With classes getting back into full swing and the official first day of fall having come and gone, students are beginning to mourn the end of pier season, wearing shorts to class, and above all else, the phenomenon that is the “hot girl summer.”
The idea of a hot girl summer took the Internet by storm this past season. It was simultaneously a mentality, a meme, and a way of being.
The term originated from rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who calls her carefree alter ego Hot Girl Meg, and her fans, Hotties. The cover art of her album Fever—released this summer—includes the line, “she’s thee HOT GIRL and she’s bringing thee HEAT.” This led fans to post photos of themselves paying respect to Megan’s recent release and claiming, in celebration of her self-confidence and self-love, that it was officially a hot girl summer.
While the concept grew from Megan and her fans, it quickly snowballed, and soon the whole internet jumped on board. The sentiment was used in a range of ways, from people posting everything from selfies and swimsuit pics showing off their confidence to self-deprecating jokes.
Celebrities even hopped on the bandwagon. Jada Pinkett Smith, Miley Cyrus, and Jordyn Woods have all used the phrase in some iteration as captions on their Instagrams.
In a tweet, Megan explained, “being a Hot Girl is about being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth, being the life of the party etc.” It’s a feminist mindset that embraces the idea that women can have sex, love their bodies, make money, and be proud of those accomplishments. It tells women to go after what they want regardless of their age, status, or personality.
The sentiment at its core centres around self-love and owning one’s choices. There is no specific way to be a “hot girl.” It’s not about outward beauty in the traditional sense, or even about the season of summer. It’s a viewpoint anyone can adopt.
The end of summer shouldn’t—and won’t—mean the end of this mantra of positivity.
Some have jokingly asserted that the beginning of fall should signify the beginning of “sad boi autumn,” but loving oneself is a concept that like, blue jeans, should stick around regardless of the season.
bon iver is dropping a new album. hot girl summer is over. sad boi autumn is on its way
— katrina spellman (@goslingtrain) July 11, 2019
Just because the weather’s getting colder and our tans are fading doesn’t mean we have to turn down our own heat. In fact, the darker days and upcoming winter blues call for even more positivity and confidence.
Assignments and grades can have us doubting our self-worth and comparing ourselves to others. The answer to these feelings of inadequacy are clear: channel your inner hot girl and say f—k it to the expectations of others. When the only person you have to answer to is yourself, life becomes a lot more enjoyable.
It’s time for hot girl autumn, or better yet a hot girl year. Celebrating female positivity doesn’t go out of style.
And if you need a little extra push to inspire you to channel this mindset year-round don’t worry, because Megan recently dropped her song “Hot Girl Summer” as an ode to what she began.
In celebration of this newfound mentality, do what makes you happy. Whether you show up to class in your cutest outfit or five minutes late with a coffee in hand, what matters is that you’re doing what feels best for you. You’d be surprised by how much the little things can boost your sense of self-love.
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