Numerous chav videos have recently become popular among young people on TikTok.
Chav culture has crossed the pond and resurfaced with the younger American viewers of TikTok, appearing in everything from comedy routines to makeup tips to “choose your character”-style videos, presenting a selection of chav characters.
Those who grew up in the UK know that TikTok was not where the “chav” movement first emerged.
But what exactly is the Chav all about? And why do people find it to be such a hassle?
What Is Chav All About?
Chav is a term that describes a young British individual known for acting aggressively. However, this may be outdated now.
Typically, a young woman is a TikTok chav if she wears “concealer lips,” oblong eyebrows, and cosmetics that are at least three shades too dark for her skin tone.
She frequently dons oversized hoops and an orangish school outfit. She also uses a sloppy bun for her hair.
Before now, lower-class, anti-social kids who grew up in council homes were referred to as “chavs” in a derogatory manner (what we call public housing).
No direct American analog to this societal problem, but a chav would be the offspring of wiggas and trailer trash.
Chav culture started in football (soccer) stadiums. Initially, it applied largely to skinheads and hardcore football supporters itching for a confrontation, whether with followers of the opposite side or the police.
Many people have questioned the term’s use, saying it is offensive to those of the working class and a veiled attack on the poor.
However, despite years of ridicule and being associated with low social standing and illiteracy, chav culture has contributed significantly to society.
The influence of this subculture is still felt today, as seen by the success of grime in the UK and the present domination of streetwear in high fashion. Both emerged from the drill music popular in chav circles in the 1990s and early 2000s.
How To Spot A Chav
Chavs can be identified by their flashy jewelry, real or fake designer tracksuits, white sneakers, and baseball caps (it doesn’t matter).
Fila, Nike, and Kappa were top choices for matching tracksuits, while Adidas, Fred Perry, and Diadora were favored for sneakers. Of course, Burberry is everywhere.
Chav ladies, also known as ‘chavettes’, can be identified by their dyed blonde or jet-black hair. It is usually pulled back into tight ponytails, with so much hairspray that the hair can stay in place long after the elastic holding it together has been removed.
Heavily darkened caterpillar eyebrows also characterize the female chav look, excessively applied liquid black eyeliner, extremely long artificial eyelashes, and orange-tan level makeup that is not well blended.
But most significantly, having a lot of attitudes is key to being a chav.
Gum-chewing, spitting, swearing, speaking aloud, and using the words “bruv” and “innit” are all characteristics of chavs.
Furthermore, chav culture has now been welcomed by the people who mocked it when it first appeared, even though many detractors first considered the term “chav” disparaging.
Burberry consciously stopped using its iconic check pattern when it was mistakenly linked to chav culture.
However, Burberry revived its design and brought back the check in a campaign that ironically starred Romeo Beckham, the son of British chav aristocracy David and Victoria Beckham, years after the trend had faded.
Burberry returned the check pattern and decided to release a capsule collection with Gosha Rubchinskiy to commemorate its fusion with street culture.
The 2018 collection celebrated the chav style, drawing inspiration from the same football world that had prompted the fashion business to abandon checks.
Today, the subculture is all over Instagram and has recently made its way to TikTok.
How To Do Chav Makeup
Vicky Pollard of Little Britain popularized the “Chav” makeup look, a favorite for costume parties.
The chav look is a parody of the appearance of people who live on British council estates and is fairly simple to put together with basic makeup and accessories like hoop earrings, stiletto heels or running shoes, and leisure wear like tracksuit tops and bottoms.
- Scrape the hair from your face and secure it in a tight ponytail, preferably with a brightly colored hair band, to achieve what is known as a “Croydon facelift“.
- Apply an orange-colored foundation to your face, about three shades darker than your natural skin tone. Leave your neck unadorned for an extra sense of authenticity.
- Your eyelashes should be heavily covered in the deepest black mascara and flick the corners. Alternately, get the biggest, thickest artificial eyelashes you can find and apply them.
- Apply a metallic eyeshadow, either silver or gold, and colored glitter eyeliner in a vibrant hue. A popular color choice is blue.
- Apply a thick layer of concealer to your under-eye area, followed by pale pink lip gloss and brown lip liner. Ideally, it should appear as shiny as possible.
Conclusion
While some of the TikTok videos could be loosely classified as a tribute to the “chav look,” the majority undeniably mock the working class.
Especially young girls who not only experience greater inequality than their male peers but also are scrutinized more than anyone for the way they speak, dress, and behave.
Most TikTokers who participate in the “chav trend” can be assumed to have no intention of discriminating against anyone. In some circumstances, they may use their experiences to create a humorous, relatable video.
The libel of the working class, however, may have a real-life impact, as we know from the early 2000s, whether it comes from prime-time television or teenage TikTok.