Taylor Swift Sells Out Stadiums, Movie Theaters—and Clothes

Taylor Swift Sells Out Stadiums, Movie Theaters—and Clothes

Sarah Chapelle has compiled the most comprehensive archive of Swift’s outfits on her blog, Taylor Swift Style, and is working on a book about the singer’s approach to fashion. In the 12 years since she started the blog, Chapelle said, Swift’s style has remained “consistently and unabashedly feminine.” 

She noted that Swift crafts her personal style around her different eras the same way she does her music. During her darker “Reputation” chapter, for example, she wore a lot of black, dark green, camouflage and snake print. In one of two music videos for “Delicate,” a song on that album, Swift wore pastel nail polish, which Chapelle said tipped fans off to the palette she had planned for her “Lover” era. 

“She uses [fashion] as a communication tool,” said Chapelle. “That’s how her songs work: taking a certain moment in time and a certain way she felt and permanently encasing it in song to create a lasting memory.” 

Taylor Swift crafts her personal style around her different eras the same way she does her music, noted Sarah Chapelle, who runs the blog Taylor Swift Style.

25 Gifts for Swifties That Never Go Out of Style

The 25 Best Taylor Swift Gifts Will Never Go Out of Style

Curated with the help of a Taylor Swift style expert

With every Taylor Swift sighting in 2023—out to dinner, at a football game, out to dinner with the guy from the Chiefs—the singer gives fans a window into her personal style and inspiration for holiday shopping. According to Sarah Chapelle, creator of the fashion identification site Taylor Swift Style (@taylorswiftstyled on Instagram) and author of a forthcoming book on Swift’s relationship with fashion, Taylor Swift’s style is defined by three pillars: a high-low mix of luxury designers and more accessible, high-street brands, a habit of rewearing the same pieces multiple times, and a love of supporting small businesses alongside globally recognized brands. “This trifecta works in tandem and, I believe, supports her natural inclination and taste in style but also helps to project [her] friendly, approachable image,” Chapelle explains.

It’s also highly shoppable. The high-low mix in Swift’s wardrobe and beauty routine means there are plenty of Swift tested-and-approved gifts to purchase ahead of the holiday season. “In addition to official merchandise—there are a few rare pieces that have their own cult-like status—Swifties are typically motivated when one of Taylor’s fashion exacts is priced more accessibly than the haute couture designer goods,” Chapelle says.

…

If you really want to put in the research for your favorite Swiftie, consider shopping secondhand for a piece Swift wore in a past era. “[I]f someone managed to find a secondhand exact piece from Taylor’s fashion archives that I’ve loved,” Chapelle notes, “that would be such a great gift for someone like myself who has a highly detailed fashion index going back years.” (For any friends reading, Chapelle’s most wanted are a green Elie Saab bag and a Topshop coat Swift wore in 2014.)

…

Ahead, shop the 25 best Taylor Swift gifts for fans of every era, onstage and off. The lineup ahead includes Chapelle-recommended pieces worn by Swift, my personal favorites from Swift’s recent street style, and items inspired by Swift’s expansive musical catalog.

The Swiftie universe is a vibe: Meet Taylor Swift’s biggest social media influencers

Sarah never goes ‘out of style’

For more than 12 years, Sarah Chapelle has catalogued hundreds of pieces of Swift’s style. The fashion blogger can tell you the accessories, handbags, shoes, blouses, dresses, hats, jewelry, you name it the singer has worn in public.

She has the process meticulously figured out. Based on the fabric, the cut, the color, the stich or the hem, she can discern which items Swift is wearing. Chapelle posts screenshots and thoughtful anecdotes on her page and has amassed 200,000 followers on her Instagram page @taylorswiftstyled.

“As of late, she’s been wearing a lot of The Row,” she said, “which is the Olsen twins’ brand. But in terms of kind of her go-tos over a long period of time, she wears a lot of Reformation, a lot of Free People. One of the calling cards of Taylor’s fashion, I think, is her ability to mix high and low brands. So she’ll wear a pair of Christian Louboutin boots, but she’ll pair them with a dress from Aritzia.”

Chapelle’s fashion site, TaylorSwiftStyle.com, documents the looks, prices and brands. What makes it easier for Chapelle is Swift will repeat clothing or stick with familiar brands. You may think this fashionista has a lot of Swift’s exacts, but she only has a few including an Henri Bendel bag.

“I received it for Valentine’s Day,” she said. “It’s actually a convertible from a shoulder bag to a backpack.”

31!

I’m 31! Or what I like to call my ‘evermore birthday’ – because as we know, 31 is 13 backwards. 🥰

Happy 1989 (Taylor’s Version) from NYC

Besides debut, 1989 is strangely the era – if not the album – that I have the most biased, sentimental feelings towards. I may not be as stirred by the album’s contents as other Taylor LPs, but the period of time this album was created holds a lot of deeply held emotions for me that have only strengthened in these last few months leading up to 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

I think about the 22 year old me who hailed her first New York City taxi in a mad dash to get to the Empire State Building before midnight.

I think about the 30 year old me who traipsed to the top of that very same building this weekend, stepping out onto the top floor bathed in golden hour light.

I think about all the ways these versions of me are different: Happy. At ease. Thoughtful.
And all the ways we are still the same: Pensive. Quick to laugh. Ambitious.

Here’s to those who are reliving that time period and those living it fully for the first time and all the versions you’ve been in between.

TSS x HRH

What a delight chatting with Elizabeth Holmes, author of HRH: So Many Thoughts On Royal Style. As I’m sure you can imagine, we had a lot of things in common (and, naturally, so many thoughts) when it comes to the use of fashion as a method of communication. It was an honour to be thought of as Elizabeth sought to highlight Taylor’s incredible six date run in Los Angeles to close out the 2023 U.S. leg of the Eras Tour. I deeply admire her analytical and thoughtful approach to the styling of royal women and it was so humbling to find the feeling was mutual when it came to her wading into our Swiftie waters and the cultural moment of the Eras Tour.

We talked about the founding of TSS, Taylor’s style evolution, our shared love of signature colours (HRH Blue meets TSS Green), and – of course – the outfits and significance of Taylor’s tour wardrobe specifically.

Have a read over on Elizabeth’s Substack here.

Eras Tour Seattle

In focusing on happier memories, mentally I’m reliving the tour dates that I was lucky enough to go to as we approach the end of the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour. As a Pacific Northwest girl through and through (Vancouver, Canada – born and raised) I have so many fond memories of this corner of the world and of Seattle. Adding on Nights 1 and 2 in July was just icing on top of an already wonderful dessert of happy nostalgia for this city.

At large, this tour has been monumental and groundbreaking in every regard. The ticket sales, the attendance records, the sound barriers – the walls we crashed through, you could say. But beyond just the emotional (and financial) turmoil of acquiring tickets that will get you into the stadium, this has truly felt like a fandom family reunion.

Whether that’s gathering in these venues with the pulsating energy that can only come with 70,000 people chanting in unison to songs we all first heard in private, committed to memory from hundreds of listens on morning commutes or late night roadtrips or dancing in your living room, to screaming them in a crowd and knowing you’re in the company of people just like you.

Or if that means furiously texting friends as you sit in the quiet comfortable enclaves you’ve scoped out in your homes to tune in to a weekly livestream that has felt like our own personalized version of a distanced (but no less connected) adult slumber party. Which version of an outfit is she wearing? She played *what* surprise song??

Whether together or apart, I’ve truly never felt more ensconced and connected as a fandom and I loved getting the opportunity to bejeweled Seattle 1 and, of course, bring a little TSS Green to Seattle 2.

Thinking of all of you who attended (U.S. Leg), are set to attend (International Leg), or have only attended the Eras Tour in your minds from afar (Living Rooms Worldwide Leg).

What fun we’ve had.

Sarah

I’M WRITING A BOOK

If there is one thing I have loved for longer than Taylor Swift’s music, it’s writing.

Sixteen years ago I unwittingly downloaded a country ditty called “Our Song” and have been emotionally attached ever since. And it has always been Taylor’s way with words, her relatable stories that were vivid and authentic, that drew me in.

Eleven years ago I started a blog that became the crossroads of all of my interests: Writing, fashion, and, of course, Taylor. It was started in my childhood bedroom on a desktop computer that still had MSN. I had no goal other than pursuing joy and curiosity.

I couldn’t be more excited to be writing a book that I hope does justice to documenting the style and the medium of fashion to send a message of the one person who has inspired me more than any other. It’s my sincerest hope that, like its main source of inspiration, this book will never go out of style.

Love you mean it,
Sarah

I’M 30

Thanks to everyone for wishing birthday wishes yesterday (November 6). It’s been the most fun time celebrating entry to this next decade of life and a milestone age that I think will hold so many incredible things.

– Sarah

Camping (August 21-23)

Hi TSSers!

Just a heads up that in case Taylor decides to show up over the course of the above noted days – you know who to thank. 😉

I’ll be taking some time away for what seems to be my annual digital detox to unplug and enjoy nature, campfires, and some nice company.

I’ll be back in the swing of things late Tuesday/early Wednesday.

Thinking of you all and hoping you’ve all had a lovely August that has sipped away like a bottle of wine – so to speak.

Sincerely,
– Sarah