The dressing sense of the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has been a subject of significant media coverage. Considered a style icon by mainstream publications, Swift has been an influence on fashion trends and commerce through her red carpet looks, magazine photoshoots, and the wardrobe of her live performances and videography. Her off-duty street style has received acclaim from fashion journalists.
As an adolescent country singer in the early phase of her career, Swift wore mostly sundresses and gowns that suited her girl-next-door image. In her subsequent career and venture into pop, rock and folk music genres, she began reinventing her clothing attire alongside her artistic direction, matching every album's genre and theme to a fashion aesthetic. Her embrace of cottagecore and gothic styles has substantially bolstered their popularity in the mainstream scene. Swift has also helped popularize red lipsticks, bangs, cardigans, knit scarfs, cowboy boots, sleeveless formal wear and waistcoats amongst the general public.
Fashion labels such as Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Schiaparelli have credited Swift with magnifying their media impact by wearing their works. Her appearances at the National Football League (NFL) games and support to the Kansas City Chiefs have led to an unprecedented increase in their merchandise sales. Various authors have noted that Swift's penchant for accessible dressing—often pairing high-end pieces with relatively affordable items—has made her style approachable to the general public, contributing to her cultural impact. In turn, products of lesser-known brands and small businesses experience record sales after Swift is seen wearing them. Her use of fashion as a medium of Easter eggs about her music has driven cultural discourses.
Several fashion journalists have highlighted Swift's apathy for high fashion and fashion weeks, finding her taste normal and somewhat underwhelming for a pop star of her stature and wealth, but others argue that a dressing sense authentic to herself is what sets her appeal apart from other celebrities. Publications such as Vogue , InStyle , Harper's Bazaar and Women's Wear Daily consider Swift a global fashion influencer. She was named the Best Dressed Woman of 2014 by Elle and People , topped the Maxim Hot 100 list of 2015, and co-chaired the 2016 Met Gala. A number of museums have hosted fashion exhibits dedicated to Swift.
As a leading cultural figure of the 21st-century, Taylor Swift is a subject of fashion journalism. Swift has reinvented her image and aesthetic throughout her career, matching respective album cycles with distinct themes and influencing fashion trends in the process. [1] [2] Her "style evolution", both within and outside her music, has been covered and analysed by nearly all fashion media outlets. Her use of fashion as Easter eggs to hint at aspects of her music has similarly received press coverage. [3] [4] Her fashion has mirrored her musical evolution. According to Women's Wear Daily , Swift "became known for using her wardrobe choices to complement her art as well as an opportunity to create new trends, make statements and drop hints about upcoming projects." [5] Swift has appeared on the covers of various fashion magazines throughout her career, having adopted more mature and glamorous looks over time and gradually eschewing the girl-next-door image that dominated her early career. [6] [7]
Taylor Swift: And the Clothes She Wears, the 2023 coffee table book by fashion author Terry Newman, became an immediate bestseller upon its release, topping the Amazon chart. [8] Similarly, Taylor Swift Style: Through the Eras by American fashion blogger and writer Sarah Chappelle also topped the Amazon chart and was met with praise from fashion critics for its in-depth coverage of Swift's clothes. Chappelle has documented Swift's fashion in detail for several years via her Instagram account "Taylor Swift Style", which has amassed thousands of followers. [9] [10] [11]
According to Vogue , Swift's beauty evolved from that of "a country princess to a bombshell pop star with some serious statement hair and makeup moments to match." [12] Consequence opined that Swift's looks progressed from "girl-next-door country act to pop star to woodsy poet over a decade". [13]
Swift debuted as a 16-year-old country music singer-songwriter in 2006. In her early career, she mostly wore sun dresses and midi skirts, accessorizing her "iconic" curls with cowboy boots and a headband sometimes, all contributing to her girl-next-door image. [1] [14] She had maintained a fairytale "princess profile" by wearing tulle skirts, gowns and corset with floral embellishments, as seen in her music videos for "Our Song" (2007), "Teardrops on My Guitar" (2007) and "Love Story" (2008). [15]
After becoming a "household name" following the wide success of her second studio album, Fearless (2008), Swift began wearing "glittery gold outfits" and winged eye liner, marking a change from her previously floral, countryside attires. [1] Exploring more bold and mature clothing, Swift was wearing a white, glittery Kaufman Franco gown at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. [15] [14] From Speak Now (2010), her third album, Swift began incorporating more purple and shades of pink in her outfits and began wearing her hair in ponytail. [1] [14] During the Red campaign in 2012–2013, Swift's looks included bold red lipstick and straight blonde hair with bangs, eschewing flowy dresses for fedora hats, high-waisted shorts, translucent shirts, and striped tees, incorporating more red color. [14] [1] This established the "retro-cool" hipster-inspired aesthetic of Red, evident in the album's artworks as well. [15]
In 2014, Swift moved to New York City, where her casual street style was often photographed and covered. [16] To embody the free-spirited nature of her fifth album 1989, Swift cut her hair short (later turning it into a bob cut) and began wearing neon colors, jumpsuits and two-pieces: crop tops and mini skirts. [14] [1] [15] Bustle has dubbed bangs as one of Swift's signature hairstyles. [17] At the 2016 Met Gala, which she co-chaired, [18] Swift changed her style drastically in a look that trended on Twitter as "Bleachella", [16] debuting black lipstick and bleached blond hair, [19] [14] in a snakeskin dress that would indicate a transition to her next album, Reputation (2017). [1] The black color dominated her wardrobe throughout the Reputation campaign, alongside thigh-high boots, dark red lipstick, bodysuits, and leotards. [15] In 2019, Swift reinvented her style once again, eschewing the dark and edgy attires of Reputation for "candy-colored", bubblegum aesthetics of Lover (2019), as exemplified by the music videos of the singles "Me!", "You Need to Calm Down" and "Lover" and her various award-show appearances. [16] [15]
Swift opted for cottagecore aesthetics with 2020's Folklore and Evermore. Reflecting lyrical motifs of escapism, [20] Swift embraced a rustic, [21] nature-focused [22] look for the project, departing the "technicolor carnival" of Lover. [23] In the music video for "Cardigan", the lead single of Folklore, Swift a cream colored cable knit with silver embroidered stars on the sleeves' chunky elbows, and navy blue piping and buttons; she sold replicas of the cardigan on her webstore. [24] The Times of India opined that, with Evermore, Swift embraced "1960s-era Laurel Canyon". [25] For the 2022's Midnights , Swift leaned towards a glamorous, vintage 1970s aesthetic, incorporating bodices, polos, wide-legged trousers, faux fur and diamond jewellery, [26] best seen in the music videos of "Anti-Hero" (2022), "Bejeweled" (2022), [26] and "Lavender Haze" (2023). [27] She adopted a gothic aesthetic with the The Tortured Poets Department (2024), whose cover artwork is a shot of Swift lying on a bed wearing black lingerie: a see-through top and high waist shorts. [28] [29] [30] Journalists dubbed the fashion as mainly dark academia. [31] [32] [33] [34]
Swift's music, visuals, general attire, and concerts have influenced fashion trends and led to sales surges. She boosted the popularity of red lipsticks—considered one of her signature fashion motifs, especially since Red, which prominently featured red lips in its cover. [35] [36] [37] Swift helped popularize sleeveless formal wear and waistcoats in women's fashion, [38] and is an inspiration for Halloween costumes. [39]
"The scarf" mentioned in autobiographical lyrics of "All Too Well" has also become a signature object associated with Swift. [40] [41] [42] It has been described variably as "an unlikely pop culture icon in an inanimate object", [43] "a universal symbol for heartbreak", [44] a "fantastic pop culture mystery", [45] "the green dock light of our time", [46] a "fabled accessory" and "a source of cultural curiosity" by publications. [47] According to Rob Sheffield, the scarf is so significant to Swift's discography that it "should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." [48] Following the 2021 release of her self-directed All Too Well: The Short Film , the Google searches for "Taylor Swift red scarf meaning" spiked by 1,400 percent. [49]
A number of small-business boutiques and brands have reported overnight success after Swift wore one of their clothes or fashion accessories. [50] On October 8, 2024, Swift wore "glitter freckles" from Fazit Makeup Patches, a previously unknown small-business beauty brand, to a Kansas City Chiefs–New Orleans Saints game. In the first 12 hours since Swift was photographed wearing Fazit, the brand's co-founder reported over a 1,000 percent increase in sales and web traffic, with "every retailer" reaching out to her. In the first two days, the brand experienced a 2,500 percent sales spike, selling out on Urban Outfitters and Amazon. [51] Even prominent fashion brands like Versace and Schiaparelli experience brand value boosts from Swift. Versace garnered nearly US$3.1 million in media impact value across the 35 days that the Eras Tour had been in Europe. [52] Fashion dubbed it the "Taylor Swift effect" and compared it the impact of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle on fashion. [53]
Cottagecore experienced a resurgence on the internet after Swift used it, [54] increasing sales of hand-knitted Aran jumpers in Ireland and the U.S. [55] RTÉ thanked Swift for putting cardigans "back on the map" with Folklore. [56] Upon Evermore's release, replicas of the flannel coat Swift wore on the cover artwork sold out on Farfetch instantaneously. [57]
The Eras Tour increased the demand for metallic boots, cowboy hats, and sequin dresses. CNN reported that fashion retailers marketed their products to target attendees of the tour, with various clothing brands creating a range of items inspired by Swift and her "eras" and scoring their biggest sales year yet. [58] [59] Some scholars felt Swift mainstreamed gothic aesthetics with Reputation and The Tortured Poets Department, the former characterized by its snake-inspired cyber-gothic motifs and the later mainly dark academia. [60] When Swift began dating American football player Travis Kelce and attended several of his games wearing Kansas City Chiefs merchandise in 2023, both the team and the National Football League (NFL) were met with unprecedented increase in merchandise sales. [61] The non-merchandise pieces that she wore to the games, belonging to female-owned small businesses, were also met with record sales. [53]
"Taylor Swift is sitting in the front row of the Rodarte spring 2012 ready-to-wear show during New York Fashion Week looking prim, if not chaste, in an ivory-colored confection with long, lacy sleeves, a high neck, and a full-length skirt—a look from Rodarte's fall collection that was inspired in part by the spirit of the Kansas homestead. It is the sort of getup that treads a fine line between sincerity and irony, between too-literal costume and clever fashion reference. In other words, it takes a girl with a special sort of moxie to wear it without looking like Melissa Sue Anderson from Little House on the Prairie . The fact that Swift is supermodel thin, towers over everyone (at five feet ten she clocks in at well over six feet in platform Miu Mius, and has skin as pale as a gold-rush bride's—well, let's just say she falls somewhere on the continuum from fetching to dazzling."
To Kelsey Glein of InStyle , Swift is an expert in "off-duty" fashion, often synchronizing outfits, blending classic, retro and "cool" elements, floral prints, Mary Jane or Oxford shoes, Jimmy Choo boots, and other accessories from Aldo, Prada, Christian Louboutin, Elie Saab and Dolce & Gabbana. [63] According to Elle author Rebecca Mitchell, Swiftbis le icon" who things "keeps fairly simple, and her capsule wardrobe features a lot of classic, casual staples, like denim shorts, white tops and even a basic baseball cap." [64] In 2014, People named Swift the Best-Dressed woman of the year, calling her a "street style queen". [65] In 2015, Swift won the Elle Woman of the Year award for cementing herself as "a style icon" capable of "seamlessly switching between chic street style and glamorous couture gowns on the red carpet", [66] and topped the 2015 Maxim Hot 100 list. [67]
In 2016, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour stated that Swift has been a "little bit more conservative in her fashion choices" and attempted to turn her into "an Hedi Slimane rock n' roll girl" the magazine's May 2016 issue, where Swift adopted a futuristic "fashion-forward" style for the cover story. [68] [69] However, critic Francesca Wallace wrote in 2018 that Swift's authentic look is her "easygoing, feminine" and "dainty" take on fashion, incorporating bows, prints and carryall bags, creating a street style "worth copying". [70]
Establishing a long-standing relationship with a leading performer like Taylor Swift not only reinforces our design expertise, but also provides us with global visibility of our craft.
Critics have opined that Swift's general disinterest in provocative high fashion despite her wealth, which can be perceived as a "bad taste" in fashion by some fashion critics, is part of her popular appeal that sets her apart from pop stars like Madonna and Beyoncé. [71] The Cut 's fashion critic Cathy Horyn wrote, "considering the meta nature of Taylor Swift's performances—her autobiographical lyrics and her intimate connection with audiences—it's unsurprising that her fashion choices betray self-consciousness." [72] Savannah Bradley of Business Insider opined that Swift's "normal" taste in fashion is an aspect of her strategic "Swiftian brand philosophy", where Swift is the audience's "best friend". Bradley highlighted that Swift has also shopped where her fans shop, such as Zara, J. Crew, Urban Outfitters, ModCloth, and Forever 21, making her fashion "attainable, predictable, and unthreatening". [73]
The Wall Street Journal noted her pairing of higher-end labels with relatively affordable brands, making her style "accessible", which often result in record impressions and surging sales for the lesser-known fashion labels she wears. [74] Fashion reporter Sarah Chapelle opined that wearing high-end designer pieces with more-accessible retailer items is a defining aspect of Swift's fashion, which in turn contributes to her "approachable, relatable" image. [75] American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger named Swift a "new icon" of American style, owing to her "charismatic" summer outfits. [76]
Lauren Sherman, a fashion correspondent at Puck, labeled Swift's style as "Anthropologie Gone Wild— mismatched, outdated, pedestrian, but instinctual." [73] According to Zoe Suen of South China Morning Post , many critics are not impressed by Swift's "authentic" style choices and her lack of participation in fashion weeks or luxury brand collaborations despite her billionaire status. Suen said "It's safe to say that while Swift has chosen not to brand herself as an haute couture-wearing stylephile." Similarly, culture writer Emily Kirkpatrick categorized Swift as a "fashion anti-hero". [77]
Vogue's Jonah Waterhouse commented, Swift has no use for high fashion as she does not use it to propagate her career like other musicians have to. He opined that "Swift's wardrobe, in its authenticity to her personal brand and taste, embodies quiet power", as fashion does not influence Swift but she influences fashion instead without trying to. [78] Olivia Petter of The Independent considered the critique Swift receives for her fashion as sexist, questioning why every woman in entertainment are expected to deliver over-the-top fashion and Swift for one cannot be allowed to detach herself from such scrutiny. [79] Jake Henry Smith of Glamour echoed the same sentiment, saying Swift dresses like a "normal person"; he noted that the sustainable fashion retailer Reformation is the "backbone" of Swift's wardrobe. [80]
Jen Nurick of Vogue Australia regards Swift as an influential figure in sustainable fashion. [81] Swift released a sustainable clothing line with Stella McCartney in 2019. [82] However, some "environmentally conscious" detractors have criticized Swift's affinity for fast fashion looks as well. [73]
Venue | Location | Duration | Title | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arlington Museum of Art | Arlington, Texas | June–September 2023 | The Eras Tour Collection | [83] |
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | Nashville, Tennessee | May 2023 | Through Taylor Swift's Eras | [84] |
Grammy Museum at L.A. Live | Los Angeles | August–September 2023 | I Can See You (Taylor's Version) (At Grammy Museum) | [85] |
Museum of Arts and Design | New York City | May 2023–March 2024 | Taylor Swift: Storyteller | [86] |
Victoria and Albert Museum | London | July 27 to September 8, 2024 | Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail | [87] |
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: CS1 maint: date and year (link)Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into outfits that depict distinctive ways of dressing as signifiers of social status, self-expression, and group belonging. As a multifaceted term, fashion describes an industry, styles, aesthetics, and trends.
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney. Like her parents, McCartney is a supporter of animal rights and environmentalism, and uses vegetarian and animal-free alternatives in her work. Since 2005, she has designed an activewear collection for Adidas.
Diane von Fürstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon von Fürstenberg. Following their separation in 1972 and divorce in 1983, she has continued to use his family name.
Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan American fashion designer. Known for her personal style, she founded her namesake brand in 1980. Herrera has dressed various First Ladies of the United States, including Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump.
Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates back to early civilizations such as Sumer and the Indus Valley Civilisation, and was popularized in the Western world in the 16th century. Some lipsticks contain traces of toxic materials, such as lead and PFAS, which prompted health concerns and regulation.
Elie Saab is a Lebanese fashion designer.
Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her biographical songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact, Swift is a leading figure in popular music and the subject of widespread public interest.
Karlie Elizabeth Kloss is an American model. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2013 until 2015, when she resigned to study at New York University. By 2019, Kloss had appeared on 40 international Vogue covers.
Cathy Waterman is a California based jewelry designer and a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She designs “ethereal, feminine, lyrical” jewelry using recycled metals and fair trade stones.
"All Too Well" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Written by Swift and Liz Rose, the song was first produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman for her fourth studio album, Red (2012). After a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's masters, she re-recorded the song as "Taylor's Version" and released an unabridged "10 Minute Version" as part of the re-recorded album Red in November 2021.
Gabriela Hearst is a Uruguayan women's luxury ready-to-wear and accessories designer. In addition to designing her namesake collection, she runs and operates her family's ranch in Uruguay.
"Dress" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). She wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. A slow jam, it has an R&B production that contains stuttering beats and falsetto vocals in the refrain. The sexual lyrics consist of syncopated phrasings and are about romantic devotion: the narrator tells her lover that she bought a dress only for them to remove it.
Cottagecore is an internet aesthetic idealising rural life. Originally based on a rural European life, it was developed throughout the 2010s and was first named cottagecore on Tumblr in 2018. The aesthetic centres on traditional rural clothing, interior design, and crafts such as drawing, baking, and pottery, and is related to similar aesthetic movements such as grandmacore, goblincore, gnomecore and fairycore.
Folklore is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on July 24, 2020, via Republic Records. Swift recorded her vocals in her Los Angeles home studio and worked virtually with the producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, who operated from their studios in the Hudson Valley and New York City.
"Cardigan" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Republic Records released the song on July 27, 2020. Written by Swift and its producer, Aaron Dessner, "Cardigan" is a folk, soft rock, and indie rock ballad, with a stripped-down arrangement of a piano, drums, and violins.
The fashions of the 2020s represent a departure from 2010s fashion and feature a nostalgia for older aesthetics. They have been largely inspired by styles of the late 1990s to mid-2000s, 1980s, and late 1960s to early 1970s. Early in the decade, several publications noted the shortened trend and nostalgia cycle in 2020s fashion. Fashion was also shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a major impact on the fashion industry, and led to shifting retail and consumer trends.
The fashion of Diana, Princess of Wales, had a substantial impact on the clothing industry; her style in the 1980s and 1990s led her to be considered a fashion icon.
The fashion of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has had a substantial impact on the clothing industry ever since the public revelation of her relationship with Prince William in 2002.
American singer-songwriter Madonna has been considered a fashion and style icon by fashion journalism and other sectors. Fashion critics, designers and scholars have examined her influence in fashion from different stages, defining views on her public image and cultural significance. Her connection with the community was once labeled a symbiotic relationship, while her industry ventures include owning fashion brands and appearing at events such as the Met Gala.
The Eras Tour is the ongoing sixth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It commenced on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and is set to conclude on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, consisting of 149 shows that span five continents. With a cultural and economic impact across the globe, the Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time and the first tour in history to surpass US$1 billion in revenue.