanwhile, The Dare (who produced “Guess” from the extended cut of Brat) is never without his signature black necktie.
Sex appeal plays a huge role in hyperpop style. Many of the genre’s brightest stars bring underwear outside of the bedroom. Dorian Electra has tried lingerie as performanceware, as has Slayyyter. Charli has dabbled in ultra-sexy sheer pieces, choosing to wear a diaphanous Givenchy number to the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party.
Nowadays, it seems that some singers are aiming to join the hyperpop ranks, be it musically or sartorially. Camila Cabello—who recently releases a hyperpop song “I LUV IT” from her forthcoming album C,XOXO—has been dressing the part of her new era. Trading her “it’s giving Cher” moments for neutrals, leather, and sunglasses, Cabello has studied the greats before her. Like Charli’s affinity for wraparound sunnies, Cabello is attempting to carve out a style niche with her penchant for over-the-top shoes, like a pair of furry boots from Fidan Novruzova, or leather leg-warmers from Hodakova.
Katy Perry, meanwhile, is going all in on the sexier end of the spectrum. The singer has rocked a red-hot, bum-baring corseted number (with an exposed thong to boot) with the notoriously dangerous Vivienne Westwood pumps from fall 1993. She’s also turned to designer Grace Ling for an edgy metal corset, and wore a mesh dress over a black bra and underwear from Interior, which she paired with leather boots and impenetrable black sunglasses. (That said, she hasn’t released any music that’s indicative of a forthcoming hyperpop trial.)
With Charli XCX modeling such a successful career switch, others seem compelled to follow her path. But is the fashion enough to facilitate the switch?
