Fashion
Charli XCX Does Monogram Dressing, The Party Girl Way
You wanna guess where her initials are?
It’s a bit of a cursed sign when London is having better weather than New York, but we’re thankful the warmth came to the English capital in time for Charli XCX to throw her Partygirl takeover at Lido Festival. Her headlining spot featured, yes, a neon bra, and also some studded hot pants with an XCX on her right cheek. Talk about branding.
Our favorite dresser of the festival circuit is doing the requisite Euro stops, including her very own takeover of London’s Lido Festival where she listed acts like Kelly Lee Owens and Bladee. But her own stage moment was an extension of her stage style that is hot-girl territory reimagined for the sweatiest weather possible. She chose an ATVX plastic-bag top over a yellow bra and custom “XCX” studded leather briefs from R & M Leathers, worn with her signature Balenciaga black sunnies and Fidan Novruzova boots.
R & M Leathers are a London-based purveyor of all things leather. Their catchphrase “BOUND TO PLEASE” is an apt encapsulation of their work, bringing S&M-lite to festival-goers and the more hardcore fans who wear studs and straps on a Tuesday night out. This isn’t their first time doing stage clothes — far from it, as they’ve designed bespoke hot pants for Charli before, alongside some familiar faces like Olivia Rodrigo.
Some styling tips can be taken away from Charli’s look, as ever: Don’t shy away from a cheeky customization moment, as long as it’s subtle; maybe pair some R & M butt-baring briefs with a ringer T-shirt or, say, a lacy camisole with a neon bra underneath. The juxtaposition of a girly top with a dominatrix-ish bottom is very brat.
