Gross green, chartreuse or phlegm? Hannah Spencer’s waistcoat is political and TikTok winner | Fashion
Of course, the Green candidate wore green, but the correct term – 2026 TikTok – is “gross green.”
Coined by New York magazine and seen all over the high street as well as on the cover of Caro Claire Burke’s upcoming satirical novel Yesteryear, it’s actually a light green. But where’s the fun in calling it that? And it’s more of a mood than a color.
As if to confirm its viral potential, “phlegm green” is the Instagram term for the color Hannah Spencer wore when she was announced as Westminster MP. But as is the case when social media has successfully ensnared the broader culture, strange trends are also what we desire most.
As a young member of the millennial generation, Spencer will not miss that the vest can create excitement. Worn twice in the last 24 hours (he only changed his undershirt between the win and Friday’s press conference), it’s not far off from “brat green,” the hit color of summer 2024.
As a political statement, this is a Deliberate Choice and a sign that Spencer is committed to the taste of the high street and young voters.
A brief moment in popular culture that informed a political campaign? We’ve been here before. Member of Kamala Harris’ campaign team adopts Brat He made an aesthetic comment on social media and successfully transformed a color into a political symbol, attracting the attention of young voters.
There is a risk that public figures will benefit from a trend. On the other hand, social media is truly a fishbowl, where the public is trained to receive information such as a politician’s choice of clothing, where intent is irrelevant.
Spencer, 34, is a millennial and is online on purpose. And the more our culture fragments, the more we long for something universal to hitch our car to. Viral colors – Barbie pink, brat green – are the language of our day, part of a modern practice of finding meaning in innocuous things with silly names. But it’s also pretty fun. And trust me, once you name it, you won’t stop seeing it.
