Alright so today I figured I’d try finding outfits like Charli XCX wears. You know, those super colorful, kinda futuristic, sometimes wild pieces she rocks on stage and in videos. Looked easy online, right? Wrong! It became a whole afternoon thing.
My Charli XCX Outfit Hunt Begins
Started like I always do – scrolling through photos of her recent looks. Saw this amazing bright blue puffer jacket with huge sleeves she wore for some event. Thought, “Okay, gotta find something like that.” Hopped onto my laptop, coffee in hand.
First instinct? Checked the obvious big online stores everybody knows. Typed in keywords like “neon puffa jacket” and “metallic mini skirt.” Got tons of results… but everything felt either super basic fast fashion stuff that looked cheap in the pics, or crazy high-end designer gear priced like a used car. Nope. Not hitting that Charli vibe at all. Felt like I was looking in the wrong places already.
Digging Deeper (Way Deeper)
Decided I needed to get more specific. Remembered she often wears smaller, kinda indie brands or vintage remade stuff. Started searching for things like “ravewear brands” or “Y2K fashion stores.” That opened up a whole different world.
Found these stores I never heard of before:
- That famous UK brand with tiger logos: Scrolled through. Holy cow, the prices! Saw a shiny silver skirt kinda like one Charli wore, but wow. Way over my budget for an experiment.
- A big online marketplace specifically for rave / festival gear: Okay, this looked promising! Lots of neon, metallics, mesh… right style! Found a puffer vest in this wild electric pink, kinda similar to the blue jacket vibe. Added it to cart after way too much deliberation.
- This one site specializing in super tiny tops and sparkly pants: Definitely saw Charli-esque pieces here – micro minis, holographic fabrics. Took a gamble on a mesh top with printed flames.
- A vintage repro site: Scoured this for those 2000s tracksuit moments she does. Found some colorful options but shipping times were long.
The Waiting (and the Reality Check)
Placed orders from a couple of them, mainly the marketplace and the tiny top site. Waited… like, forever it felt. The packages finally showed up maybe 10 days later, super excited.
The unpacking excitement faded fast.
- That pink puffer vest? The color online was electric. Real life? More like faded pepto-bismol pink. And the filling was lumpy, felt like cheap stuffing. Super disappointed.
- The flame mesh top? Okay, this was actually pretty cool. Felt flimsy but looked the part. Definitely needed a specific kind of bravery (or pasties) to wear it anywhere but a concert though.
Lessons Learned & Returns Drama
Tried on the vest again. Just no. Looked sad on me. Started the return process for the vest – a NIGHTMARE. Fill out this form, get a label, pack it just right, find a drop-off point. Such a hassle! The mesh top I kept, but honestly, where am I wearing it?
So, my big takeaways:
- Finding the vibe is possible, but expect serious hit and miss.
- Read the reviews religiously! I didn’t pay enough attention to the puffer vest reviews mentioning colour differences.
- Check those size charts like your life depends on it. A lot of those brands run small.
- Prepare mentally for weird fabrics and maybe stuff falling apart fast (cheap sequins went flying just looking at that vest!).
- Return policies are crucial because you WILL probably need them.
Ended up not really finding that exact Charli XCX jacket look without spending big bucks. Found a vibe piece with the top, but the hunt was way more involved and frustrating than I expected! Those looks don’t come cheap or easy, even when trying to find similar stuff.
