Ultimately, I feel quite validated in my devotion to covering this topic so thoroughly as when I tapped this audience over on Instagram for newsletter ideas you’d like me to explore, one of the top suggestions that kept resurfacing was outfit inspiration for transitional dress. A.k.a shoulder seasons! Now, between spring and fall, I feel like we have all our bases covered with tips on how to navigate layering for oscillating temperatures, staple pieces to get you through multiple looks, and lighter color palettes.

To that point, it felt more timely than ever to spotlight Taylor’s spring fashion. Why? Perhaps because I’m really on a color analysis tear since getting my own colors done last year, but the general consensus amongst color experts (note a heavy dash of salt being sprinkled here - color analysis is a playful art, not a serious science) is that Taylor is a light spring. Meaning Taylor shines best in light, low contrast tones like warm pinks and corals, yellows, and soft neutrals. What better time to honor that and play within her best palette?

Below, you will find a dozen spring-forward outfits pulled from Taylor’s closet and remixed with pieces from my own. While I myself feel cozily nestled within my own autumnal color palette, this was a helpful exercise to prepare and plan what I’ll be wearing for the coming months ahead. After two straight seasons of cycling between knits, denim, and boots this post felt like stepping out from hibernation to rediscover items in my closet I haven’t touched in an age.

In the interest of spring cleaning and keeping things tidy and clear, a few housekeeping reminders I think are good to remember when reading:

• It’s Too Late To Shop Me Now: Much of this post involved going into Taylor’s fashion archives in order to recreate her outfits. Given this, I shopped lookalikes, or pulled similar staples from my own closet, since many of Taylor’s exact pieces are no longer available to purchase. Gratefully, I had a comprehensive archive of fashion research at my disposal courtesy of the blog so I’ll include those details in full (for those curious about credits).

• Taylor Swift (Your Version): Even if your personal style diverges from Taylor’s - as mine does - I find her ‘fits still provide great lessons in styling. From unique color combinations to the art of the repeat. What makes Taylor such a longstanding figure in fashion is how approachable her outfits are. Her outfits offer an incredibly bright spotlight on new ways to style girlish basics. These are lessons you can use as a jumping off point to transfer to your own life and closet.

• Wearing What You Already Own Never Goes Out of Style: While I had a fun time shopping my favorite retailers for this post it’s worth remembering that the best place to shop is often your own closet. To be sure, many of these items were already in my own wardrobe - I had just never styled them in this way before! This is one of the most under-discussed points in the personal style journey. It’s great to have a jumping off point (an inspiration photo, a color palette) but the next step is adding your unique flavoring to the outfit. Not every outfit comes together easily. It’s all about tweaking things until they feel right for you.

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I hope this piece leaves you feeling inspired as you dress for the coming season. Whether that means taking cues from our favorite showgirl, rediscovering the spring pieces in your backlogged closet, or giving yourself the permission to turn a new leaf and try something outside your comfort zone. Here’s to dusting off our highest hopes … for cute spring ‘fits!

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1. A Floral Skirt? For Spring? Breaking Ground!

Get the look: Top, bag, skirt, boots

In her earliest days, Taylor was wearing very cute outfits that I believe still work — even today! Like this sweet moment from May 2009 when she was in London. Indeed, a crisp white button down is a still classic thing that I like that pairs well with jeans, slacks, or cute skirts. The white “field” of her floral print skirt ties in well to her shirt to provide a base that’s bright and clean. Meanwhile, her brown fringe bag and black boots coordinate to do a lot of work. First, they both temper the lighter white of her top and skirt and keep the look firmly in shoulder season rather than veering too far forward into summer. The leather of both also anchors the outfit thanks to its “heavier” fabrication. Lastly, their similar tones are an example of “sandwich” styling, giving the eye similar elements to move between, giving the look some visual balance.

What I find most difficult about spring fashion is navigating it as a True Autumn. Pastels: My nemesis. But I hope this functions as an example of how you can take the same items and simply shift the tone to work for you. The sage green and more “autumnal” botanical print on this skirt helped a lot.

Once on the body, I felt this outfit was quite reminiscent of Rachel Green à la Friends — very 90s prep!

Styling liner note: Can’t wait to wear your summer pieces? Extend their lifespan by pairing them with other items in your closet that offer more visual “weight” — either by their darker color or their hardier material. Think: a floaty lace skirt with a leather jacket or a pastel sundress with dark brown boots.

2. Dark Dress And Your Nikes - Look At You

Get the look: Sweater (similar), dress, sneakers

This one is quite the deep pull, I will admit. But I have such fond memories of this look! For those who don’t recognize it (I wouldn’t blame you from the blurry imagery), this is a quick clip that appeared in Taylor’s 2020 documentary Miss Americana. Brief though its appearance might have been, its impact has lasted much longer as an inspiring way to restyle a more “formal” maxi dress.

I picked up on two styling choices Taylor made that give this summer dress a more spring-like and casual feel.

First, layering a boxy sweater on top of a maxi dress “hacks” the longer garment up into a faux-skirt. Second, the addition of sneakers brings an unexpected sporty element to the outfit. I opted for a red pair of my own to pick up on the red floral print in my dress. What also helps? A tousled, casual ponytail.

Styling liner note: To make this look work, I believe fit and proportion matter. A dress with a straight or tapered skirt and a boxy sweater are your best bet at replicating Taylor’s silhouette. A few months later you could ditch the sweater (or wear it preppily tied around your shoulders) and add some block heels for a summer garden event.

3. She Wears Short Skorts

Get the look: Sunglasses, cardigan, bag (similar), skirt, loafers

A pleated mini skirt is a year-round staple in Taylor’s books. She’s worn an endless number of them in a myriad of colors and prints over the years. In the fall and winter you might see her pair them with a tight, dark black base + hosiery + tall boots - plus a chic topper to finish. But this short hemline naturally lends itself well to warmer temps, too. Take this recent example when Taylor and Travis grabbed lunch at Nobu in Malibu, CA in March 2024.

A cute springtime formula you might consider? Choose a sweater (or perhaps even a sweet button-up cardigan, as I did here) in your preferred color palette with a neutral-toned skirt. Matching your bag and shoes streamlines decision making and keeps things looking smart. Finish with your favorite chain to gently rest on your crew neckline and some go-to sunnies.

I must admit, once I had this outfit on I was reminded very vividly how far apart Taylor’s and mine styles diverge. A pleated skort like this is well outside my wheelhouse - but it was fun to try the look on!

Styling liner note: This cardigan is a “multiple” in my closet. As in I love it so much, I bought it in another color. Between this red and this beautifully “icky” pear shade I feel like I’m set for bolder hues. On my list next is the lovely light heather grey it comes in.

4. Guess I’ll Just Strut Around With My Cats

Get the look: Sweatshirt (similar), sunglasses, cat (not available for purchase), jeans, sandals

You’ll likely remember this outing for its spot on Taylor’s feed and inclusion in The End of an Era docuseries as Taylor arrived in Miami, FL to kick off the final North American leg of the Eras Tour. Longtime TSSers will also likely feel very bonded by Taylor’s ongoing addition to the TSS Backwards catalogue (IYKYK!).

This is an example of taking a basic outfit in theory (formulaically) and tweaking a few things to give it a spring-forward feel. I could easily see myself wearing an oversized sweatshirt, wide jeans, and a heeled shoe in the fall or winter. But the color of the sweatshirt would be more subdued, the wash of the jeans darker, and the heeled shoe a fully enclosed option like a boot. But suddenly when you brighten up the entire palette with a sunshine yellow hue, laidback fraying in a lighter wash, and cute sandals you have the makings of a transitional ‘fit that’s fit for spring — just add cat.

Personal liner note: My yellow sweatshirt comes from Vintage Books & Wine - an utterly cozy bookstore in Austin, TX. It was here that I made a stop on the Taylor Swift Style book tour in Fall 2024. The owners were so kind and I have many fond memories of personal exchanges made with the readers who attended. My heart felt so full that night in Texas.

5. Plaid Shirt Days

Get the look: Plaid shirt, sunglasses, tee, bag, jeans, sneakers

An outfit that I imagine many of us have the elements for already hanging in our closets! A relaxed button up, white tee, go-to jeans, and some sneakers gives a great formula to work with in what I’d consider to be wardrobe “staples” that make easily substituting in your favorite of each a snap. Given this was 2016, Taylor’s jeans are cropped, skin-tight, and frayed - hallmarks of the preferred denim silhouette of the time. Nowadays, that “it” style is a full-length barrel that skims the top of the shoe.

I took two styling cues from Taylor here that I think help elevate a basic outfit and make things appear more intentional and interesting.

Firstly, a crisp “sandwich” moment between your white tee and sneakers creates balance. Secondly, picking up a color in your button up and sprinkling it throughout your outfit gives the eye repeat motifs to pick up on. I noticed the saturated blue hue in Taylor’s sunglasses, the grey-blue tone in her plaid shirt, and the blue of her jeans. I took that idea and applied the green tones of my flannel into the frames of my sunglasses. The backs of my sneakers also have an on-brand hit of TSS green leather affixed. The final touch? A green bag — my beloved woven Clare V which was the undisputed star of my honeymoon packing list based on the DMs and clicks it received last year.

One final note? A little bit of unexpected tension goes a long way to offer some edge. Taylor did that here with her bleached bob (those were the days!) and a bright pink lip.

Styling liner note: Now I did wear this shirt as, well, a shirt and snapped some pics. But in the pursuit of reframing some of these older looks through a modern lens, I ultimately opted to style the shirt slung around the hips. Yes, it’s a bit ironic to describe a 90s-era grunge styling trick (one a wee version of me once employed in my school days!) as “modern” but it’s true, I swear! As a hippier individual, I wasn’t quite sure if this is a look that would work for me. But I was surprisingly pleased with the results! One more aside? Don’t feel you have to opt for a plaid shirt to make this outfit work. Your favorite button up in the fabrication or color of your choice will be an easy swap!

6. Cried Over A Hat

Get the look: Button up shirt, hat, bag, skirt, loafers

Looking at this outfit, from Taylor’s string of Electric Lady summer studio sessions in 2023 to ostensibly record The Tortured Poets Department, is a great example of why proportions matter. Everything here feels that ever-so-slightly exaggerated shade too big. Intentionally so! It gives the outfit a slouchy, relaxed, but purposefully laidback vibe. The elements that reign in that energy? A slim baseball cap, cap-toe leather oxfords, and a small shoulder bag. Note how each of these items has a defined curve to it? Together, I thought these offered a nice counterpoint to the looser quality of her shirt and the imperfect pleats on her skirt. To keep things tonal I styled my lip, bag, and shirt to all live in this same plummy brown color family. I also took Taylor’s lead when it came to accessories: hoops and a dainty charm necklace. The finishing touch was that baseball cap which I felt “sandwiched” nicely with the color of my skirt.

As someone raised on a “classic” fit that runs closer to the body, getting on board with today’s exaggerated oversized silhouettes has been challenging to my established concepts of dress. But it has also, in its own way, been quite healing. I’m inspired and comforted that the trend as of late is not necessarily to dress to “flatter” or to look like the smallest version of ourselves. How freeing!

The loafers I’m wearing are actually a TSS Exact - Taylor wore them in their two-tone version up above with the Sandy Liang skort. Given their stiff patent shine and lug sole, I was surprised by how shockingly comfortable they are. Said as someone who prefers a slimmer loafer and who thought this pair would be an immediate return - I’m impressed!

Styling liner note: Maybe it’s the millennial in me, but I’m finding the latest sock trend so difficult to adopt. Can’t a girl show off her ankles in peace?! I did my best here to commit to the look with a ruffly version of my own. Part of the process is trying things on for size to see if they fit. I’ll also note that my default would have been to roll the sleeves up. I love the slices of skin shown when a button up is blousily worn with just a few buttons in the center and the cuffs pushed to the crooks of the elbows. However, after fiddling around between sleeves up and left full-length, I can confirm Taylor played it right here by leaving the sleeves long. It creates a bit of balance between the short hemline of the skirt and the “V” of skin at the top.

Sizing liner note: To my fellow pear-shaped gals, I found this skirt fit well around the waist but it took a fair amount of effort to heft it over the, er, assets — just prepare for around-the-room prancing to shimmy it on if you, like me, have a significant difference between your waist and hip measurements.

7. When You Think Blazers and Stripes … I Hope You Think of Me

Get the look: Blazer, stripe tee, bag (similar), jeans, loafers

I will always be present to copy + paste a blazer look. Add in some stripes? I am so there. This outfit of Taylor walking around London in March 2011 has always been one I refer back to style-wise.

While there are many looks here that work for a casual afternoon or weekend, I also wanted to pull outfits that could conceivably be styled for the office. At least, offices that permit jeans (though an easy substitute of trousers for denim would still work well here). This look feels classic and polished - the stripes add a casual preppy print into the mix. A note that my phone is hiding it, but I did opt for a similar circle-shaped locket to Taylor’s original styling.

Lastly, I didn’t commit to the one-sided braid, I did push all my hair off to one shoulder. Same same right?

8. Tailored Taylor

Get the look: Vest, trousers, bag, heels (similar)

An outfit that had me swooning! In 2022, Taylor arrived at the Tribeca Film Festival in pinstripe separates that instantly had me imagining how I’d rewear it for office life. The added bonus of a set like this? You could wear the pieces together, or break them apart with other neutral staples to up your CPW (that’s cost per wear — natch!).

Taylor arrived to the event sans-purse so I took my own styling cue of dressing for the office by opting for a bottomless Mary Poppins tote you could schlep your whole life in — the obvious functional choice.

Styling liner note: When you’re already wearing a matching set, Taylor completed the double vision by coordinating her lip to her shoes. I think it makes for a cohesive “bookend” effect.

9. Princess Athleisure

Get the look: Hat (TSS Exact!), sunglasses (similar), tee, bag (similar), shorts, sneakers

And now we swing to the complete opposite of the style spectrum! I wanted this post to provide a range of looks to suit whatever spring brings our way. Whether that be office inspiration to errand-running to outfits with friends to very cute “off-duty” gym looks. This, of course, being that last one. It’s an athleisure look that reverberates through the decades. In 2023, Taylor was clearly taking some Princess Diana inspiration with this outfit from the oversized graphic tee and bike shorts, to the chunky runners.

There are two elements in this outfit that I think offer opportunity for personality. First, the tee. This could be anything you want! A favorite band, movie, TV series, animal, or even a charity (for example, how great would Taylor’s otter tee from the Monterey Bay Aquarium be?). Our clothes function as our personal billboards - a projection of who we are (or want to be). They reflect a clear choice for how we want to show up in this world. Taylor opted for Shania Twain. Me? Pride & Prejudice (2005 Version). I grabbed mine at the Academy Museum when I was in L.A. earlier this year. My other favorite part is the injection of the designer bag in an otherwise very casual outfit. I think it makes for some conversational “tension” in an outfit. Something to consider the next time you feel a little dressed down and casual to loop your priciest - and most prized - accessory on to instantly feel a bit more fabulous.

Styling liner note: These sneakers are shockingly so comfy. I’d long held off on the “fashionable” athletic sneaker train, preferring to rock scrubby runners for going to the gym and walks around the neighborhood. But these feel so comfy on the foot. I’ll admit these were also an influenced purchase by one of my personal style faves: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

10. Big Boots On Cobblestones

Get the look: Shirt, bag, jeans, boots

Spring doesn’t instantly mean in with pastels, out with neutrals. Inevitably, in between budding blooms and sunshine there are spring showers.

Take this darker “heavier” look, for example, that Taylor wore in New York back in April 2023. It’s full of washed out greys and a lot of black in basics that I think a lot of us already own.

One styling note I noticed that I think did a lot to “brighten” the look? Those chunky jewels! Taking a cue from Taylor, I added a thicker chain and chunky hoops to my look. Just a little reflective sparkle does a lot to lift up darker pieces. A ponytail also removes “volume” from around the face / neck / shoulders to give the look a bit more space to the eye. These are the small styling tweaks that I love honing in on that posts like this give me space to do. So fun!

Taylor’s outfit also offers some subtle edgy details. Her jeans, for example, have a trendy crossover button. I dug into my own closet for a pair with statement utilitarian pockets and seam work. To make the outfit a bit more personal, I opted for a punchy red leather bag. I liked the way the chain detailing tied into those aforementioned jewelry moments we brought in.

Styling liner note: When we feel lost or want to revamp our style, I think it’s easy to go overboard with trends. Have you ever impulse purchased a bunch of “it” pieces and worn them all together and yet felt, somehow, it still doesn’t work? A few things might be going on. First, the swept up feeling of following the tides of a trend - buying things without thinking if they actually suit you, how you dress, or the things you already own. Guilty! Second, overloading an outfit with too many trends too quickly. My suggestion? Temper select trendy pieces (like crossover jeans) with basics (like a cotton henley and boots) then layer in with personal pieces (like beloved jewelry) to make it feel more like you.

11. All I Feel On My Jeans Are Butterflies

Get the look: Shirt, bag, jeans, heels

I had planned to finish out the installation of the series with some peak millennial fashion: jeans and a going-out top. (Spoiler: Keep scrolling for one more last-minute look!)

What really makes Taylor’s outfit here is, of course, the crystal-embellished butterfly cutout on her jeans. This detail coordinates perfectly with her metallic chain bag. If you, however, don’t have butterfly jeans at your disposal (like me) I think the key takeaway should be to incorporate some sort of personal whimsy into your outfit. I opted to do that here with a pleated bow bag. I’ve always been a lover of bows and I wore this brand’s bow heels on my very own wedding day. So carrying around one of their bow bags as a “special occasion” clutch felt just the right amount of meaningful and fun. Meaningfun - you might say. I also loved how the chain detail on the bag tied into the fun gold heel on my shoes.

Styling liner note: Accessories are an easy way to add personality into an outfit. In my own closet, it’s where I most often lean into color or bold details like animal print. This allows me to fill my wardrobe with more neutral staples, then layer in things that “pop” with bags or shoes.

12. Here Comes The Silk Skirt

Get the look: Silk cami, bag (TSS Exact!), trousers, heels

A last minute addition I had to slip in! I happened to be writing up this post — and was nearing completion, too — when Taylor stepped out in New York City with longtime friend Ash Avignone for dinner. Instantly, I felt inspired by the breezy, elegant minimalism on display. Plus the matching vibes with Ash? Love!

As part of my Three Words (minimal, edgy, classic) this outfit felt ripe for reinterpretation. Compared to Taylor, I tend to gravitate towards tailored pieces - blazers, trousers, button up shirts. So I swapped out her flowing maxi skirt for a similar silken pair of trousers which felt more my speed. (Full disclosure: They are, sadly, going back as they’re just a hair too sheer for me - the hunt for a more opaque pair soldiers on! In theory, I think a satin pair of pants will be lush for some travel plans I have cooking.)

I kept the rest of the styling details the same: a loose updo, a small black bag (mine happens to be another Taylor exact - though I wish it were Dior), strappy heels, and a stack of necklaces for that personal effect. You can catch me wearing this for my next date night (avec gal pal or husband) STAT.

Styling liner note: One thing I emphasized when I worked with personal styling clients was the often-overlooked importance of fit and material. Both can immediately change a look completely. Take Taylor’s outfit as an example. While I do have a white maxi skirt in my closet, its material is a crisp cotton poplin. Same item, very different energy than the luxe sophistication that a long silk skirt can offer. If an outfit doesn’t feel quite right, I’d encourage you to sub an item in for something in a different size or substance and see how you feel about it.

There you have it: A dozen ideas inspired by Taylor’s spring fashion. If you have any questions about sizing or styling or outfit inspiration you’re searching for I’d love to help out in the comments!

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💡 Need fashion inspo?: If you’re in the southern hemisphere (or really like planning ahead), I’ve relinked my fall outfit recreation post below. On a budget anywhere in the world? I’m also resharing my article on Taylor’s affordable fashion.

Here were two snapshots of a moment in time, a decade apart. The difference in the photos captures a major headline from that time: I changed my name. But they don’t cover the other turning points. Not the exhilarating ascents or the crushing plummets. The home purchased, the book written and published, the roadtrips driven, the airplanes taken, the cat adopted, the concerts attended, the friends made and kept and lost, the cancers diagnosed once then twice, the weddings attended, the births witnessed, the funerals I missed, the blast radius that tore apart my sense of self irrevocably, the dust that settled in the aftermath that clung to the people who still chose to stand there and love me regardless. I think about all that liminal white space from the last 10 years that lives somewhere in between the tightly curated slices of truth I post to social media and the pair of government-approved shots I hold in my hand. Both real, just shaded in by a different hand. That purgatory of me — a glittering mosaic of my best and worst selves — that doesn’t warrant a photo, but is real nonetheless. I don’t have visual proof of me when I’m generous and loving and loyal, nor when I’m selfish and anxious and spoiled. Arguably, the best and worst versions of me. But I know she exists. Today, the knowledge that I am all of those things and none of those things and more is a comforting thought.

Below, an update on life lately. These are the random tidbits that feel unimportant in the grand scheme of things but, when collated together, color in that portrait of me and this little life of mine. They are the small ink scratches in a note pad that don’t feel aesthetically worthy of a snapshot or significant enough for a dedicated digital update. But that still, nonetheless, comprise the white noise between major life moments that I’m trying to learn do indeed deserve a space of their own. It’s part of my effort to make “Note Pad” a more consistent series here on Liner Notes. Thank you for caring, for reading, for subscribing, for supporting these little moments on a page.

🌸 Coming Soon: I’ve got a spring-y take on Taylor outfit recreations coming to your inboxes! I had so much fun identifying trends and shopping pieces (new and already in my closet) for this post. Make sure you’re subscribed to receive.

🔗 Affiliate Links: Throughout this newsletter I use affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase, I may get a small commission — at no cost to you! Thank you for supporting Liner Notes.

💚 Engagement Matters: If now isn’t the moment for a paid subscription, no worries. There are other - no cost! - ways to support Liner Notes. Becoming a free subscriber, tapping the ‘heart’ button, sharing this post, or leaving a comment are all lovely ways to support this space and the work I do. Every bit of engagement helps support independent writing more than you might think. I’d be so grateful if you considered.

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All Hail PHM: Since I first read Project Hail Mary in 2023 it’s floated around the periphery of my brain. When I need to be reminded of a friendship that transcends the stars and the aching vastness of humanity - for all its beauty and its flaws - I think of this book. I’m so glad its movie counterpart paid such faithful homage to the pages of its original source material and that I forever get to think of Ryan Gosling’s face when I inevitably return to reread and rererereread Project Hail Mary in the future. What a gift! And how about THAT Sandra Hüller scene? I’ll never be able to listen to “Sign of the Times” the same again. This movie, coupled with the “moon joy” of the successful Artemis II mission to the moon felt heartening, humanizing, humbling. A reminder of the unity and boundless curiosity that’s possible when we all push onward into a dark future, even when it’s lit only by the hopeful pinpricks of faraway stars. Reid Wiseman, Artemis II’s commander told The New York Times, “I hope we have a great impact on bringing the world together, even just for a minute.” In a press event, the crew’s lone Canadian member Jeremy Hansen explained why space hadn’t changed his perspective on Earth at all. “Our purpose on the planet as humans is to find ... the joy in lifting each other up by creating solutions together instead of destroying,” he said. “When you see it from out here, it doesn’t change it; it just absolutely reaffirms that. It’s almost like seeing living proof of it.” When we look up at the grandness of space, it doesn’t eliminate our divisions but it does suspend them - ever so briefly - in a weightless gravity. We’re captured in a communal reckoning of something extraordinary and bigger than us all.

From Paradise To The Pitt: My television-watching patterns have two modes as of late: morally grey characters surviving the devastation of the world in an underground bunker OR morally grey characters surviving incoming medical trauma in an emergency department. Both depressing and utterly thrilling in different ways. I can be convinced of watching James Marsden in just about anything (Your Friends & Neighbors season two is next) and I managed to tune in and catch up to both seasons of Paradise in time for the recent finale. OMG! Meanwhile, I basically rewatch the Dr. Abbot (and Samira Mohan) ((#mohabbotforever)) scenes of The Pitt between the weekly drops of new episodes. Thursdays can never get here fast enough!

Bleed Nostalgia: Of course, you know there’s been one artist that’s near-singlehandedly defined the most significant turning points of my life gestures around. But elsewhere on my life’s mixtape, there was my requisite teenaged love of punk rock that’s never really faded away. “It’s not a phase, mom!” The last few years have been chock full of anniversary tours — 15, 20, 25 years — that are a mainline of memory from the MP3 player I once carried around as a teen. When my husband alerted me to the 25th anniversary tour of Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American album, we snagged tickets. Oh to sing “Hear You Me” and “The Middle” with a bunch of other 30- and 40-somethings and then immediately shuffle home for a skincare routine and bedtime before midnight. I can’t wait! I’ll also be seeing my favourite French Canadien pop punk rockers Simple Plan this summer when they pass through Vancouver. I’m basically always guaranteed to be in their audience on the west coast. 🤘

She Was Holding The Matcha (Woah-oh): Every Christmas the last few years, I’ve faithfully contributed a tiramisu to the already-groaning table of food. But it’s something I’m thrilled to do because no one is ever unhappy to see a dish of mascarpone heading their way. It’s a no-bake dessert I’ve made enough times now that it’s a snap to pull together. In the pursuit of whimsy, I have dabbled in expanding my tiramisu flavor portfolio. Last Easter, I gave my lady fingers a swim in a lavender earl grey concentrate. This year, for another springy twist, I tapped into a very TSS-core palette: matcha! I steeped some extra strong green tea for the biscuits to be dunked into, substituted a botanical gin over rum into the cream mix, and sifted this green tea coconut powder on top. Isn’t that color just mesmerizing? Per the original recipe’s instructions, the dusting should pile so thick you have to hold your breath when taking a bite!

In The Trenches: New in to my closet, just in time to wear on repeat all spring long, is this update on the classic trench. My previous trenchcoat had served me well for many years. But it felt a little too fitted for my taste which has eased away from the contoured silhouette that used to be in favor. This trench has a more relaxed silhouette and a beautiful drape. It sways! It swooshes! But it still feels tailored and polished. It is indeed oversized but after trying out both the XS and S, I opted for the small. Those extra inches make room for wearing this with both slimmer tees as well as bulkier knits. Versatility that felt important in a transitional piece like a trench. For added fun, I styled the same neutral base (tee, jeans, flats) with the two trenches in my closet including this green one that I call a “colorful neutral.”

When Life Gets Hard - Facial: I’m typically a proponent of the languishing and relaxing facial. Dimmed lights. Eucalyptus-scented air. Spa-like music that puts you to sleep. A 90 minute timer on the clock for my skin to be cleansed, treated, massaged, basked over. For my fellow Vancouver locals, Formula Fig is not that. Fig caters to a time-crunched client who wants to squeeze in her relaxation into a 30 minute bubble between hustles and who prioritizes efficiency over leisure. I’ve visited their locations before and recently booked a pair of appointments to treat my mom for her birthday (69 years young!) before a dim sum lunch. Their appointments do come with a bunch of fun bells and whistles. Plus of course I can’t resist their decor. I’m sure you can guess why 💚. I left my appointment feeling so refreshed and juicy. They squeeze in a lot in a short span of time.

If you prefer a more luxurious long appointment, Skoah offers 75 minute sessions for those who want to be pampered and relax. I find Fig lands closer to tech-driven treatments (microdermabrasion, red light therapy, etc). For the next step up, I credit Glow Therapy and their microneedling sessions for transforming my skin and healing a lot of acne scarring. I’ve been a client for so long I remember getting microneedling from the founder, Amanda, in a single room she rented in Fairview. All these years later, I’m still such a fan that I’ve booked myself in for a pack of those this year to give my skin a jumpstart ahead of what’s turning out to be a very busy fall ahead that’s filled with travel.

The Ranking of a Showgirl: I somehow missed Billboard’s ranking of The Life of a Showgirl when they first published it in-step with their album review back in October. It resurfaced last week when the publication linked out to it anew on their socials at the end of March. Needless to say I was stunned. STUNNED. As were many of you, judging by the thousands(!) of DMs I got over on Instagram when I gave their list a renewed glance.

To be clear, rankings of basically any variety will elicit response given how subjective taste can be. I’m sure mine, below, will draw gasps! This fandom contains such a range — a characteristic I’m always in awe of. As a TSSer said to me in response to Billboard’s editorial grading of the tracklist: “One of my favorite things about being a Swiftie is how every one of us has different favorite songs! I’m never not surprised by someone’s favorite!” Put that last part in a frame, STAT!

❤️‍🔥 ICYMI: I covered, in detail, both your thoughts and mine on The Life of a Showgirl from release week. I look forward to revisiting these feelings at years’ end for the one year anniversary of The Life of a Showgirl.

That said, given we are now just over six months post-release, it got me thinking and made me want to revisit the album and my own ranking …

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For someone who takes a very sparse approach to both beauty and skincare (pared back consistency > unpredictable experimenting is the secret sauce to actual change in every facet of life — full stop), writing these posts twice a year has become such a balm. Perhaps because I thrive in routine or because planning brings me joy, but reflecting on these posts and carefully building a shopping cart has become one of my favorite things to write. Getting a discount on the things I’d normally be shopping anyways? It’s just common sense.

Plus, this community usually shows up in the comments to swap recommendations and highlight their favorites. I love reading those, too!

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⏱️ ICYMI: All my previous Sephora sale posts, in reverse order.

A reminder of the stakes: From April 10 - 20, 2026 all products sitewide are available to shop with a discount using code SPRINGSALE.

How much you save hinges on your Sephora tier, which breaks out to:

• Rouge: 20% off sitewide between April 10 - 20

• VIB: 15% off sitewide between April 14 - 20

• Insider: 10% off sitewide between April 14 - 20

• All: 30% off on all Sephora collection between April 10 - 20

The Challenge: One and Done

In the past, I’ve structured these posts by What I’m Repurchasing and What I’m Trying. The 20% discount is a logical thing to take advantage of for items that I buy and purchase full-price anyway. It’s also a nice “girl math” buffer to finally be the push I need to try something I’ve been eyeing for the first time or to invest in larger ticket items that you purchase either once or infrequently like tools or fragrance.

This go around, I wanted to keep this post short and sweet so that I can read your suggestions in the comments that much faster! Below, the “desert island” approach. Every category, one of each. The one to rule them all. The one I’ve hit “repurchase” on repeatedly and that has yet to let me down.

Eyes

Mascara: My lash profile preference aims for volume and fluff. I like a fat and feathery look to my lashes. This always delivers that — sans flakes.

Eyeshadow: I’m never going to be the type to do an elaborate eye look on the daily or, really, ever. I swab this perfect toned mid-brown shadow across my lid and blend out with a small brush on days I feel ambitious or a finger on days when I can’t be bothered. Spoiler: The latter is most days. Personal liner note: I wear the shade “Cashew.”

Eyebrows: I have yet to find a reason to stray from this after a solid decade of use. Personal liner note: I have several tubes of “Black” but will try out “Dark Brown” when I run out!

Complexion

Foundation: I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a color match this good before. It blends out beautifully and, as a cream stick formula, it doesn’t contribute to liquid allowances when you air travel. Something a carry-on only gal like myself thinks about. Personal liner note: I wear the shade “Burlwood.”

Concealer: A few dots of this dabbed into my inner corners, around my nose, and mouth. Suddenly, a well-rested person’s face appears in my mirror. Personal liner note: For a brightening effect, I go for a shade lighter than my typical skintone in “Light Medium Peach.”

Coloring In

Bronzer: I’m still new to the world of a matte cream bronzer but haven’t had issues with this one yet. Plus I feel like it’s going to take forever to hit pan on. Personal liner note: I go for “Medium Dark Brown” but the shades seem pretty forgiving.

Blush: The petite packaging is so satisfying to huck around in your makeup bag. Again, with travel in mind this little bonbon of a blush takes up almost no space and doesn’t contribute to a liquid allotment. Personal liner note: “Fox” is my go-to shade but I plan on buying “Persimmon” for a juicier summer-forward hue.

Lipstick: If I had to pick one lipstick that feels most like “home” for me it’s this satin-y formula that’s a dream to slip on. Personal liner note: “Tiger” is my favorite shade.

Skincare

Cleanser: The most satisfying product to sink your fingers into and smush all over your face. Dissolves makeup into rivers and never leaves me feeling stripped and squeaky or crusted over.

Serum: The number one I’ll never go without. A does-it-all serum I can’t imagine ever not having at least three of in reserve.

Treatment: In the last six months I’ve made the move to get my vitamin C and retinol through prescription-strength products. But if I were choosing one in each category to alternate between for my nighttime skincare it would be this and this.

Moisturizer: From the chemist who formulated the viral Triple Lipid from SkinFix but made it better for her own brand. This is for my fellow dry-skinned gals who walk around feeling like a husk on a regular basis. For something that feels just as juicy - but maybe not as embalming - for those with oilier skin or for when I’m heading into the warmer months, this gel moisturizer is what I turn to.

Eye Cream: If you can, I recommend storing in, then grabbing straight from, the fridge. The cooling effect adds to the depuffing experience - ahhh.

Hand Cream: It’s a good habit to get into extending your face products onto your neck / chest plus the backs of your hands. I’ve found it’s nice to keep a tube of this on bedside table to smear on right before you go to sleep.

Everything Else

Fragrance: In the same way I made 2025 the “Year of the Bag”, I’m dubbing 2026 the “Year of the Fragrance.” I love collecting perfumes and exploring different notes. This year, I’m making a concerted effort to expand into new brands and scent profiles. It feels like a very glamorous hobby, the bottles I’m acquiring so far are lined up like beautiful glass sculptures. But if I were to pick one to rule them all? It’s this slightly spicy, slightly sweet, slightly musky, very sexy scent. And because it’s by Tom Ford, any chance to skim off that price tag is worth doing.

Hair Tool: I bought this hair curler six or seven Sephora sales ago and it’s been great. That said, the world of the Air Wrap is starting to call to me. I’m curious about exploring how to get my hair to do that bouncy blowout thing that everyone else just seems to nail with ease. Is this the secret?! Does anyone have one and can speak to it?

Sephora Sale (Taylor’s Version)

In case you missed it previously, I also thought it might be helpful to resurface this opportunity to give some of Taylor’s confirmed beauty favorites a try.

Skincare

Barbara Sturm: A body cream in the same anti-aging line as Taylor’s bath-side fave.

Cleanser: A daily cleanser formulated to also gently exfoliate with BHAs.

Body Wash: A tropical scent with notes of “dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose, and Baltic amber.”

Beauty

Red Lip, Classic: If you’re after a “red lip classic” thing to like, this one is an old school Taylor product from her makeup bag. A note that, on my skintone, I’ve found this has a pink undertone that leans watermelon / raspberry red. By contrast, if you’re after a more true red shade there’s this one that’s confirmed to let you be “Bejeweled.”

Signature Scent: If smelling like “expensive wood” was on your bucket list.

Your turn! I’d love to know …

1. What is your “holy grail” you always stock up on in the Sephora sale?

2. Are you trying anything new during this sale?

3. … Plus a personal note. A girl asking for recs! Does anyone have a highlighter they love to use?

I look forward to talking cart status in the comments below.

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Taylor Swift was describing the skater Alysa Liu and her remarkable journey to the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. But she could have just as easily been describing herself.

Both of these women swept into 2026 with similar defiant streaks that see them each sit confidently, gleefully, at the creative helms of their careers. A risky decision that delivered both of them to the top of the podiums in their respective fields. Alysa, Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s skating since 2002. Taylor, the biggest opening sales week of her career with a 4 million unit sales week that also toppled a decade-old record previously set by Adele.

Alysa glided back onto the Olympic ice following a short-lived retirement under the condition that she would direct her own destiny. Her previously ascribed burnout — at 16, making her a stereotypical teenaged casualty of the sport — was not a footnote, but a headline. One she became determined to rewrite. She returned to skating flanked by a self-assembled team of supporters who would back her choice to control her choreography, her artistry, and her diet. “No one is going to starve me,” she told 60 Minutes, a foretelling of her future choreography defined by flamboyant, girlish excess over restraint and restriction. The very foundation of athleticism is built on converting sacrifice into accomplishment. “No pain, no gain.” But Alysa’s Milan Cortina programs were delivered with a bewildering quality of loose-limbed precision. There is a phrase oft-associated with traditionally female-driven sports - like ballet - where technical prowess is so ingrained that difficult physical feats look comparatively effortless. “We make it look easy,” you’ll often hear. But Alysa didn’t make it look easy, she made it look fun. Her infectious joy fizzed, slid, leaped across the ice. She was a bottle of champagne: jubilant, celebratory, unable to be contained. She seemed to be playing, rather than competing.

Taylor’s reclamation has been far more public, but no less exacting. She translated her ache to regain control of her life’s work into a sweeping artistic project. First, across rerecorded iterations of her first six albums - dubbed (Taylor’s Versions) - in a bid to depress the value of the originals. Then, into a $2 billion juggernaut tour that celebrated each of her albums in succession. The final curtain call of the Eras Tour resulted in the successful acquisition of her front catalogue. Weightless in a new apex of both her professional and personal life, she channelled that exuberance into her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl. In radio press to BBC, she confessed to having a “dark fear” that her songwriting depended on a fuel line of sadness. “What if writing is directly tied to my torment and pain?” she wondered. “It turns out, that’s not the case at all,” she concluded. While not received as well critically, Showgirl became a commercial conflagration when it disintegrated records in streaming and sales both physical and digital. The “lightning in a bottle” Taylor captured with collaborators Max Martin and Shellback was a testament to “the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place” of her life.

This path of self-actualized joy and faith in oneself converged neatly at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards when Alysa was chosen to present Taylor with that year’s slew of awards, including Artist of the Year.

When accepting Pop Album of the Year, Taylor expressed gratitude, as she often does in her podium-side remarks, to her fans. “You made [‘The Fate of Ophelia’] into the biggest hit of my career,” she gushed. This statement made me reflect on the trajectory of Taylor’s chosen singles. I felt inclined to trace not just her ascent, but the unique stamina required to continue fuelling her unparalleled rise nearly 20 years in.

Below, a primer of Taylor’s best performing hits - and their respective visuals - that defined each of her dozen eras. We’ll trace Taylor’s singles discography from when she first stepped on the scene as a country artist in 2006 all the way up to her most recently released album The Life of a Showgirl. The music video for that instalment’s third single, “Elizabeth Taylor”, was surprise-released this week — the 31s will always get you! Of course, this wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift Style publication if I didn’t also include liner notes through a stylish lens. In addition to chart performance, I’ll also reflect on the fashion Taylor wore to support the storyline she was telling.

When you measure Taylor’s remarkable chart presence across such a breadth of time, you truly begin to grasp the uniqueness of her star power. Not just for how brightly she’s burned, but for how long. With a dozen albums under her belt and a slew of records held that seemingly only she herself can re-shatter, it’s humbling to consider what mile marker we might be at in what is sure to be a storied career. How many more decades of hits lie ahead? It’s a thrilling thought to consider.

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Taylor Swift: “Our Song”

Taylor’s highest-charting song from her eponymous debut album is an early relic of her songwriting prowess and fine attunement to her audience — two identifiers that continue to mark her career to this day. “Our Song” was originally written for a high school talent show competition. Its inclusion on her debut album’s final tracklisting was at the behest of classmates who responded positively to its charming hook and twangy banjo riffs. Serving as Taylor Swift’s third single, it peaked at 16 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 while tidily racking up records on the country charts — including six weeks at number one. This made Taylor the youngest person (at the time) to single-handedly write a top country hit.

The music video, directed by Taylor’s early production collaborator Trey Fanjoy, introduced some consequential visuals to Taylor’s iconography.

Her Barbie-like feet tiptoe her across a charming front porch where she sits on the steps in a corseted confection of powder blue tulle by her first (and short-lived) stylist Sandi Spika, the picture of teenaged suburban sweetness. Corsets would continue to play a role in defining Taylor’s fashion for eras to come - but we’re a ways off from its reincarnation as intimate bustiers on the vulnerable Tortured Poets Department or the showy garments for Vegas performers from The Life of a Showgirl.

For now, the look that most stood out to me within the context of the debut era was the performance scene above. A little black dress is given a country remix when styled with cowgirl boots, succinctly underscoring Taylor’s visual identity as a young female country singer. But it’s the custom crystal makeover of her acoustic guitar that became a defining feature of Taylor’s live setup, returning 16 years later to the Eras Tour stage.

Fearless: “You Belong With Me”

“Love Story”, the lead single off Taylor’s sophomore album, may have teed up her inevitable country-pop crossover, but it was the album’s third single - “You Belong With Me” - that set that destiny into motion. Indeed, it became the largest crossover hit, amassing more pop listeners outside country music’s bubble, since Faith Hill’s “Breathe” in 2000. The song peaked at number two on the Hot 100, blocked only by the unyielding Black Eyed Peas track “I Gotta Feeling” which cornered the top spot for 14 weeks.

Its music video, directed by Roman White (he’d later also head up the videos for “Fifteen” and “Mine”), saw Taylor begin to play with the concept of characters. She tried on their hair and their clothing on for size, donning their personas like a costume in order to convey a message. We’d see her play with this concept further on in her career with the satirical “Blank Space”, the fictionally distanced folklore and evermore albums, and even the titular theatrical performer on The Life of a Showgirl. And, of course, who could forget the seminal character of “Hamburger” in the “You Need to Calm Down” music video.

Perhaps one of the most enduring visuals from this music video is the image of a chronically shy and “nerdy” Taylor alone in her teenaged bedroom wearing a band t-shirt scribbled over with friendly missives in Sharpie. Dancing on her bed, writing Love Actually confessions of a crush to transmit to the boy next door before Blackberries were a thing. It’s a relatable snapshot many of her fellow teenaged listeners could identify with and easily replicate with a white tee and colorful markers at home so they, in turn, could be part of the moment.

Speak Now: “Mine”

I was almost surprised to learn that the lead single off Speak Now, “Mine” managed to eke out a top three spot on the Billboard Hot 100. I’m not sure why, given Speak Now was Taylor’s first album to set precedent and sell over a million copies in a week — a feat she would go on to repeat eight times in her career. Perhaps because Speak Now is bookended by efforts that made significantly larger splashes that more noticeably widened her scope, attempting to capture maximum crossover audiences as she sought to occupy both the country and pop genres. Speak Now, by contrast, didn’t function as a vehicle for hit generation but rather as a defiant demonstration that her artistry - and songwriting - was a craft she could do alone. In retrospect, Speak Now stands as the often overlooked theatre kid at the back of the class. Apologies to her!

Watching the “Mine” music video in 2026 is quite the head rush. The entirety of it takes place inside a fuzzy-edged daydream. Taylor, in a white dress, dances through a forest strung with tangible snapshots of her deepest desires: A wedding, children, caressing a burgeoning bump while watching her husband kick a ball to a child on a grassy front lawn. One could easily overlay 2025’s “Wi$h Li$t” atop the supercut and it would still stack up (with maybe just a few anachronistic synth beats scattered throughout). I felt her white dress played multiple roles in the video. It represented both an innocent sweetness and a useful clean slate upon which to project the film of her idealized life onto in a forested world of her imagination. The latter concept would, of course, rematerialize in the forest-bathing pandemic double drop of folklore and evermore in 2020. The idea of this sharpens when you realize that “Mine” marked the first time Taylor sought to fill the director’s chair in one of her music videos, working with co-director Roman White to execute her vision. As we know, this is a role Taylor would come to occupy fully, solo, beginning with Lover’s “The Man” in 2020.

ICYMI: The “Mine” music video also features one of the rare instances of Taylor wearing a wedding dress. I highlight that, and others, in my wedding dress(!) prediction post.

RED: “22”

The Max Martin and Shellback years began with 2012’s RED and injected Swedish synths into Taylor’s sonic landscape. The insertion of their pristinely manufactured pop ear worms on the album’s tracklisting gave RED one of its most defining characteristics of emotional turbulence. But their inclusion also revealed an obvious commercial strategy: to fortify RED with instant radio hits. To be sure, each of the “Shelltin” (a shorthand term I coined to refer to the Swedish duo as a unit) co-writes, track four “I Knew You Were Trouble” and track six “22”, went on to serve as singles. The album’s lead “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” delivered Taylor her very first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It would go on to stay there for the next three weeks. Its music video, captured in one continuous take, did an excellent job at tablesetting Taylor’s on-trend take on vintage twee at the time — Wayfarer-like frames, vintage dresses, and high-waisted hot pants included. It was also an early instance of Taylor using her music videos as merchandise placement - the adorable pyjamas worn at the video’s end were later revealed to be her own merchandise.

That said, I don’t know about you … but I feel more like writing about “22.” It’s my assessment that - of all of the RED era singles - “22” had the most memorable fashion moments. I’d go so far as to say Taylor would agree with this analysis, as she lifted the iconic “Not A Lot Going On At The Moment” shirt from one of the video’s frames and iconified it as part of the RED set on the Eras Tour. For the nostalgic recreation, she turned to the very same designer who originally crafted it: Ashish. Similar to the Junior Jewels tee circa “You Belong With Me”, fans readily took to making homemade versions of this shirt. I fondly recall seeing many iterations of it in Eras Tour crowds.

Of course, All Too Well: The Short Film deserves an honorable mention here. With the release of the 10 minute version of the fan favored RED track during its (Taylor’s Version) rerelease era in 2021, fans sent the extended take of the song to number one — making it the longest song in history to top the chart.

1989: “Blank Space”

With Taylor’s full-blown pop conversion album, I had three number one hits (“Shake It Off”, “Blank Space”, “Bad Blood”) to choose from for inclusion here. Given “Blank Space” continues to be one of my favorites in Taylor’s music videography, it was the obvious choice to highlight for its extensive fashion. Performance-wise, “Blank Space” also edges out the other two tracks for its longevity in the top spot, spending almost twice as long in the at number one over “Shake It Off” (four weeks) and seven times over “Bad Blood” (one week). Its chart dominance also made Taylor the first woman to ever replace herself atop the Hot 100 when “Blank Space” dethroned “Shake It Off” upon its release to radio. In 2023, she repeated that accomplishment when “Is It Over Now?” superseded “Cruel Summer” — arguably both catapulted to the top of the charts by fan devotion and the rising tide effect of the Eras Tour on Taylor’s entire catalogue.

I still have the fondest memories combing through and identifying every frame of this video for its couture. Runway pulls included Elie Saab, Dolce & Gabbana, Georges Chakra, and J. Mendel. Seemingly every shot delivered a caricature of Taylor’s persona of the time: an excessive jet-setter with a revolving door of suitors to chew up in real life and spit out in her latest single. Director Joseph Kahn would give her 1989 and reputation videos an enlarged, highly-stylized, and cinematic feel. Going through the archives, I smiled reading my original caption of the above outfit of Taylor wearing a Oscar de la Renta blouse, Milly skirt, and Bionda Castana booties as I stand by it 12 years later: “Despite the blurriness I do believe that this … [is] one of my favorite outfits from the video. There’s just something so sexy ballerina about it.” Ahh a blogger’s nostalgia!

reputation: “Look What You Made Me Do”

I still remember where I was when I saw this music video for the first time. Centered on a saggy leather sofa in a dingy townhouse I watched “Look What You Made Me Do” premiere at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards - jaw dropped for the entire four minute ride. The video pulled high fashion over a hissing snake’s spitting form. It was ballsy, campy, and redressed contempt in high octane couture. The video went on to garner over 43 million views in its first day, shattering Adele’s previously held record for most views in a 24-hour period. It shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for three weeks.

Fashionably, “Look What You Made Me Do” joins “Blank Space” in my top ranked videos. Taylor described its concept as, “If everything you write about me was true, this is how ridiculous it would look.” Her version of ridiculous was, sartorially, pretty fantastic. In addition to new looks by Balmain, Burberry, and Gucci, Taylor devoted many scenes to her past selves. As a consistent documenter of Taylor’s style, seeing (and recognizing!) many of the outfits scaling that “Taylor Mountain” was thrilling. Atop that mountain, the most current version of Taylor stood in a Philipp Plein bodysuit - customized with the rep font work across its front.

It also confirmed, to me, a long-held theory that Taylor has been a thoughtful archivist of all of her looks given how many were resurfaced for the purposes of this video. Having explored the idea of cartoonish personas in her previous videos by embodying exaggerated paradigms of the High School Mean Girl (“You Belong With Me”) or Serial Maneater (“Blank Space”), it was immensely satisfying to see Taylor turn that satirical eye upon her past selves and use her own lexicon of iconic fashion in order to make highly pointed meta references.

Of course, the most meaningful look from this music video, for me, was the still of her lifeless corpse wearing custom Oscar de la Renta to the literal grave. It was a dress I recognized well from its 2014 Met Gala appearance. It’s a look that I would go on to place on the cover of my book Taylor Swift Style, chosen for its potent symbolism as a fashionable turning point in Taylor’s career.

ICYMI: A tale of many covers. Pulling back the curtain on this all-important part of the publishing process — designing a cover!

Lover: “Cruel Summer”

Better late than never. “Cruel Summer” received single treatment four years after its initial release. Buoyed by social media footage of the Eras Tour where the song got top billing in the setlist, fan fervency improved its original chart entry — number 29 when it was originally released on the 2019 album Lover — sending it to number one in the fall of 2023 and keeping it there for four weeks. On the Airplay charts, it eventually surpassed “Blank Space” to become her longest running number one. Jason Lipshutz for Billboard remarked that the success of “Cruel Summer” “[demonstrated Taylor’s] current ubiquity, unprecedented in the modern music era.”

With no official music video to speak of, I feel that the Versace bodysuit that opened the Eras Tour effectively stands in as visual shorthand for the glittering, sunset-painted adrenaline rush of “Cruel Summer.” Of course, I’ll give myself a bit of a pat on the back for identifying the Stella McCartney sunglasses, Tiffany & Co. chain, and Reformation dress Taylor wears on the single artwork (above) by the sliver we could see of its shoulder-tie straps and floral print.

folklore / evermore: “cardigan” / “willow”

Sister surprise albums dropped at the start of the pandemic, folklore and evermore experienced twinned rollouts that netted repeat results. Each album was supported by a lead single and accompanying music video. Bolstered by their surprise and delight shock value, both “cardigan” and “willow” topped the Hot 100 while their respective albums folklore and evermore occupied the number one spot on Billboard’s Album 200. This was a two-time master stroke, making Taylor the first artist in history to top both charts simultaneously. In fact, withholding a pre-release lead track in order to generate paired interest in both a single and its associated album is a strategy Taylor has continued to this day.

Between the two videos, the fashion moment of greatest significance is “cardigan” given its namesake set a new merchandising standard for Taylor. In the context of the pandemic, the cardigan represented the connective warmth many of us yearned for during a period of mass isolation and loneliness. It symbolized a soft, almost talismanic, answer to a collective craving for comfort. Since then, every subsequent Swiftian era has been dutifully merchandised with a coordinating cardigan. Stripped of the original moment that gave it meaning, the cardigan now reads less as an organic extension of storytelling and more as a reliably replicable piece of branding. Cute, yes, but increasingly calculated in its familiarity.

Midnights: “Anti-Hero”

Perhaps the emotional inverse of “The Fate of Ophelia”, the lead single from Midnights debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100. It held court there for six consecutive weeks before yielding to the requisite seasonal wills of Mariah Carey’s perennial holiday juggernaut, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Luckily, self-flagellation proved to be an evergreen topic of interest for audiences as “Anti-Hero” reclaimed the summit for an additional two weeks once the holiday cheer had dissipated in January 2024. The single achieved widespread critical acclaim. Even Olivia Horn, for the notoriously thorny Pitchfork complimented the song’s ability to amalgamate the best of Taylor’s previous sonic tricks through “the lacquered synth-pop of 1989, the neurotic image analysis of Reputation, [and] the dense lyricism of Folklore and Evermore.” The song also set off a domino effect of other accomplishments, including the first time an artist simultaneously occupied the entirety of Billboard’s top 10 spots and extended Taylor’s own previous record set by folklore and evermore of debuting atop both the song and album charts at once.

Both of Taylor’s successive albums, The Tortured Poets Department and The Life of a Showgirl, would attain the same achievement. Making Taylor the first and only artist to dominate the entire top 10 on three separate occasions.

The “Anti-Hero” music video is a slapstick horror film set in the 70s, chasing Taylor through a mahogany-panelled diorama of her deepest insecurities. Her personal demons are dressed as blanket ghosts, her intrusive thoughts leak out of her in pools of glittery blood, and her fictional children wear their dead mother’s clothes (“Fearless Tour, 2009”) to fight over their inheritance at her funeral. A glamorous doppelgänger appears on her doorstep to coax her through her most self-destructive tendencies. It’s this version of Taylor, wearing bright and spangly pieces like a Farm Rio swimsuit beneath custom crystal-studded hot pants, who acts as an oversaturated foil to her drab “true” self dressed demurely in cords and striped polo knits.

The Tortured Poets Department: “Fortnight”

“Fortnight,” the lead single from The Tortured Poets Department, arrived with built-in intrigue: a surprise pairing with rapper Post Malone, a title that doubled as a vocabulary lesson, and a chart run that proved its point — holding the Billboard Hot 100 for exactly two weeks, lest anyone forget what a fortnight is.

The video’s fashion reflected the arid wasteland the album’s emotional terrain. Its costuming was bleak, desaturated, and constrictive. Perhaps the most telling of them all? The Maticevski wedding gown she wears in the video’s opening sequence. A reference to both the opening foray into the Poets era from the 2024 Grammys as well as a thematic reference to the role the idea of marriage played in the destruction of two of her relationships - both of which led to the manic circumstances depicted across the album.

The Life of a Showgirl: “The Fate of Ophelia”

We’ve arrived to the present! In a truly serendipitous writing of kismet (or “Fate”, some might say) “Ophelia” became Taylor’s 13th number one single. By holding the top position of the Billboard charts for 10 weeks, it also became her longest reigning hit of her career and her first to ever hit double digits atop the chart. With the release of “Opalite”, Showgirl’s second single, Taylor also added another top notch to her belt, drawing even with Rihanna for the third-most chart-toppers in the ranking’s history, behind only the Beatles and Mariah Carey. Notably, the only other instance in which Taylor has yielded multiple Hot 100 leaders from a single project dates back to 2014’s 1989.

Of all of Taylor’s past singles, the fact that “Ophelia” would usurp “Anti-Hero” as her most successful single is perhaps evocative of a meaningful shift in audience appetite: a gravitation away from the dark addiction of introspective rumination towards something more effervescent and unguardedly pleasurable.

The “Ophelia” video demonstrates Taylor’s growing confidence as a director. She wrote the treatment to span multiple permutations of the showgirl across many mediums. Fashion houses who previously offered fashion credits to stage the Eras Tour costuming like Roberto Cavalli, Versace, and Alberta Ferretti returned to help visualize her concept with custom ensembles. If I were to pick one defining look from the video, it’s this one featuring yet another Bob Mackie headdress circa the showgirl revue Jubilee!. As reported here on Liner Notes and on Taylor Swift Style, Taylor thoughtfully salvaged many items from the defunct production’s costuming archives. In doing so, she paid authentic homage to the grit and the glitter demanded of showgirls to perform for the masses. This headpiece alone likely tipped the scales at 20 pounds. Heavy is the head that wears the … showgirl headdress!

ICYMI: I spoke to one of the dressers of the original Jubilee! production who provided fascinating behind-the-curtain stories on showgirls and their costuming. It was such an illuminating conversation - a favorite from last year.

There’s a precedent for why many stereotypically female sports are often overlooked. Their athletic feats rarely look or sound like brute strength or grunting exertion. Instead, women destroy their bodies with placid smiles affixed to their faces. Bearing the pain stoically, beautifully, gracefully. Female pop stars are the high-performing athletic equivalent of their industry. Their bodies are punished. Their pain is commodified. Their winning smiles — in the face of public scrutiny and unflagging expectations — are expected. Anything less is to be at the risk of appearing ungrateful or a diva. There’s much that we demand of them. Innovate. Create. Evolve. Entertain. Repeat. Both Alysa and Taylor capture a unique turning point of what happens when a woman unsubscribes from the belief that her suffering is what translates to her success.

Alysa Liu described her goal in skating as “a desire to connect with the crowd and to transmit a deep feeling.”

Taylor Swift framed part of her career aspirations as centering the stories “where fans feel a connection to music that makes their day easier, makes their night more fun, makes their love feel more sacred, or their heartache feel less isolating.”

From this pair we can glean that perhaps a showgirl’s greatest trick is also her strongest demonstration of bravery - an earnest and euphoric call to arms to her fellow performers. It’s in learning that standing alone on a golden pedestal isn’t the shining moment you imagined it would be. Instead, it’s choosing to cross the finish line on your own terms — and bringing everyone else over with you — so they, too, can stand in the joy of the spotlight.

What do you think of Taylor’s singles history? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss.

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Given that we have rare confirmation that Taylor will be in attendance this evening, I wanted to write a primer on Taylor’s previous showings at the iHearts. Below, I’ll first go wide to provide a general overview of how the iHearts slot into the wider music landscape. Then, I’ll narrow the aperture on Taylor to cover all the awards won, the performances played out, and - of course - the ensembles worn on the red carpet over the years.

I’ll finish with a few predictions about what Taylor might wear tonight. As we’ll cover, it’s an interesting show to kick off this year’s appearances.

I’d love to know your predictions in the comments, too. See you there!

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Taylor is the iHeartRadio Awards’ most celebrated artist, netting 34 trophies between 2015 and 2025. The love is, indeed, mutual as Taylor has appeared (virtually or in-person) at the iHearts more often than she has missed them. She has only forgone attendance three times since 2015 (in 2017 and 2018, per reputation’s on-brand media blackout and in 2022). As Chris William wrote for Variety when breaking the news that Taylor would make a live appearance at this years ceremony, “Any participation by Swift in an awards program falls into the perennial ‘they need her more than she needs them’ category.” Adding, “Live participation by the world’s biggest music star is a noteworthy catch for the broadcast, given that Swift has been laying low on public appearances.”

In truth, the iHearts are a minor award show that falls below the industry-voted prestige of the Grammys and the data-driven performance metrics that determine the Billboards. Established in 2014, iHeart trophies are based on a mixture of radio play performance and fan voting. Taylor has always maintained strong ties to radio, taking the time to carve out station stops into most every of her album press cycles. This includes up to her most recent push for Showgirl last fall when she opted into multiple appearances on airwaves across the Atlantic including Heart, BBC, and Magic stations.

To be sure, this year Taylor has a particularly topical reason for attending the iHearts given her recent push of Showgirl’s third single “Elizabeth Taylor” to radio. All the more reason to spotlight the track!

For the fourth consecutive year, Taylor leads in nominations. She enters the evening with a total of nine. I believe she’s likely to win several of these.

• Artist of The Year

• Song of the Year (“The Fate of Ophelia”)

• Pop Artist of the Year

• Pop Song of the Year (“The Fate of Ophelia”)

• Best Lyrics (“The Fate of Ophelia”)*

• Best Music Video (“The Fate of Ophelia”)*

• Favorite TikTok Dance (“The Fate of Ophelia”) [NEW]*

• Favorite On Screen (Taylor Swift: The End of an Era)*

• Favorite Tour Style (Eras Tour)*

* denotes fan-voted awards
[NEW] denotes categories introduced for the 2026 ceremony

From this list, the one category I raise a brow at is “Favorite Tour Style.” Not because Eras’ costuming doesn’t deserve the recognition (it does!) but because the Eras Tour completed its run in 2024. Taylor was also nominated for, and won, this category in 2025 - which at least took into account the prior year’s performance.

If I were to guess, perhaps iHearts is taking the Eras docuseries which was released in December 2025 into consideration in order to stretch the tours’ eligibility and thus give Taylor another category nod.

Before we can discuss potential dress for tonight’s award show (see: next section!), let’s review Taylor’s fashion history at this particular event.

Taylor has previously appeared at the iHeartRadio Awards eight times between 2015 and 2025. Half of these occasions have been a virtual acceptance of an award. Tonights appearance will split the difference in favor of an in-person showing.

2015 in Kaufmanfranco

Taylor has worn many Kaufmanfranco gowns to some very memorable award shows in her past — including 2010’s Grammy ceremony when she took home her very first Album of the Year trophy for Fearless.

An LBD (that’s: little black dress) is a wardrobe staple for Taylor. Giving it a sparkly finish was just the right amount of “extra” needed for an awards ceremony, particularly in its early days of establishing ground. I also quite liked the way her Tamara Mellon heels echoed the graphic cutout shapes of the dress.

Taylor went on to wear a very similar version of this dress, but in bodysuit form, on the 1989 Tour which would kick off a few short months later. An Easter egg before we hardly knew ye, perhaps.

In addition to attending the show, Taylor also performed during it. But not one of her own songs! She played guitar for Madonna’s performance of “Ghosttown”.

2016 in Saint Laurent

Here, Taylor’s outfit feels like an extension of the previous year’s look. Just add legs! This sequinned halter - and its oversized belt - were pulled straight from YSL’s Fall 2016 runway and styled with chunky peep toe booties by Giuseppe Zanotti. The overall effect gives Grease’s “Bad Sandy” — with a glittery finish.

Though I prefer the sleeker shoes of the year prior, I do have fond memories of this moment in general as I selected this exact look from the Saint Laurent Fall 2016 runway in my predictions post for that year. The thrill!

ICYMI: A piece dedicated to the fruitful results of all those predictions.

2019 in Rosa Bloom

An excellent red carpet example of Taylor’s love of a high/low.

This sparkly romper by high street U.K.-based brand Rosa Bloom originally retailed for £185 and was paired with jewelry by Jacquie Aiche (a brand you might recognize even now as Taylor has worn a number of their ‘evil eye’ pieces in street style moments since 2024), This Is State Property, Stefere, and EF Jewelry.

But the real kicker (pun intended) are those butterfly Sophia Webster heels which stood in as a fashionable Easter egg for the technicolour pastel Lover fashion that would come just a month after this ceremony.

Of all of Taylor’s iHeart appearances, I felt this one was the most cohesively styled and is thus my pick of the bunch.

2020 in Anthropologie

Speaking of Lover, the following year Taylor accepted the trophy on behalf of this album in the pop category. The iHearts are normally held in March but the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated not only a postponement six months later to September — but also a broadcasting shift.

For the first time, Taylor accepted her award virtually. On camera, she opted to wear a $138 tie dye romper from Anthropologie. I found the choice to be appropriately cozy - given the times - while still very on-theme to the aesthetic of Lover which was an era rendered in cotton candy pastels and tie dye. Perfectly done.

2021 in Hemant & Nandita

In a similar fashion (is this thing on? *taps mic*) to the year previous, Taylor accepted the Pop Album of the Year award for folklore remotely.

Her richly textured waist tie dress was by a new-to-her brand — Hemant & Nandita — which takes inspiration from Indian tradition and culture in its embroidery. During her speech Taylor said, “We all needed to escape into stories … the fact that you chose this album [to do that] is an honour. You really wrapped your arms around it. The way that - someday - we’ll get to wrap our arms around each other when we see each other again.” In a waist-up world of conference COVID calls, the smoked out makeup and crown braid were the most impactful at driving home the folklore woodsy feel.

Despite the pixelation, some of you might recognize those Larkspur & Hawk earrings Taylor is wearing. While this was our first sighting of this pair of round sky-blue jewels, they’re an oft-repeated piece from Taylor’s jewelry box. She would later wear them on multiple occasions, including Jack Antonoff’s wedding. Given the provenance of their design - L&H founder Emily Satloff was inspired by Georgian menswear waistcoats - it’s no wonder Taylor, a vintage-lover at heart, has put them into frequent rotation.

2023 in Alexandre Vauthier

Perhaps the most dramatic departure we’ve seen from Taylor style-wise and certainly at this particular awards show. Experimentation and play is always something I’m going to encourage — it’s what makes fashion fun and makes observing one person’s style worth watching to observe evolution.

On this occasion, Taylor skipped the red carpet and only appeared inside the ceremony. This meant that photos of her from the night were exclusively when she was seated or behind a podium while accepting an award. I do think that the nature of this particular look would have benefited greatly from intentional posing on the red carpet. It’s an ensemble that I believe needs more dynamic movement to really “sell” it. The hood! The all-in-one “poots” situation (that’s “pant boots” for you - a technical term)! A stride down a step-and-repeat to observe the look in full might have done a lot for it.

The most touching moment of the night was Phoebe Bridgers’ speech to introduce Taylor’s acceptance of the Innovator Award. I (still!) get sniffly at “The World (Taylor’s Version)”. The Innovator Award is the iHearts’ special awards to highlight an artist’s contribution to popular culture. This year, Taylor was recognized for being “an advocate for women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community, using her music and platform to inspire young people to use their voting power.” Tonight, the Innovator Award will be given to Miley Cyrus.

2024 in Rumored

Taylor accepted 2024’s Artist of the Year award virtually, dressing up an accessibly-priced tee from Rumored (the long sleeve version still retails for $21 here) with some personal accessories. Both her necklace and earrings nod to her first initial: T! I can’t say I blame her for taking an exceedingly low-key approach to her outfit. There was, as you say, a lot going on at the moment! A comfy black tee made just a tad dressier with polished, sentimental pieces neatly balances casual and cute.

At this point, Taylor found herself in a rare lull between legs of the Eras Tour: a well-earned intermission. The pause was timed just ahead of the release of The Tortured Poets Department. Her sweeping return to the Eras stage across Europe would incorporate the new album, completely reworking the setlist to accommodate the addition of a new era in its midst. In her speech, Taylor seemed to nod at what lay ahead, sharing her anticipation for the album and teasing, as is her way, “We have a lot of exciting things coming up.”

2025 in Jacquie Aiche / Miu Miu

Now up to present times! Last year, Taylor once again appeared virtually to accept the inaugural “Tour of the Century” trophy. The award was introduced to honor the success of the Eras Tour. Taylor’s acceptance speech described the efforts and gratification put into the tour. The 2025 iHearts, coincidentally, landed exactly on the two year anniversary of the Eras Tour’s opening night in Glendale, AZ. To commemorate the moment, Taylor also introduced exclusive footage from the surprise song section of Glendale 1 when she performed “mirrorball” on guitar.

While her black top and Miu Miu plaid mini skirt were, what I would consider to be, closet staples from Taylor - it’s how she chose to accessorize her outfit that most got people talking. For context, this moment preceded Taylor’s announcement of the successful acquisition of the masters of her first six albums. At the time, there was much talk regarding the outstanding status of her two remaining (Taylor’s Version) rerecords: her eponymous debut and her sixth LP reputation. Her choice to wear a lariat snake chain by Jacquie Aiche, completely unmissable against the black canvas of her top, had many yelling “Eassssssssssssster Egg!” Taylor later introduced merchandise to her official website that clearly took cues from this necklace.

Of course, the lingering question keeping us all up is what, if anything, is going to happen tonight.

Will Taylor appear at the awards in person?

Variety confirmed that Taylor’s appearance tonight will be in-person. The iHearts are hosted at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This early reporting, an entire weeks notice at that, is not typical ahead of award shows.

Will she be there to perform?

While we know that Taylor will be in physical attendance of the awards, Variety was also quick to note that there would be no performance aspect attached to her appearance.

What will Taylor wear?

As seen above, the iHearts trend towards a more casual affair. Typically, this isn’t the place for a full-length ballgown. A short hemline, a playful romper, or a cool jumpsuit? All seem likely. A sequin worthy of a mirrorball? All but certain.

So, what could we see Taylor wear tonight? If you’re curious to see my full slate of Taylor Swift fashion predictions, I’ve tucked them just past the paywall — along with a few especially good ones from this fashionably-minded community.

Plus: I’ve also included some extra looks that didn’t quite make the final cut … but felt too good not to share!

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If I were to do a quick power ranking of films, I was most rooting for Sinners — a film I saw in theatres prior to its award season buzz. But I also enjoyed One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Frankenstein. The biggest snub? An acting nomination for Landry (aka Jesse Plemons) for his outstanding performance in Bugonia. Texas forever!

Given this was my first time heading into the ceremony with so much context for the top performances of the evening, I felt primed and prepared to interpret the thoughtfully calibrated looks destined to hit the Oscars red carpet. Though I must admit, I ended the night fatigued rather than inspired. Whether that’s because the added weeks of award season coverage proved to be a test to my stamina (post-pandemic, the Academy Awards have shifted forward to adopt a mid-March ceremony rather than the previously held February date). Or, equally as plausible, because the stars who showed were a tad sartorially underwhelming. In the same vein as this years Globes, that tangible storytelling element of bringing a piece of the character to the carpet felt lacking.

As a remedy for intrigue, I opted to arrange the following looks by house. Given every firm in the last few years has engaged in a grand round of musical chairs — Demna left Balenciaga to take over Gucci, Jonathan Anderson departed Loewe after 11 years to head up Dior, Sarah Burton took the reins at Givenchy — it felt like a good time to gather attendees by the designer they were representing rather than by a theme I’ve identified. I feel this approach provides a glimpse at the vision each of these newly shuffled creative directors have for the house they now are at the helm of. It’s fascinating to see them laid out like this!

I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below — see you there!

ICYMI: My other award show recaps!

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Photos throughout via Getty Images, unless otherwise noted.

Armani

Gwyneth Paltrow in Giorgio Armani: Proof that things aren’t always as they seem. From the front, Gwyneth’s gown appeared to be a rather unassuming and plain strapless column. But a double take from the side as she walked down the step-and-repeat revealed a complete side profile cutaway.

The design appears to riff on Look 55 from Armani’s Fall 2025 Couture collection. Your mileage may vary on whether this blink-and-you-miss-it design detail improves or dampens the look. I say I loved it. Minimalism meets voyeurism. It also brought to mind a similar daring illusion gown by Antonio Berardi that Gwyneth wore to the Iron Man 3 premiere. And, selfishly, a little of my own wedding dress — from the front only, of course. Hah! The delicate sparkle interspersed in the sheer mesh was a lovely touch.

Kate Hudson in Armani Privé: A partnership long overdue, don’t you think? Had Kate and Armani solidified their ties earlier, I suspect her Song Sung Blue press tour would have made a much bigger splash. As it stands, this is perhaps one of Kate’s best Armani moments that appears to dabble in Armani’s Spring 2026 runway palette and builds on the momentum of her shimmering Golden Globes moment. Making a mermaid sequin peplum look this fantastic? Only Kate could.

Chanel

Gracie Abrams: As a +1 — Gracie attended with boyfriend Paul Mescal — I could see how this navy set was designed to be a sleek and modern ensemble that still nodded to Chanel’s established house codes without overwhelming the spotlight. However, something in the ratio of fabric to skin felt a little off to my eye. A proportional tweak to the lines between the chiffon scarf (an ongoing trend piece that feels evocative of the beautiful Indian dupatta), top, and skirt might have streamlined the silhouette a bit more for me.

Jessie Buckley: Of all the attendees, I was most interested in seeing what Jessie Buckley would wear. Given her clean sweep of the Best Actress category at all preceding awards, her win here was all but certain. I imagine there must be a high degree of excitement in styling a client for an acceptance speech of this nature: the final curtain call to full flush award campaign. It’s why I was delighted to see her in this color blocked Chanel moment. Something safe, simple, and black would have been the easier (and more expected) path to follow. Indeed, this is what she opted for when attending the high profile Vanity Fair after party following the ceremony.

This Chanel? What a finisher! It’s elegant, dramatic, and bursting with joy. That satin stole provided a structured point for the eye to rest before roaming over that airy pale pink chiffon. I also find myself a fan of this particular color combination. One of my first thoughts, in fact, was a similar look Taylor wore that made it onto my All Time Favorites Outfit list just last week.

Nicole Kidman: Two decades on from touting their signature No. 5 fragrance, Nicole delivered her first custom Chanel look since being reappointed as a Chanel ambassador. The design upholds long-standing Chanel design pillars, particularly the embellishment work - a testament to the house’s fine craftsmanship. While I myself am a bit scarred from memories of the peplum, Nicole works it well here.

Pedro Pascal: The silhouette is cleanly cut and that feather brooch tickles my soul. Even sans moustache — and jacket! — this is still swoon-worthy for me.

Teyana Taylor: When I saw Teyana posted front row at Chanel’s Fall 2026 show, I wondered if it was an indicator of who she would be tapping to wear on Oscars night. Some on-the-ground research, if you will. And here we are! Teyana notably styles herself and it would seem that she saw multiple things on that runway that she loved. She already picked up the jacket from Look 57, wearing it to the Chanel-hosted pre-Oscars dinner the eve of the award show just days after it took a turn on the runway.

This gown, although custom, takes some clear cues from the Spring 2026 Couture collection as seen in its intricate embroidery, glass pearls, crystals, and feather work. It seems crazy to say but this look almost feels tame by Teyana’s standards. Such is the high bar she has set this awards season! Call me greedy but I somehow yearned for even more.

Dior

Amy Madigan: I, like much of the fashion set, have loved seeing Jonathan Anderson’s work for Dior. He is, at his core, a designer willing to commit to the bit and lean all the way into quirk. His tailoring is textured, personable, and uniquely him. And Amy was the perfect display case for that talent - and exuberance! Each of her outings this award season have presented different twists on tailoring and this look was no exception.

Ariana Greenblatt: An archive dive from Ariana delivers us this Galliano-era Dior which I’m sad to say does nothing for her or for the house. I’m unsure if, due to its vintage provenance, not much could be done to permanently alter the piece to ensure a better fit around that blousy bodice but I’d argue even the color and styling don’t help to lift the look.

Leonardo DiCaprio: The suit is great, yes. Well-fitted and well-proportioned. But perhaps the real winner of the night was … his moustache! Maybe he and Pedro had a deal?

Robert Pattinson: Rich fabrication — black velvet set off by silk lapels — gets an injection of some quirk thanks to a subtle substitution: a brooch in place of a bowtie. It really shifts the whole mood of the look, don’t you think? I was delighted by the tweak. In menswear, even small accessory changes can set a suit in a sea of other tuxedos apart. I must also take the moment to acknowledge Zendaya’s Louis Vuitton gown. It’s a silhouette I feel we’ve seen on her previously but works well nonetheless. You know what they say about things that aren’t broken. The look is carried by her statuesque presence, the gown’s precise draping, and of course that beautiful color.

Rose Byrne: My best Dior and perhaps my favorite look of the entire night! This felt like intentional restraint done exactly right. The detail of that stunning embroidery was enough to carry the entire look, with a clean neckline and a stunning TAFFIN necklace to complete it. One of my favorite elements? The unique gathering just above the trumpet-like flare of her skirt. Just the right sprinkling of Anderson weird to give this Dior some personality. Perfection.

Givenchy

Elle Fanning in Givenchy: Last year was a debut for both Sarah Burton and Elle Fanning as Elle became the first person to wear Burton’s Givenchy for her first stroll down the Oscar red carpet. This year, as she returns as a nominee for her performance in Sentimental Value, Elle once again sought out Givenchy to make her Oscars gown. “Sarah Burton is a dear friend and has made many important dresses for me over the years, so Samantha [McMillen, stylist] and I knew she was the one to design for this monumental Sunday,” she explained to Vogue. Elle’s strapless ballgown was both personal and poignant. Inspired by Sentimental Value’s plot, which centers on a family home, Elle was inspired to borrow memories from the house she lived in as a child. “Growing up, my childhood home had a wisteria trellis that bloomed in the spring. I remember thinking it was the most beautiful thing when the petals would fall and create a lilac cloud on the ground,” she explained. It is these blossoms which appear, in satin embroidery, stitched into the tulle skirt of her gown. Dreamy!

Timothée Chalamet in Givenchy: Marty Supreme failing to net a single win from its nominations is, I fear, a supremely Marty Supreme thing to have happened. Timothée had plenty of opportunity in this extended award season to deliver the interesting, vibrant, and whimsical looks that made him a darling of menswear just a few years ago. Yet at every turn, I felt my hopes for his fashion went unrealized. I had all my fingers crossed that this final outing at the Oscars would see him turn things around - and perhaps finally nail the fit of his trousers! - but alas.

Louis Vuitton

Chase Infiniti: It’s been a pleasure watching Chase on the red carpet this award season and what a lovely note to end on in this lilac number from LV. Her ongoing acquisition of custom looks is a testament to the faith designers have in her “it” factor. What an auspicious start for the young actor! While I love the color on her and the fit of the bodice is divine, I wonder if I would have preferred this cascading waterfall of ruffles as a bustle / train situation rather than affixed to the hip.

Emma Stone: This fabric on Emma is sublime and I felt the cap sleeve detail gave the look that bit of her signature “quirk” to what was, overall, a more restrained look for a nominee. To be sure, Emma has had far more statement-making Oscars appearances in previous years (I’m thinking particularly of her golden fringed Givenchy dress to accept her Best Actress performance in La La Land and the beaded chartreuse Elie Saab from the 2015 ceremony). But this is perhaps the result of strategically calibrating ones fashion capital to the likely outcome of the evening.

Michael B. Jordan: This is not my favorite Michael B. Jordan look but it sure was my favorite Michael B. Jordan moment. I did note the watch chain he donned here, a sharp detail courtesy of David Yurman. It felt like a bit of a nod to this characters in Sinners who also accessorized with custom contributions from Yurman. But it was his Best Actor win that had me whooping from my sofa at home. I guess that’s just what happens when you have clear eyes and a full heart … you can’t lose!

Renate Reinsve: There is minimalism and then there is this. While the color is ravishing and I have been consistently loud for my love of a strappy sandal, I think if you’re going to go for a very stark, streamlined look every aspect must be executed to absolute perfection. The train here feels underwhelming and there is just something off about the fit of the shoe. An earring or necklace here is also missed for me.

Wunmi Mosaku: The color and fabrication are stunning on Wunmi and my how radiant does she - and her bump! - look. My quibble is the asymmetric cold shoulder. I’d love to close that up and turn this into a bateau or off-shoulder or fully asymmetric look.

Misc

Anne Hathaway in Valentino: In keeping with her refined taste, Anne selected a gown from Alessandro Michele’s couture collection for Givenchy. The best part of the night for Anne came when she presented alongside Anna Wintour. Nervously, Anne asked the famed former Vogue editor if she liked her dress. The audience, naturally, was primed for the classic Devil Wears Prada riposte: “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.” Anna, somehow, went even drier, replying, “… And the nominees are.”

Were I Anna, I would have been tempted to comment on Anne’s styling which included a chunky belt that, combined with the opera gloves, felt like a few too accessories too many. Opting to style her hair down might have also worked to make the look feel more relaxed while still retaining some Old Hollywood glamour. This is also just a taste for what will be a busy year for Anne, who has five films to promote in 2026.

Mckenna Grace in Vera Wang: There’s been a red carpet trend of late that looks to the past: archival pulls from designer vaults, modern recreations of famous gowns, or renewed homages to iconic dresses. Here, Mckenna's reference - from the color and the stole - clearly points to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ralph Lauren gown worn to the 1999 Oscars. While public opinion may still be divided on the look, its recall value is undeniable. In its original run, Gwyneth’s gown was famously many inches too big and its fabric was creased and puckered (as taffeta is known to do) - much to the dismay of the team at Ralph Lauren. While getting dressed, Gwyneth had chosen to forego the inner detachable corset designed for the gown. The choice left the silhouette to hang loosely on her frame.

Those details are all course-corrected here on Mckenna — but almost clinically so. To the point, I felt, where the perspective and charm that made Gwyneth’s look so remembered for its cool girl insouciance is lost. Mckenna trades that detached “Goopist” flavor in for something that presents closer to a pageantry that feels far too stiff for a teenager to be wearing.

My picks? All my awards to Rose Byrne, first and foremost. But Jessie Buckley and Kate Hudson deserve their flowers, too.

Of course, I couldn’t let one look go by without giving it a post-script mention …

Charithra Chandran, aka Miss Edwina-almost-Bridgerton, in this truly sublime emerald greeeeeeeeeeeen Miss Sohee Couture gown. I’d copy + paste this entire look if I could!

Your turn! Who were your favorites at the Oscars?

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It’s something I’ve delivered on every year since 2012. During last week’s Frequently Asked Friday series over on Instagram, one of the top requests that came through was an All-Time Favorite Outfits list. I reviewed the TSS archives and discovered that the last time I composed such a list was in 2017. A year which, on the surface, seems only a short time ago. But in reality, 2017 was almost a decade and checks SIX Taylor albums ago. Record scratch! To think that 2017 now marks the halfway point of Taylor’s current discography means that if you blinked sometime around reputation, you apparently missed half her career. After all, she’s immortal now, baby dolls.

With Taylor Swift Style entering its 15th year — and with a Friday the 13th on the calendar (I couldn’t resist noting that 3/13 contains a backward 13, too) — it felt like an especially fitting moment to pause, reflect, and refresh my All-Time Favorite Taylor Swift Outfits list.

As you can imagine, this was no small undertaking. Even narrowing down favorite looks from a single year can feel impossible. Expanding the timeline to cover nearly two decades of a career — and then attempting to distill that period into a list comprised of only a handful of standout looks — raises the stakes considerably.

ICYMI: Here’s my list from 2025!

Still, the challenge is part of the fun. My hope is that the outings gathered here spark a little appreciation, a little nostalgia, and, of course, plenty of discussion about how Taylor’s fashion has evolved over the years. We all bring our own preferences and tastes to the conversation. That subjectivity is precisely what makes fashion such an endlessly fascinating form of art to me. I’m always struck by how so many of us can be drawn to the same artist, yet find entirely different stories, memories, and meanings within the same body of work. That, to me, is a huge draw of connecting in this community. The differences of opinion, even as we’re all here for the same person.

In the below list, I’ve segmented outings by the following occasions:

• Events

• Award Shows

• Photoshoots

• Tour

• Street Style

I’ve further opted to order things within each moment chronologically rather than by tier system. I find this approach adds to the exercise by visually demonstrating Taylor’s style transformation through the years. You can actually watch her style evolve before your eyes! (It also freed me from the painful task of preference ranking. Hehe.)

Observing the breadth between favorite moments is testament to the remarkable consistency of Taylor’s fashion. Delivering look after look at such a high caliber for so long is no easy feat. It’s the direct result of thought and intention put into curating a visual timeline that’s memorable, distinct, and yet always recognizable. Good styling is not chance, it’s choice. Moreover, the fact that I could readily identify my favorites across such a stretch of time — some outfits below date as early as 2009 and as recently as 2025 — also reveals how, much like Taylor’s albums, there’s truly something for everyone in every era.

I’m looking forward to meeting you in the comments to hear about your own all-time favorite Taylor Swift outfits.

Finally — thank you to everyone who has supported Taylor Swift Style and now Liner Notes over the years. Whether you’ve been here for one year or all fifteen, it truly means the world.

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Photos throughout via Getty Images, unless otherwise noted.

• May 3, 2010 in Ralph Lauren at 2010 Met Gala

• September 13, 2010 in Miu Miu at Easy A Los Angeles premiere

• September 27, 2010 in Roberto Cavalli at Roberto Cavalli SS2011 Show

• December 10, 2011 in Reem Acra at 27th Annual Symphony Ball

• October 22, 2012 in Vintage at Target RED release party

• March 2, 2014 in Julien Macdonald at Vanity Fair Oscar party

• August 11, 2014 in Monique Lhuillier at The Giver New York City premiere

• February 28, 2016 in Alexandre Vauthier at Vanity Fair Oscar party

• January 6, 2019 in Versace at InStyle Golden Globes After Party

• April 23, 2019 in J. Mendel at TIME 100 Gala

• January 23, 2020 in Carmen March at Miss Americana Sundance premiere

In looking over my Top 10 event choices, I’m delighted at the diversity of designers. Not a single repeat to be found here! There’s also quite a range of aesthetics. There is the expected sweetness: airy tulle in her Symphony Ball Reem Acra gown. As well as ruffles both sweet - Ralph Lauren at the 2010 Met Gala - and haute pirate chic - as per her brief stint moonlighting as a FROW (“front row”) girl at a Roberto Cavalli fashion show. Then there are the prim, ladylike notes Taylor is partial to, like the two-tone Monique Lhuillier she wore to The Giver premiere. At the opposite end of the spectrum sits a saucier sort of confidence — and a flash of leg — courtesy of Alexandre Vauthier and Versace. While I’m the first to be the proponent of a minimalist strappy sandal, I also can admit a soft spot for a platform heel as an on-trend vestige of the time period. Such is the case with her sky-high bow pumps by Christian Louboutin worn to the Easy A premiere in 2010.

There are ensembles here I suspect many will share in my love for. Her citrus-y chiffon J. Mendel dress worn to the Time 100 Gala and her “don’t get plaid, get even” three piece by Carmen March from the Sundance premiere of Miss Americana might be two such examples. But one moment that I expect has flown under the radar of most? The inconspicuous and rather plain vintage little black dress (ahem, LBD in fashion parlance) that Taylor wore to the Target-exclusive release of RED. The styling is what cements it for me as a forever favorite. To my eye, I consider this a landmark example of how a look can completely change as a result of a few intentional accessorizing choices. I found the decision to pair the vintage frock with an ultra-modern PVC pair of studded Louboutins to be inspiring. I read it as a visual nod to the sonic whiplash of RED: the album that introduced Taylor’s first collaborations with Swedish pop tastemakers Max Martin and Shellback and that documented the intensity of a relationship’s passionate start and heartbreaking end. During the RED era, Taylor intentionally leaned into prim, 1950s-inspired hemlines — a stylistic choice that served as a kind of window dressing for the Taylor’s first initial experimentation with modern synth-pop. This contrast did the visual work of mirroring both the album’s emotional and sonic extremes.

I would also, of course, be a little remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to Taylor’s Oscar de la Renta gown worn to the 2014 Met Gala. Its lore is, after all, what inspired the cover of Taylor Swift Style - the publication of which completely changed my life (With many thanks to all of you for that).

ICYMI: The journey to getting to that final cover was … well. I’ll let this piece do the talking.

• February 8, 2009 in Kaufmanfranco at 2009 Grammy Awards

• April 18, 2010 in Marchesa at 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards

• April 3, 2011 in Elie Saab at 2011 Academy of Country Music Awards

• November 9, 2011 in J. Mendel at 2011 Country Music Association Awards

• April 1, 2012 in J. Mendel at 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards

• February 20, 2013 in Elie Saab at 2013 BRIT Awards

• January 26, 2014 in Gucci at 2014 Grammy Awards

• November 23, 2014 in Michael Kors at 2014 American Music Awards

• March 14, 2021 in Oscar de la Renta at 2021 Grammys

• January 7, 2024 in Gucci at 2024 Golden Globes

I’ve been asked plenty of times about my favorite and least favorite outfits. Hence this list! But it’s not until you sit down and try to look at an entire body of fashion that you realize the trends and similarities that bubble to the surface. I experienced this sensation when writing my book Taylor Swift Style. I felt it again, here, in compiling this list. Like my love, say, for a column skirt!

As a neutral lover, there’s of course a few requisite looks in black (2009 Grammys, 2013 BRITs) and white (2012 ACMs). But there’s a dash of color, too! Even outside my beloved green (2014 AMAs, 2024 Golden Globes). I also can’t help noticing that shades from her back-to-back ACM looks in 2010 and 2011 reappear in her 2021 Grammy look, a bit of colorful connective tissue that links them together in my mind.

Lastly, I did want to call attention to the dove grey tulle gown worn to the 2011 CMAs. I’ve always felt this was an extremely underrated outing that, to this day, doesn’t get nearly enough love. The wispy, soft grey alone is such a quietly stunning color that Taylor rarely wears as in cases where color is absent she’ll opt for one of those aforementioned neutrals or a glittering sparkle.

1. April 2010 for Elle

2. July 2010 for Marie Claire

3. November 2012 for Marie Claire U.K.

4. April 2013 for Vanity Fair

5. November 2013 for InStyle

6. March 2014 for Glamour

7. November 2014 for Fashion

8. March 2015 for Vogue

9. November 2015 for Vogue Australia

10. January 2020 for Vogue U.K.

Pulling together this portion of the list was, remarkably, quite easy. In retrospect, there were so many photoshoots I’ve subconsciously been tracking as inspiration sources for Taylor. Beautifully-directed spreads that I’ve tacked onto a moodboard or collage at some point over the years to serve as inspiration for an aesthetic direction I hoped one of her eras would veer towards.

ICYMI: A few of Taylor’s magazine spreads made their way into my “TS12” moodboards last summer that, in retrospect, I feel were right on the money!

One of my favorite things about magazine photoshoots is how they function as glimpses into alternate realities. Taylor, of course, is at the helm of her own album photoshoots as a guiding light for how she wants one of her own eras to look and feel (my favorites of those could be a separate category on their own!). But, armed with editorial and style staffing of their own, a magazine shoot gives Taylor the opportunity to try on couture like a costume and experiment with new aesthetics in a low-risk and highly creative environment.

Sometimes, magazine photoshoots can operate as a catalyst for long-term change. Indeed, some of Taylor’s most iconic visuals, those signature aesthetic shorthands, can be traced back to style choices made by editorial personnel on a magazine set.

Her iconic red lip? Allure 2009. Her forehead-cloaking fringe? Vogue 2012. Even her most daring and unexpected hair switch up, Bleachella, has its - ahem - roots was also from Vogue’s editorial direction back in 2016. I always applaud experimentation of this nature. Of the photoshoots above, the one whose styling I’d most like to call out is her November 2015 spread for Vogue Australia. I felt the choice by Christine Centenera, the shoot’s stylist, to pair couture runway gowns with simple cotton bras (picked up for $75 from Araks) in sweet pastels was a beautiful juxtaposition. The way their scalloped detail peeked out from behind those haute couture garments made for an innocent-yet-sultry contrast.

Fingers crossed we get to see Taylor in this setting again someday!

• Fearless Tour in Jenny Packham

• Speak Now Tour in Susan Hilferty

• Speak Now Tour in Valentino

• RED Tour in Yigal Azrouël

• 1989 Tour in Zuhair Murad

• Eras Tour in Versace

• Eras Tour in Roberto Cavalli

• Eras Tour in Alberta Ferretti

• Eras Tour in Roberto Cavalli

• Eras Tour in Zuhair Murad

The supremacy of The Eras Tour costuming is clearly on display here. Its ubiquity on this list should be proof enough that the decision to tap established fashion designers rather than traditional stage costumers was a wise one. In my view, The Eras Tour produced some of the most superb and iconic visuals of Taylor’s career. Indeed, the evolution of her tour wardrobe operates brilliantly as a reflection of the ever-growing scale of her star power.

To be sure, her first headlining outings on the Fearless and Speak Now Tours relied largely on off-the-rack sparkly dresses. On the subsequent RED, 1989, and reputation tours she graduated to a custom wardrobe from dedicated stage costumers the likes of Marina Toybina and Jessica Jones. But it was her grand stadium victory lap, Eras, that saw her commission custom ensembles from high end legacy design houses like Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli, and beyond — upping both her budget and visual legacy in one sleek move all while neatly paying homage to previous iterations of her tour costumes.

To that point, while Taylor wore many beautiful ballgowns during the abridged Speak Now portion of the Eras setlist, these are all but a palimpsest of the original Valentino gown Taylor wore for the Speak Now Tour’s final curtain call and that I’ve chosen to honor here.

Taylor wore many iterations of a white button up tucked into a pair of her signature high-waisted shorts from the RED era (the lovely lace collar moment sticks out in my mind as a lovely iteration), but I ultimately chose this mirrored collar shirt because I felt its juxtaposition of flashy modernity with the retro elements of her fedora, shorts, and laceup oxfords to be an accurate reflection of the harsh contrasts and emotions explored on the RED album.

Of course, you know my heartstrings were most tugged by the Zuhair Murad Couture bodysuit Taylor wore to originally perform “Style” on the 1989 Tour; an early example of her wearing couture as costume and our first moment of this perfect pop song taking to the stage.

By sheer volume, whittling down the street style portion of this list was the most arduous. By my rough estimate, Taylor has had some 1,400 or so streetwear outings captured since 2007. That’s a lot of clothes!

When it came to organizing this portion of the list, I decided to break it down into themes that tap into the reoccurring motifs I love to see Taylor wear. I hesitate to call these “trends” as that would indicate an ephemeral interest. Rather, these are what I consider the style pillars that continue to appear throughout the eras that tap into Taylor’s innate sense of style. The mainstays that might subtly shift in color or silhouette in order to meet an era (a dress), rather than an era conjuring an item out of thematic necessity to demarcate its own timely signature (1989’s crop tops). The aesthetics that keep Taylor recognizable and charmingly familiar for those who love and follow her style (and seek to emulate it!).

Whimsy

• August 13, 2010 in Urban Outfitters

• November 22, 2011 in Ralph Lauren, Anthropologie, Fendi, and Marc Jacobs

• May 17, 2012 in Free People, Reformation, Christian Louboutin, and Chanel

• October 4, 2012 in French Connection, Mark Cross, AG Jeans, and Charlotte Olympia

• December 4, 2012 in Topshop, Mother, Beara Beara, and Chanel

• January 8, 2013 in Nation Ltd, Mark Cross, Topshop, and Cole Haan

• September 29, 2013 in Reformation, and Chanel

• December 13, 2015 in Brandy Melville, Aqua, and Zimmermann

• August 24, 2016 in Alexander Wang, Lovers + Friends, Miu Miu, and M Gemi

• November 7, 2025 in Thom Browne, The Row, and Gucci

Though I’m a neutral lover through-and-through (spoiler: see below), I heartily admire Taylor’s whimsical approach to dress. Specifically when it comes to color and accessories.

Point of fact, if I were to pick anything from Taylor’s repertoire as her most “signature” element of fashion: it’s a sense of whimsy. Of, dare I say, wrongness. It’s often the small, slightly offbeat detail that makes a look feel unmistakably Taylor to me. Curiously, this quality is rarely credited as such. More often, it has been misfiled under the far less generous label of “cringe.” Perhaps this is a grandfathered judgement based on who Taylor is and for how long she’s been exhibiting this style habit. I know I’m not the first or only millennial unlearning embarrassment and leaning in to the joy of appearing to be effortful. Yet long before the internet widely began to espouse the “wrong shoe theory” Taylor was charmingly accessorizing her outfits with a touch of deliberately wrong whimsy. A playfully chunky shoe. A clashing bag. An odd color palette that shouldn’t work but somehow does.

Nowadays, this disjointed type of styling is a trend. It’s fashionable to style ensembles with the “wrong” items to create an intentional mismatch. One that gives the wearer permission to try something unexpected, resulting in a look that feels strangely harmonious. The “wrong” item adds tension to a look. It’s this tension that translates to interest and keeps us looking.

Coats & Boots

• January 9, 2009 in Kate Spade and Christian Louboutin

• October 9, 2014 in Novis NYC, Timo Weiland, and Jimmy Choo

• May 2, 2016 in Louis Vuitton

• July 15, 2018 in Faith Connexion and Stuart Weitzman

• December 6, 2023 in Stella McCartney

If there are two categories where I’m most envious of Taylor for, it’s her outerwear and boots. As a result, I feel her style takes on a renewed shape in the fall months; invigorated by incredible coats and footwear. In looking at my personal wardrobe, it feels worthwhile to invest in these categories simply for the impact they can have. They are the whole outfit!

These are some of the examples that stick out most in my mind. Whether that be for their color or pattern they all feel oh-so-covetable. Recognize that center look? It’s actually Taylor en-route to the 2016 Met Gala, when she put her freshly bleached bob on red carpet display as co-chair of the famed fashion event. While I didn’t love the Louis Vuitton dress she wore underneath, I felt the outfit took on a whole new vibe when you see the coat paired with the boots. Swoon!

Knitwear

• September 11, 2010 in Wildfox Couture and Aldo

• October 11, 2014 in 525 America, Free People, Aldo, and Jimmy Choo

• October 13, 2016 in Elizabeth & James, L.K. Bennett, Frame, and Ralph Lauren

• September 30, 2023 in The Row, Stella McCartney, Mother, and Giuseppe Zanotti

• October 26, 2023 in Stella McCartney, Tods, and Prada

Per Taylor’s excellent fall fashion, I couldn’t not pay homage to some of her most charming knits. From her whimsical graphic sweaters by Wildfox Couture, to fall-friendly pumpkin spice latte tones or preppy plaids and polos.

Tailoring

• March 22, 2011 in Theory, Ralph Lauren, and Cole Haan

• March 30, 2014 in Anthropologie, Paige, and Isabel Marant

• April 18, 2015 in Missguided, Prada, and Elie Saab

• February 24, 2016 in Isabel Marant

• September 21, 2023 in Alaïa, Brandon Blackwood, The Row, and Aquazzura

Admittedly, there’s some self-service on display here as I will always personally +1 a blazer. And, of course, any opportunity for that greeeeeeeeen ensemble from 2015. The heels! The bag!

These are the outfits that I’ve taken inspiration from in my own life on countless occasions. I’ve done an iteration on that 2023 ‘fit for going to the office more than I can count!

All Black

• September 30, 2010 in Rick Owens and Christian Louboutin

• January 24, 2012 in Rick Owens, ASOS, Ralph Lauren, and Chanel

• November 8, 2012 in Catherine Hooker

• January 21, 2014 in Reformation, Dolce & Gabbana, and Rag & Bone

• March 29, 2014 in J. Brand, Cuore & Pelle, and Rag & Bone

• April 17, 2014 in Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Louboutin

• July 11, 2014 in Reformation, Dolce & Gabbana, and Christian Louboutin

• September 3, 2014 in Guess, Prada, and Elie Saab

• October 23, 2016 in Vatanika, Meshki, and Christian Louboutin

• September 7, 2024 in Undress Code, The Row, and Louis Vuitton

As someone who wears a lot of black in my personal outfits, I had to throw in a collage here of some of Taylor’s best in noir monochrome. Focusing on just one color dilates the commonalities and massages away the era-eccentricities of each of these outfits. When you strip everything back to focus on just one similarity, it becomes easy to see an evolution of her fashion through time. The skinny jeans iconic to the 2010s, the vintage elements introduced into the RED era, the matching sets energy through 2014, and a boost in skin-baring confidence in her later years.

Might I add, I’ve copy + pasted that last outfit in 2024 countless times by now.

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Phew! What a list. And what a life of fashion led. Were any of your favorites among my list? Or, more salaciously, any of your least favorites? I’d love to know!

Your turn!

• Favorite Event?

• Favorite Award?

• Favorite Tour?

• Favorite Street Style?

Leave a comment

And it was true. It was still late February — weeks shy of their usual late March debut around here. The calendar, dependable and orderly, insists on its sequence. Winter, then spring. Wait your turn. And yet, there they were. Soft pink cherry blossoms, unbothered by timing. Not consulting the forecast. Not checking whether the world felt “ready.” Just insistently blooming.

I stood there longer than necessary, considering the audacity of it. The boldness of appearing ahead of schedule. The refusal to shrink back simply because it isn’t technically your season. It’s a radical idea. To bloom when you’re “not supposed to.” To choose your own timeline. To not feel beholdened to optics or obligation. The blossoms didn’t ask permission. They didn’t poll the neighborhood group chat. They simply responded to the warmth they felt … and opened. Maybe that’s the lesson. That we don’t have to wait until everything is “just so” before stepping into light.

Cherry blossom season is one of my favorite times of year. It marks that a dear friend’s birthday is around the corner - someone lovely to celebrate. It cues saving daylight and a leap forward by an hour (by the way, the last one Vancouver is going to have!). But mostly because it is fleeting. Yet every year its ephemeral beauty coaxes us outside. This year, it seems, the bravest thing you can do is to just show up. On your own terms. Undeniably alive.

Kind of a lovely idea, right?

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A No-Buy Stuck In An Endless February: I successfully made it through a no-buy February. Sure, it’s the shortest month of the year. But an accomplishment is an accomplishment I say! Sometimes, a no-buy is an act of discipline: a conscious decision to close the tabs, step away from the cart, and not shop. And sometimes a no-buy isn’t restraint at all, it’s an outcome. The results from a closet that finally works, instincts that are well-trained, and a life full enough that you don’t feel the tug to buy! buy! buy! in the first place. I think it’s a good thing to train your shopping “muscles” - so to speak. I like to create as many barriers as possible ahead of buying. These are simple tricks that have saved me from dozens of impulse purchases in the past.

Some suggestions?

• Build up guardrails — aka requirements — for items in your closet. Whether that’s Three Words or from a Color Analysis selection.

ICYMI: I’ve written previously on both these methods in defining my personal style.

• Add items to a wishlist for a pre-determined time first before a cart

• Add outfit ideas to a moodboard to make sure you can already envision multiple ways to wear that item with things you already own before it even makes its way into your closet.

Loving Clothes Was Red: Spinning the dial 180 from a “no buy” into “new buys” … hah! I recently lucked out with some new red pieces in my wardrobe. I’ve quickly slotted these into the Edgy category of my Three Words (Minimalist, Edgy, Classic). One thing I talk about often is that the Three Words to define your personal style are precisely that: yours. How you interpret them and manifest those ideals into your wardrobe are up to you to determine. I’ll basically always slide anything red, leopard, or leather under the Edgy header personally.

First, a pair of red sneakers. I’ve found Larroudé’s comfort to be hit/miss but these are definitely a hit. Every step I take I can immediately envision tromping these foam-padded soles on 20K+ step days through European cities. Divine!

Second, a chain-accented shoulder bag. This was my bag-of-choice on a recent whirlwind stint in Los Angeles (more on that below). It’s roomy, packs up well, and gives outfits a glam zing thanks to its gold chain detailing and poppy red hue.

Third, this utility-meets-cute chore jacket. I can admit to an impulse buy when I succumb to one. Woops! But my god does the Gap know how to do a sale. This came out to be 60% off total (it was already on sale with a stackable 30% off code ‘GREAT’ at checkout). A capricious purchase? Perhaps. But I’m confident it’s a keeper. You see, one area I’ve felt my closet could use help in is the liminal space that is shoulder weather. The brief snatches of time when a wool coat is too much but a knit on its own is utterly inadequate. Enter the light jacket. I look forward to layering this with denim or trousers this spring and into the fall.

In The Angels City Chasing A 72 Hour Itinerary: In February I leapt at the opportunity for a quick dip down to Los Angeles. When I tell you that an outside table under the sun in Venice, CA with a matcha latte gave me the strength to power through the rest of Vancouver’s chill? Not! An! Exaggeration! It was a fast trip with a mix of business and, for the first time, pleasure. It’s funny to think that I’ve been down to Los Angeles at least once a year the last five years or so — but always purely for work. Desksides, media events, book signings. All blessed things I’m grateful to have been able to do. But the chance to have even a few brief hours just for fun? I couldn’t turn that down. Here’s what I did — and packed — in an informal and rapid fire formatting.

DAY ONE: I took a morning flight down and spent my pre-boarding time answering emails. Maybe it’s the NEXUS card giving me a puffed-up sense of confidence, but I like to time my airport arrival to an hour from boarding. I find it’s the sweet spot for getting through security, grabbing a coffee, and posting up at my gate (I simply must LEOTG, diva!) with a comfortable enough buffer. This feels like personal growth to not have inherited my mother’s trait for arriving five hours before fly time. Yeesh! From gate to gate, a three hour gap in the air between YVR and LAX is - to me - a perfect length of time to grind out pitch responses and get some writing done.

For a comfy travel outfit, I wore these breezy pants* that are immune to wrinkling and have a very cool on-trend barrel shape, with a tee, flats, and a classic trench. I popped a sweater in my personal item to throw on to brace against the plane chill. Completely unfussed but also totally comfortable. Dare I say this is a new travel uniform? I got to my hotel in the early afternoon and somehow nailed the timing of my Goop Kitchen order to my room just as reception handed over my hotel key. SMOOTH! I shimmied upstairs for lunch and wrapped up work in the early evening before heading out to see a friend for dinner at Ronan’s on Melrose. The cocktails were delightful, the broccolini appie even better, the tiramisu somehow more so. The pizza was good, but shockingly wasn’t my best of the weekend. Spoiler ahead …

DAY TWO: A full day off to languish in L.A.! I met up with a friend in the morning to whiz up and down Runyon Canyon. It’s a Los Angeles rite of passage I’ve missed out on all these years that felt satisfying to finally check off my list. Before too long it was back to my hotel room for a quick change and an even quicker lunch. Yes, more Goop Kitchen delivered on premises and eaten on freshly turned-down hotel white bedsheets. And damnit if it wasn’t good. In the past I’ve stuck with GK’s bowls and salad rolls but this time I tried the pizza. My mind? Absolutely blown. What can I say, Gwyneth is a woman of taste.

For a stroll through the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, I churned out an easy uniform of blazer, tee, jeans, and flats. The peppy piece was my aforementioned red leather Demellier bag. The night was capped off with an early preview of “Wuthering Heights”.

ICYMI: I wrote a piece to make a case for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” and - of course - all! the! fashion. Read below!

The best part of Los Angeles traffic? Tons of time to blast Showgirl with a west coast sunset painting the world outside the windows. Fragments of my girlhood heal every time I scream a Taylor Swift bridge with friends while on the road to somewhere, together.

DAY THREE: All too soon it was already time to head home. I squeezed in a workout in the hotel gym (is it weird if one of my favorite things about travel is lurking about new exercise spots and seeing what machines they have?) and dashed off some hours of work. For a pre-flight meal I went to an L.A. favorite of mine: Great White. Their interiors are always what I associate with coastal California design. The Venice location is situated a neat 20 minutes to LAX which I promptly headed to afterwards for the flight home. I find getting dressed on the last day of a trip is easy as you only have so many clean clothes left in your luggage. Often, I’ll return to what I wore on the flight out with a fresh top. This time, I had special plans immediately upon landing so I chose to remix the blazer from the other day with a different tee and jeans. Slightly dressier! And that’s also a “YES” to jeans on planes!

Vals and Gals: I hopped off the plane at YVR and … drove straight to an early Valentine’s dinner with my sweet husband at our favorite place. It’s then I learned that there really might be something to what they say about meeting at the restaurant … the sparks! I had butterflies walking from my car. When I finally entered the space, I glanced around in the dim light and saw him tucked into a table for two at the back with my favorite cocktail (a mezcal negroni) already waiting for me. Smooooooooth. Future date nights: Take notes. By contrast, another date that was important to keep? A Galentine’s outing. Our group (minus one who sadly couldn’t make it) is always down for an activity. So we gave pottery a whirl! This is my PSA that I think it’s important to do things you are not good at. It keeps you humble. And I am terrible at basically any creative tactile activity. Painting, knitting, drawing - you name it and I am bad at it. I’m excited to see what my blobby clay lumps will look like once all fired up and glazed.

Does anyone here know the lyrics to this … Bridge-rton: Am I about the last person alive to jump on the Bridgerton train? In all likelihood yes. It was either finally give a new show a go … or watch Grey’s Anatomy for the umpteenth time. Needless to say I just finished season two and, on friendly recommendation, am skipping season three in favor of the latest eight episode drop. The shoulder pan in That Scene? Full shivers.

Leave The Perfume On the Shelf: I’m a bit of a perfume hoarder. I love a fragrance! While I have my forever favorites, I’m always open to rotating in new scents. On a whim, I gave Bella Hadid’s Orabella a go with their Discovery Set. Shockingly, the absolute runaway favorite for me was Salted Muse described as a “woody marine” scent that, indeed, smells like an oceanside forest. Nightcap is for sweet and heady gourmand lovers and I thought Window2Soul was a fresher take on a classic rose palette (a note I turn to often in the spring … groundbreaking!).

If We Survived The Great Ticket War: I truly feel like I lucked out last month when I managed to grab tickets to not only Noah Kahan but also Hilary Duff! WOOP! Now, I’ve got until January 2027(!) for the Lucky Me Tour but I feel like I simply can’t pass up the opportunity to wear something nostalgic. What are we thinking, friends? Sparkly tube tops? Chokers? Rhinestone denim? We must dish.

In The Papers, On The Screen, and In Exclusive Vinyls: In Taylor news, this week we received the announcement that a special version of “Elizabeth Taylor” on vinyl would be dropping as part of Record Store Day. RSD, as it’s shortened to, is an annual event which celebrates independent record stores through the release of limited-edition vinyls. Taylor has participated in RSD since her debut era. She’s so far released RSD-exclusive variants for Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red (2012), and 1989. More recently, Taylor has pivoted to releasing single songs for RSD participation beginning with “the lakes” in 2022 and “Fortnight” in 2025. The “Elizabeth Taylor” vinyl will release in limited quantities to participating stores on April 18 with more information on the official Record Store Day website here. Might this give us an inclination that “Elizabeth Taylor” will be The Life of a Showgirl’s third single? I can only hope! It’s one of my favorite tracks off the album. I’m already picturing the music video visuals … swoon!

I resisted the siren call of vinyl collecting for years. But last year I finally decided to dip a toe in by hunting down all the green Taylor pressings. Including acquiring the elusive opaque version of the evermore vinyl. I sourced mine from Germany! Aren’t they just dreamy all collected together like so?

Call it collecting … with boundaries. Personally, it relieves a bit of participatory stress for me and a way to join the fun on my terms without fully spiralling into the stacks.

Your turn! Would you please answer these for me?

1. What’s your go-to color “pop” in your outfits?

2. What are your favorite short trips you’ve been on?

3. How early do you show up for flights?

4. Favorite perfume?

5. Are you going to any concerts this year?

6. What do you hope will be the next few single(s) off The Life of a Showgirl?

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This essay includes discussion of eating disorders, body image, and recovery from a personal perspective. While the intention is to foster understanding and connection, these themes can be difficult.

If these topics are close to your own experience, please engage (or disengage) in whatever way feels safest for you and consider reaching out to supportive resources, trusted people, or professional help if needed. In the U.S., the National Eating Disorders Association offers resources, guidance, and pathways to care. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is also available for immediate emotional support.
- S

For a long time, I didn’t know who I was without my eating disorder. I used to view it as the source of my power. It’s not restriction, it’s discipline. It’s not punishment, it’s control. When you’re sick, you start to see that sickness as an integral part of you. You see it not as destructive behavior, but as your very identity. When I began to attend therapy in order to address my mental health, every attempt to circumvent the pain or to make my brain stop its incessant thoughts only elicited a clawing panic. It felt like cutting away at the very fabric of my being. I mistakenly assigned my positive attributes back to this toxic root. My drive, my ambition, my focus. I incorrectly thought these were present because of, not in spite of, my disorder. My brain took my disorder as helpful instead of hurtful, interpreting everything it did as something that pushed me forward towards my goals. In reality, it kept me in place; stuck in an endless shame cycle. Every futile effort to reach a healthier place just made this part of me cling harder. The intrusive thoughts were like a song I couldn’t get out of my head. It carried its own pounding, incessant beat. Instead of lyrics, it was a running list of criticisms about every body part. Shoulders. Arms. Tummy. Thighs. Hips. Knees.

The heartbreaking truth is that what I’m describing is not unique. In the United States alone, nearly 30 million people will suffer from eating disorders in their lifetime and 15% of women will have had one before turning 40. It is the mental illness with the highest mortality rate and carries a risk of suicide 18 times higher than those without an eating disorder. This also only represents the cases that are recorded. There are many more people who go undiagnosed, unnoticed, or ignored entirely. BIPOC individuals, for example, are half as likely to be diagnosed as their white peers, despite being affected by eating disorders at a similar rate.

This week (February 23-March 1) is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week​. It’s impossible to observe a week like this without taking inventory of my own history. Awareness matters because it makes honesty feel possible. It reminds us that reaching out — that trying — is an act of courage and that speaking openly about what we carry can gently dismantle the loneliness that keeps us stuck. Healing, I’m learning, is as much about connection as it is about recovery itself. So in the pursuit of awareness, my memories loosened and brought into focus the chapters of my life I once worked so hard to blur.

This week, I wiped the lens. For the first time in a long time, I assembled the timeline of my life. Unflinchingly, I traced my eating disorder by the exercise method I used to wrangle it into submission. Each phase of my exertion leading back to formative moments in childhood, shaped by a culture that teaches young women to view their bodies as projects to be managed long before they understand the cost of that lesson. As I charted the progression — the familiar patterns, the recycled promises — the exercise led me back to the present moment, and with it, a guiding refrain from an artist whose influence has rippled across more than half my life and who, herself, opened up about her own eating disorder. And subsequently helped me face my own.

In a similarly reflective piece, Taylor wrote for Elle magazine the 30 lessons she’d come to learn by age 30. In it, she discussed the ongoing work it took to confront her negative relationship with her body. “I learned to stop hating every ounce of fat on my body,” she wrote. “I worked hard to retrain my brain that a little extra weight means curves, shinier hair, and more energy. I think a lot of us push the boundaries of dieting, but taking it too far can be really dangerous. There is no quick fix. I work on accepting my body every day.”

I have, too.

📝 Support: The rest of the post is under the cut below for paid subscribers only. Liner Notes doesn’t take on any advertisers and is entirely supported by readers like you who have a love of fashion and are unafraid of the deep dive. Every bit of support for the editorial efforts that go into making posts like this means so much. Would you consider supporting me by upgrading to a paid subscription or gifting a month today?

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I had in my mind a two-part Taylor wedding series for this newsletter to publish around Valentine’s Day (naturally). The first part, a dedication to Taylor’s wedding guest fashion, was published yesterday, which I’ll relink below.

The second part: A summary of reported wedding plans so far … plus my own predictions about what she might wear now that it’s finally her turn down the aisle.

However, a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles pushed my calendar out a bit. It’s here now, though! And I figured, why not have the entire month be a little more lovely, right?

There is a particular emotional vertigo that comes with covering someone’s style for years, only to find yourself, suddenly, on the precipice of *the* dress. Documenting Taylor’s fashion for as long as I have (in 2026, Taylor Swift Style enters its 15th year!) has, in its own way, meant tracing the visual language of her love stories. Every narrative strategically sliced into eras, each with clearly defined rules for aesthetic in order to conveniently plot Taylor’s life on a graph. Predicting the gown that will accompany her long-imagined fairytale ending feels like the culmination of a narrative. For an artist whose catalogue is, in many ways, a running thesis on romance and reinvention, a wedding dress is not merely a garment but is the ultimate extension of personal storytelling. Indeed, I wonder if we can expect thoughtful details to be spliced into the gown’s design that nod to her and Travis’ relationship. Not Easter Eggs. But merely sentimental touches that reflect a person who deeply cares about details and has long been the ultimate steward of her image.

Beyond the sentimentality, the industry stakes are impossible to ignore. Taylor’s bridal choice will not exist in a vacuum; it will reverberate through ateliers, trend forecasts, and bridal moodboards for decades. The so-called “Swift Effect” — the measurable surge in searches, sell-outs, and cultural fixation that follows Taylor’s wardrobe choices — all but guarantees that replication. Her engagement ring alone has offered a preview of the commercial aftershocks the bridal industry is bracing for. The ring, by New York-based Kindred Lubeck, has singularly spurred interest in fine filigree work, elongated cushion cuts, and old mine diamonds - a significant pivot away from the airy oval solitaire that’s dominated trends since Hailey Bieber set that standard in 2018 with her engagement ring. (I write this with my own oval solitaire, set on a thin gold band, sparkling under a table lamp.) “Judging by the tens of millions of people who are showing their excitement on Instagram, we can now expect a resurgence in old mine cuts and other heritage ring designs,” De Beers CEO Al Cook told The New Yorker.

💍 ICYMI: I wrote a recap following Taylor and Travis’ engagement of their relationship and, of course, The Ring!

Indeed, I can recall from my own time as a bridal stylist the number of brides-to-be who would walk into the studio and request a version of a celebrity gown for their own day. Catherine, Princess of Wales and the aforementioned Hailey Bieber were always top references. This wedding will assuredly be remembered not only as a cultural event but as a market catalyst.

In this piece, I’m revisiting the moments Taylor has stepped into bridal territory before, unpacking the rumors currently shaping expectations around the ceremony, and, finally, offering informed predictions about the dress itself: the designers, references, and emotional cues most likely to define a look destined for fashion history.

💚 Paid Content Ahead: This newsletter is for paid subscribers. If you find yourself enjoying my content, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support the editorial efforts that go into making posts like this. Liner Notes is entirely reader supported thanks to a community of people who love nuance, critical kindness, and the long-form format. Thank you for considering and an extra thanks to you if you’re already a paid subscriber. - S

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“I actually never thought about what I would ever do or what I would want until I met the person.”

This was a relevation Taylor offered in an interview to U.K.-based Heart Radio during the release week of The Life of a Showgirl. It was in response to being asked about her imminent wedding plans. She continued, “You would think that I had been the type of person who would have obsessed over the idea of a wedding my whole life, but … this is the first time I have thought about that.”

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I had in my mind a two-part Taylor wedding series for this newsletter to publish around Valentine’s Day (naturally). Today, the first part: A dedication to Taylor’s wedding guest fashion. The second part: A summary of reported wedding plans so far PLUS my own predictions about what she might wear now that it’s finally her turn down the aisle. You can read that post below.

However, a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles pushed my calendar out a bit. It’s here now, though! And I figured, why not have the entire month be a little more lovely, right?

Before becoming engaged herself, Taylor has attended many of her friends’ (and even fans’!) weddings. While we’ve seen Taylor appear at glamorous events since she was a teen, these private wedding ceremonies for those in her life feel different than the highly publicized affairs of an awards show or red carpet event. Her style, by extension, shifts to suit the circumstances. Sometimes at the request of a bride when Taylor has stood up as a member of a bridal party. But just as often to reflect the more restrained nature of the event, where the goal is not to make an artistic statement or extend a personal visual legacy, but rather to be a supporting act, to have fun, and to enjoy an evening of romantic festivities.

I’ve loved observing - and feeling inspired by - Taylor’s wedding guest style. With dress codes varying from wedding to wedding, it’s helpful to have Taylor’s reliably excellent and feminine style as a guiding light to navigate this tricky area of dress. I know I’ve felt challenged ahead of many wedding RSVPs in my life (cocktail? black tie? semi-formal?), especially at this current juncture when it seems many of my friends are either freshly engaged or about to say “I do.” I’m at that age!

In seeing Taylor’s looks over the years, what’s emerged is an excellent wedding guest uniform that would work for most occasions and that anyone can replicate: An a-line midi dress, loosely pulled back hair, and versatile heels. A red lip (classic) thing that any wedding guest would like acts as a great finisher.

As we anticipate what many have dubbed “The American Royal Wedding” between Taylor and Travis, I wanted to recap Taylor’s wedding fashion as a guest and provide some helpful lessons we can all take from her on guest dressing for our own events. I’ve even pulled together a shoppable moodboard, inspired by the looks seen here, at the end. Keep scrolling for a look back on all the times Taylor has attended a wedding.

👰‍♀️ … and come back tomorrow for my predictions on what I imagine Taylor might wear to her own wedding. wink!

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Britany Maack, February 2016

Looking back, I wonder if Vogue feels they squandered a Taylor wedding cover story opportunity. In 2016, reporter Jason Gay accompanied Taylor on a trip to her hometown of Reading, PA where he received a tour of her childhood bedroom (the Christmas tree farm thusly documented in the 2019 song) and was Taylor’s +1 to childhood friend Britany Maack’s wedding. Maack married her high school sweetheart Benjamin LaManna. “I met [Britany] when I was 10 days old, and [Ben] in kindergarten. Now they’re married and I’m the happiest maid of honor ever,” Taylor wrote in an Instagram post (pre-reputation social media reboot) congratulating the couple. In the feature, Gay asked Taylor if she imagined herself married one day. “I’m just taking things as they come,” she replied.

As maid-of-honor, Taylor treated Maack to an appointment at Reem Acra’s New York City showroom where she picked out a silk taffeta ballgown. Taylor thoughtfully coordinated her blush chiffon dress to the bride’s, opting for a pared back version of Britany’s cap sleeves and hand-embroidered bodice. In Taylor’s early years, Reem Acra was a “favorite” designer she turned to often.

To commemorate a milestone for a childhood friend, dipping into her nostalgic roots for something sweetly familiar felt apt. “Reem does the most amazing bridal designs,” Taylor said to People at the time. The magazine joined Vogue in securing press of the nuptials via exclusive images from inside the ceremony. “Britany and I were looking through Vogue, and she pointed to this one gown, and I was like, ‘I wonder if we could go to the showroom’.” Taylor and Maack shopped Acra’s NYC showroom over the summer which Taylor described as “the best day ever.” Taylor’s dress aligns with the soft, floaty, feminine pieces she often turned to for her own red carpet events at the time. This makes sense given the higher profile of the designer, who continues to dress celebrities in tandem with his bridal offerings. Britany’s 13 other bridesmaids were dressed in BHLDN, Anthropologie’s sister brand devoted to bridal and wedding collections.

In addition to a moving maid-of-honor speech, Taylor treated the newlywed couple to an acoustic rendition of her song “Shake It Off.”

Styling liner note: If you’re in the wedding party, feel free to take style cues from the bride. Mirroring small details in her dress will make for charmingly coordinated photos.

Eliotte Nicole, April 2016

Some know the weekend Taylor debuted her freshly lightened hair at Coachella Music Festival by its moniker “Bleachella.” To Eliotte Nicole, Taylor’s longtime backup singer, it’s the weekend she got married.

Taylor spliced her west coast weekend itinerary, flying to Nicole’s hometown of San Antonio, TX to attend the ceremony before promptly returning to Indio, CA to take in the rest of the festival’s lineup.

Some questioned Taylor’s outfit for the ceremony. Looking back, I still feel charmed by her Erickson Beamon choker which reflected her edgier style of the moment. We all go through phases of being “emotionally attached”1 to signature accessories. Indeed, Taylor donned a new one for every Coachella set she took in it seemed.

But it was the color of her crepe dress, from The Row (you can still grab this exact dress secondhand here, here, and here!), that gained the most attention. Namely because most would swear off wearing white to a wedding. My take? The only person whose opinion matters, in that regard, is the bride. In photos later shared to Nicole’s Instagram sending Taylor birthday wishes it seems she had zero issues with Taylor’s ensemble.

Taylor has been demonstrably close with her band and backup singers, many of whom have shared a stage with her for years. Nicole, as an example, joined the lineup as one of Taylor’s backup singers (collectively coined “The Starlights” by fans) on the RED Tour in 2013 and has continued in that role up to the most recent Eras Tour.

Styling liner note: Lean into signature accessories. Perhaps a hot take, but I’m not afraid of an ensemble looking “dated.” Milestones are snapshots in time. Embrace the idea that these photos will capture the person you were - or wanted to be - in that moment. It will make looking back on that time all the more sentimental.

Abigail Anderson, September 2017

From sitting next to her in class to standing up beside her as she said “I do.” Dressed in a deep burgundy chiffon gown by Jenny Yoo, Taylor attended her childhood friend Abigail Anderson’s first wedding in Martha’s Vineyard, MA in 2017 to photographer Matt Lucier.

The two forged their friendship prior to Taylor’s musical career and have remained close ever since. Abigail first surfaces in Taylor’s lyrics in the 2008 song “Fifteen”, chronicling their time together in high school while navigating the trials of teenaged love. Abigail has also appeared in a handful of Taylor’s projects, including music videos (the aforementioned “Fifteen” as well as “Picture to Burn,” “I’m Only Me When I’m with You,” and “New Romantics”) and her 2019 documentary Miss Americana. More recently, Abigail was mentioned in Taylor’s latest album The Life of a Showgirl, name dropped amidst the sentimental thrum of the bridge in track “Ruin the Friendship” - another ode to wistful young romance.

This dress feels as classically “bridesmaid” as they come. Easy and flattering for all. The type that you could totally just shorten and wear again. In fact, I wore something similar for a friends’ wedding in October 2020 that featured deep, fall-inspired tones.

Abigail’s bridesmaids, nine total, all wore the same color in different styles - another great way for a bride to dictate cohesion while giving room for everyone to pick their preferred silhouette. Taylor opted for a halter silhouette. You might also recognize her silver disc necklace - an initialed Tiffany & Co piece that’s the likely source of a lyric from reputation’s “Call It What You Want.”

Abigail later married her second husband, Charles Berard, in September 2022. It’s unconfirmed if Taylor attended that ceremony.

Styling liner note: Embrace individuality, even in a group. Bridesmaid dressing doesn’t always have to be a cohesive uniform. Most brides I know take the approach of dictating a certain color to their party, but letting everyone pick their preferred silhouette. Take this opportunity to wear a silhouette you feel most yourself in.

Claire Winter Kislinger, October 2017

One of Taylor’s long-term, but lowkey, friendships is with jewelry designer Claire Winter Kislinger. Their initial introduction was through - of all things - a ring.

The two met in 2011 through Winter Kislinger’s mother, the jewelry designer Cathy Waterman, when they gifted Taylor the brand’s signature “LOVE” ring. For an artist whose work continually returns to love as both muse and mythology, it was a thoroughly on-brand present. The gesture resonated so deeply that Taylor not only continued to wear Cathy Waterman pieces on red carpets, she carried the ring into the visual world of her album RED just a year later.

The ring is embedded in the album booklet alongside the name “Claire” stealthily spelled out in capital letters in the liner notes for her song “22.” This practice was part of a quiet message-leaving tradition Taylor wove through her first five albums (and also the spark behind the naming of this very newsletter, which I’ve always conceived with those who crave a closer look in mind).

Their bond moved beyond a singular fashion exchange, evolving into a lasting personal friendship that extended through to another ring-filled moment: Kislinger’s surprise 2017 wedding to Alexander Piers Smith in the Pacific Palisades, CA. Guests were invited under the pretense of a black tie engagement party which likely explains Taylor’s all black ensemble and unfussy updo. Proof that, if ever you question just what to wear to an event, a black dress will never go out of style!

According to T&C Weddings, Winter Kislinger wore Alexander McQueen for the ceremony and a custom ring designed - of course - by her mom. Her fiancé knowingly proposed at the time with a placeholder band. “One of the best gifts he gave me was the opportunity to design with my mom,” Winter Kislinger said to the magazine of the Colombian emerald at the center of her wedding stack - a family heirloom that once belonged to her grandmother that she had her mom nestle into a platinum setting.

Styling liner note: If you feel stuck on what to wear, I feel strongly that black is always an option. If I were to pick a fail-safe wedding guest look it would be a black dress and a strappy heel. From there, cater to the specificity of the event (and make it your own) with statement jewelry or a kitschy bag.

Lena Dunham, September 2021

Held at Soho’s Union Club in London, Taylor stood up at friend Lena Dunham’s wedding to British musician Luis Felber as part of the couple’s nine-person bridal party. “You can have a far bigger wedding with less bridesmaids, but I guess it just speaks to how excited I was to have my close friends there,” explained Dunham to Vogue. The intimate ceremony, guests totalled 60, was a whirlwind result of a whirlwind engagement. The COVID-19 pandemic truncated the couple’s guest list and limited travel for many they had originally wished to invite.

Prior to saying “I do”, Lena’s crew got ready together in coordinating floral dresses by The Vampire’s Wife. Throughout the festivities, Dunham wore three custom dresses by Christopher Kane. Kane also dressed Lena’s bridesmaids - Taylor included. The midi-length dresses, rendered in a shiny silver, featured embellished straps and waist details. “We were doing a kind of Swinging Sixties, silver pleated, go-go girl energy,” explained Dunham. “But one of my bridesmaids put it best when she said she felt like ‘a beautiful cupcake wrapper’.” Lena also gifted her “small but mighty group” of “close female friends” matching purses, by Susan Alexandra, to carry for the evening. Actress Tommy Dorfman handled all the bridesmaid’s orders, including thoughtful party favors included in each bag.

The pair’s friendship was sparked, in all places, through Twitter in 2012 when Dunham praised Taylor’s then-new album RED. Taylor gleefully replied “you made my day with that. I’m now going to sit in my dressing room reciting my fav [Girls] quotes.. Which is all of them.”

In a later Rolling Stone profile in 2014, Taylor expanded on the story of the interaction to include how the public reply continued in private. “I was really scared she was being ironic, but I decided to follow her anyway, just in case,” Taylor admitted of the moment. In a profile to The Guardian that same year, Taylor, a self-described “Shoshanna” (though I could make a case for Marnie!), credited her burgeoning feminism to her friendship with Dunham. “Becoming friends with Lena … has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so,” she said. Dunham was also part of the star-studded cast cameoed in Taylor’s “Bad Blood” music video. More recently, Dunham has said she feels “protective” of Taylor, describing her in a 2024 New Yorker feature as “kind, devoted, introspective, emotional, [and] funny as fuck.”

Styling liner note: Give over control. As bridesmaid, you might be asked to take on certain responsibilities. Sometimes those responsibilities include wearing a pleated tin foil dress. Even if the dress isn’t your version of a sartorial triumph, take comfort in the quiet solidarity of the bridal party. There’s something bonding about being in the same slightly questionable chiffon together. The day isn’t about a perfect silhouette, but rather about showing up for someone you love.

Jack Antonoff & Margaret Qualley, August 2023

Through Dunham (above), Taylor would meet musician and producer Jack Antonoff, who was dating the actress at the time. That fated connection would prove to be a fruitful one artistically. Antonoff first sat at the soundboard of Taylor’s 2013 soundtrack contribution “Sweeter Than Fiction” to the film One Chance. The song proved instrumental in defining the sonic landscape of their first full collaborative effort in Taylor’s discography with the 2014 release 1989. Across that album, Antonoff’s signature twinkling synths helped propel Taylor into a full conversion to pop music. Their prolific collaborations would go on to extend across six of Taylor’s subsequent seven albums to date, net Antonoff three consecutive Producer of the Year trophies at the Grammys, and set him on a path as close confidante to a slew of other pop stars including Lorde, St. Vincent, and Sabrina Carpenter. “[Taylor is] the first person who recognized me as a producer,” Jack described to TIME’s “Person Of the Week” podcast shortly before his wedding.

A couple years after Dunham’s ceremony, Taylor would attend Antonoff’s very own wedding to actress Margaret Qualley where she reportedly delivered a “raucous” 15-minute long toast. I remember that weekend fondly as I myself was only a few days away from my own wedding! Following a year-long engagement, the pair wed in Antonoff’s home state of New Jersey with weekend festivities that included a rehearsal dinner at Black Whale Bar & Fish House in Beach Haven, a ceremony at Parker’s Garage & Oyster Saloon, and a reception at Bird & Betty’s - venues that prioritized seaside views. Qualley, a longtime Chanel ambassador, reportedly wore custom designs from the French house including a simple halter dress and ballet flats for the ceremony. People revealed that the event had Long Beach Island “overrun with celebs” including Lana del Rey, Channing Tatum, Zoë Kravitz, and Cara Delevingne. The magazine’s coverage did not expand to include the public fanfare the pair’s nuptials drew as a result of social media posts reporting Taylor’s presence in the area.

Taylor’s style approach to the wedding weekend was laidback lace on lace: a coordinating black eyelet set by Hill House Home to the rehearsal dinner and a tiered, corseted dress in pale blue by Erdem to the ceremony. Similar to her then-signature choker to Eliotte Nicole’s wedding in 2016, a few styling choices standouts tie Taylor’s aesthetic to this specific moment in time. It’s one of my favorite elements of fashion and, particularly, in documenting Taylor’s evolving style so closely. Our style is a projection of who we are (or want to be) in a given moment. Our signature looks act like time capsules that preserve the energy, identity, and context of that exact period in a way that’s instantly recognizable later. Around the summer of 2023, Taylor had taken to threading a small braid into her hair as well as a proclivity for unique chain jewelry either on her hands or across her torso. Over the course of Antonoff’s wedding weekend we saw all of these elements in her outfits. To me, the choices exuded a more playful, confident, and sensual element entering Taylor’s style lexicon. Perhaps aligning with the blossoming relationship she had reportedly just begun at the time with Travis Kelce.

Styling liner note: For a wedding weekend with multiple touchpoints - welcome drinks, the ceremony, the morning-after brunch - it helps to think in themes rather than one-off outfits. Consider choosing a few through-lines in your dress code: a shared color story, a recurring silhouette, or a consistent fabric. Repeating an element creates a sense of cohesion that feels intentional. It also makes packing a breeze. When every piece speaks to one another, one great bag and one reliable pair of heels is likely enough to carry you through every moment.

Karen Elson & Lee Foster, September 2024

Taylor Swift showing up at Electric Lady Studios is nothing new. To be sure, four of her last six albums have been, at least in part, recorded there in addition to all four of her re-recorded LPs. But on this occasion, she wasn’t there to clock studio hours or polish up a soon-to-be-scream-worthy bridge. She was there for a wedding as one of its studio’s owners said “I do.”

The recording spot, located in Greenwich Village, is a favorite of Taylor’s go-to producer and friend Jack Antonoff. Antonoff, who has his own dedicated room, has described Electric Lady as “one of the greatest places on earth” and “one of the most important studios, historically.” Commissioned by Jimi Hendrix in 1968, Electric Lady opened two years later in 1970 and was the instant host to a myriad of rock legends the likes of Stevie Wonder and David Bowie. The turn of the century saw it fall into disarray until 2010 when it was acquired by studio manager Lee Foster and investor Keith Stoltz who supervised its renovation and expansion. Under their tenure, the studio gained favor with scores of modern artists, Antonoff and his band Bleachers included. In September 2024, Foster married model Karen Elson at the very place he had transformed and that meant so much to him. “He’s put his heart and soul into [Electric Lady],” Elson said of Lee to Vogue ahead of their nuptials. “It’s really his home. I’m married to Lee and Electric Lady.”

Many elements of the day felt practically Swiftian in nature. From the bride getting ready at the Bowery Hotel, to Jack Antonoff serenading the walk down the aisle, up to Patti Smith herself officiating the ceremony where “there was not a dry eye on the rooftop.” Even Pat McGrath was on hand to do the bride’s makeup. You might recall McGrath’s iconic red lipstick “Elson 4” was featured in Taylor’s “Bejeweled” music video and 2022 MTV VMA red carpet beauty. Its shade name? Inspired by the bride herself, of course. “She is so dear to me,” said Elson of McGrath. “She did the beauty for my first Vogue cover … and it was so important to have her be a part of everything.” Details seemingly straight from the married poets department.

The wedding was a relaxed affair and Taylor, might I say, executed the desired dress code to a “T.” The couple requested that guests come “comfortable” dressed for a “late-summer garden party,” advising their wedding palette would be comprised florals, off-white, and pale blue. Taylor, suitably, arrived in a cream linen cutout dress by Zimmermann, Christian Louboutin heels, and recognizable jewels from her personal collection including earrings by Larkspur & Hawk and a vintage necklace from Cartier. Her Vivienne Westwood bag was also a lovely “something blue” touch. While Taylor certainly couldn’t have known, it tied in nicely with the bride’s custom silk illusion tulle Valentino gown, the first-ever from the house under Alessandro Michele’s directive, which featured a blue floral appliqué.

As a notable fixture in the Electric Lady community, Taylor was a natural guest to attend. “There were so many interesting people, but no one was looking over their shoulder, no one was vying for attention, everyone was there and present,” described Elson of the reception. “It was the most perfect house party she’[d] ever been to.”

Styling liner note: The bride is always right! Take a communicated dress code to heart. Receiving a dress code is actually a gift. It removes the guesswork when it comes to shopping and invites you into the couple’s shared vision for the day. In this case, the most stylish move is to show up in sync with other guests.

Selena Gomez, September 2025

When a double date doesn’t give you a boyfriend but instead gives you something better: A best friend. Taylor and Selena’s friendship began in 2008 on a double date with brothers Jonas (Joe and Nick, respectively). “[Our friendship] is the best thing we got out of those relationships,” Gomez said during radio press in 2017.

The pair’s friendship has been a stronghold for nearly two decades. “There has always been this quality of sisterhood, and I don’t say that in a basic way,” Gomez said to the Wall Street Journal. “I knew from when I met her I would always have her back.” Taylor, likewise, has described the friendship as “the longest one I think either of us had.” To E! she said, “Both of us have kind of stuck it out and hung in there through all the different changes we’ve gone through. Longevity is something you really can find very precious and rare in friendships.”

Last fall, Taylor was on hand to celebrate Gomez as she married music producer and collaborator Benny Blanco in Santa Barbara, CA. I deeply admire how the pair managed to preserve the day for themselves, successfully keeping the proceedings out of reach from intrusive long lenses. The event took place at Sea Crest Nursery with an attendance of around 170. Guests reportedly weren’t aware of the exact location of the ceremony until they arrived in the coastal locale where buses quickly ferried them to the venue. I hope this privacy is something Taylor and Travis are also able to carve out for their own big day.

Taylor appeared to take thoughtful cues from Gomez’s Old Hollywood bridal vision when it came to choosing her ensemble. As a longtime lover of vintage fashion herself, Taylor complemented Gomez’s sleek bob with a pinned-under style of her own plus a vintage-inspired necklace and drop earrings from Le Vian. Taylor’s amber cocktail dress, by Oscar de la Renta, was covered in floral embellishments and sequins that, to my eye, picked up on the delicate embroidery of the Ralph Lauren gown (one of three she wore for her wedding festivities from the American firm) Gomez changed into for her reception. There, Taylor reportedly delivered a moving speech. “Taylor said it is a best friend’s dream for her best friend to find someone like Benny and is so happy for her,” described a source.

Taylor has spent much of her career narrating the heartbreaking challenges to her optimistic belief in true love. To Seventeen magazine, Gomez once said, “What I love about Taylor is that she does believe in the whole love story and Prince Charming and soulmates. Because of her, I haven’t lost faith.” Sometimes it’s a friend’s optimism that carries you through. There’s nothing sweeter than seeing that borrowed belief lead you all the way to your wedding day.

Este Haim, December 2025

To round out this list, and the year 2025, we’re brought to the present with Este Haim’s recent New Year’s Eve nuptials to tech entrepreneur Jonathan “Johnny” Levin. The pair wed in an intimate ceremony in Ojai, CA, close to where Este grew up alongside sisters Danielle and Alana in the San Fernando Valley.

As previously demonstrated by Lena Dunham, the Haim sisters proved that a reliable way to become Taylor’s friend is to appear in her Twitter mentions. Upon the release of 1989, the trio praised the album’s 11th track: “This Love.” The sisters eventually went on to become opening acts for both the 1989 and Eras tours. “You know when you meet someone and you’re just like, ‘I’m a puzzle piece, you’re a puzzle piece and we fit together’? That’s what it felt like,” described Este of the synchronicity in a 2015 interview.

The foursome rapidly became inseparable, making appearances together at multiple red carpet events, personal parties, and even within one another’s discographies. The Haim sisters contribute to backing vocals on Taylor’s song “no body, no crime” from her 2020 album evermore. Taylor subsequently returned the favor on a remix of Haim’s “Gasoline” off their 2021 effort Women in Music, Pt. III. “We can’t figure out why we hadn’t collaborated sooner. We’ve toured together, played live together, choreographed dances like we’re at summer camp, but it took a song about avenging your friend’s murder to give us the idea to take this step,” Taylor explained to Entertainment Weekly, jokingly adding, “Long story short, I’m the fourth Haim sister now, confirmed.”

One thing about close friends is that you start adopting similar mannerisms and sometimes outfits. The bond took a big sartorial leap forward in a 2021 performance where Haim and Taylor took to the stage together at the O2 in London to sing a medley of “Gasoline” and “Love Story” in “copypaste” coordinating Louis Vuitton ensembles.

@taylorswiftHitting copypaste on your friends’ looks like @haimtheband

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Vuitton were such an integral part of the Haim style DNA that Este entrusted longtime creative director Nicolas Ghesquière with her wedding looks. “Seeing the process of Nicolas designing in real time was one of the craziest experiences I think collectively of our existence. It’s almost like he crept into my dreams and looked at what I was sketching in my head, and was like, ‘Alright, I know what she wants’,” described Este to Vogue during the final fittings of her custom Vuitton ensembles at the brand’s atelier in Paris.

To correspond with the celebratory feeling of New Year’s, Taylor wore a sequined full-length gold gown that shimmered from afar. Grainy photos obtained exclusively by People captured Taylor arm in arm with icon Stevie Nicks outside the wedding venue. Based on aggressive squinting at the dress’ neckline, it appeared to be this maxi by Rabanne.

Styling liner note: When the dress code calls for black tie party, leap at the chance! I feel we so rarely give ourselves the opportunity to go full out. Wear the dress. Embrace the sparkle. Live! A New Year’s Eve wedding would be the absolute perfect opportunity to turn yourself into the loudest mirrorball at that party.

While the above are some of the more notable weddings Taylor has attended (with the exception of actress Joey King’s September 2023 ceremony in Mallorca, Spain which Taylor attended but was not photographed at) she’s also made it a habit to surprise-and-delight at lower-profile nuptials.

In April 2014, Taylor surprised Gena Gabrielle by crashing her bridal shower in Ohio, documenting her covert mission in vlog. Her ModCloth dress happened to neatly function as a bridge between the vintage-tinged aesthetic of the RED era and the signature color that would be associated with 1989.

In June 2016, nearly a year after losing his mother to cancer, Max Singer celebrated his wedding to Kenya Smith. The New Jersey couple had previously married in his mother’s hospice room. As the New York Times reported, they wanted to tie the knot while she could still witness it, where they shared a dance to “Blank Space.” The song, one of Singer’s favorites from 1989, inspired his graduate school application essay. Taylor surprised the couple at their wedding to perform the song that had meant so much to them thanks to a family friend who passed along the essay in hopes of catching her attention. Her dress, by Rubin Singer, felt like a rare bright spot amidst her newly converted “Bleachella” fashion which had taken an edgier turn. I thought her freshly lightened hair made for a cool contrast to the vibrant brocade on her Rubin Singer dress.

More recently, before their headline-making engagement, Taylor and Travis slipped into wedding-guest mode. In June 2025, they attended Travis’ cousin Tanner Corum’s barn-style wedding to Samantha Peck in Knoxville, TN. The two of them happily posed for pictures with the couple and fellow guests. The overall outfit scheme felt like Taylor taking a page from her own book, remixing the idea of pale blue midi dress and tall heels she wore to Jack Antonoff’s 2023 wedding and softening it for a more casual barn wedding. The sweet print on her Markarian dress and textured Aquazzura raffia heels both feel more appropriate to the setting. Indeed, here she’s even repeated the same jewelry across both weddings. When it works, it works! You can see the full details on the blog here.

There you have it: A recap of Taylor’s wedding guest fashion — and some styling ideas to take into your own RSVPs. Questions for me about a wedding dress code you’ll be attending? I’d love to answer whatever I can in the comments.

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📥 It’s A Love Story, Baby Just Say … Subscribe: Don’t forget to subscribe to receive tomorrow’s wedding dress predictions post straight to your inbox! I’ll see you then.

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I had this, and many other questions, heading into the release of the latest take on the classic Gothic novel Wuthering Heights. To fill in the pages from a scholarly perspective, I spoke with literary analyst Jodi Innerfield about the merits of adaptation over interpretation and - of course - all the fashion both in the film and on the red carpet.

There is a particular anxiety that grips audiences whenever a beloved book is adapted for the screen. A checklist mentality emerges: What was kept? What was cut? What was changed? With a novel as canonized as Wuthering Heights, that anxiety calcifies into discourse.

Today, any perceived departures from the source material illicit online conversations. Indeed, since the casting of director Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” adaptation was announced in September 2024, there have been passionate discussions about both stars’ suitability for their respective roles. Margot Robbie, too old. Jacob Elordi, too white. When the first teaser was released a year later much was made of the film’s fantastical direction. It was camp. It was modern gothic. It was borderline absurd. It was also quintessentially Fennell. “Whether it’s titillating or repulsion, her superpower is eliciting a physical response,” described Robbie of Fennell. To be sure, Fennell’s taste might be unsettling to some, but it is distinctive to all. Her directorial debut Promising Young Woman netted her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Her followup, 2023’s Saltburn, compelled audiences in its repellance and single-handedly revived the 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor.”

There is an expectation that a story of such renown as this isn’t just retold, it is preserved. But preservation isn’t always art’s intent. And, I’d argue, isn’t always the intent of adaptation. As film critic Robin Wood once said, “To reduce a great novel to its plot is merely to reveal a total incapacity for reading it.” What draws me to this latest “Wuthering Heights” is not how closely it clings to Emily Brontë’s text, but how confidently it departs from it. Fennell has openly discussed her “profound connection” to the book which began when she was a teen. She also shared why her uncompromising version of events is what made it to the film’s final cut. “I wanted to make something that made me feel like I felt when I first read it, which means that it’s an emotional response to something. It’s, like, primal, sexual,” Fennell told the BBC. She admits that her film is a simulation of the novel from memory. Its results are less of a faithful recreation than an emotional imprint of the bleak, turbulent, destructive themes she first found in those pages, swirled in with creative liberties her teenaged self wished had happened. “There’s a version that I remembered reading that isn’t quite real,” she reveals, “and there’s a version that I wanted stuff to happen that never happened.” This, to me, is the real power of art: its limitless alchemy of personal interpretation. There is something magical in how there are infinite versions of these characters and stories that exist in the mind of every reader. An astute storyteller did once observe that, upon release, a story ceases to be the author’s alone anymore.

This film isn’t interested in resurrecting the novel scene by scene but rather in building a world that speaks back to it. One shaped by perspective, atmosphere, and a clear point of view. It is, in fact, why Fennell’s highly stylized translation of the text is in quotations. “Any adaptation of a novel should have quotations around it,” Fennell explains. “I can’t say I’m making Wuthering Heights, I can say I’m making a version of it.” I, for one, was excited to become acquainted with “Wuthering Heights” (Emerald’s Version). I picked up on many moments in Fennell’s accounting of events when I saw it in theatres this past weekend at an early preview that I didn’t remember from my initial reading of the original novel (although, admittedly, that was circa my sophomore AP literature class in [redacted year] - meep!).

Perspective doesn’t only live in dialogue or plot choices, it’s also embedded in texture, silhouette, restraint, and excess. This is where fashion enters the scene as a character of its own. Fashion is a voiceless world builder. It frames, constrains, exposes, disrobes. It tells us how a character moves through the world and how they (or its creators) wish to be seen. Many column inches and online discussion threads have been produced about the outlandish costuming previewed in “Wuthering Heights”’ trailers. For legendary costumer Jacqueline Durran, this is par for the course. Her extraordinary film creations have become cultural phenomenons (Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, also starring Robbie) and cemented as sartorial touchstones (Keira Knightley’s green gown in Atonement is the work of Durran, so beloved and oft-referenced it has its own Wikipedia page).

Costume in period films is often discussed as a question of accuracy. Era-correct fabrics, historically faithful cuts, the right hemline for the right year. In Gerwig’s Little Women, Durran proved her ability to modernize period dress while preserving historical reference - making the stark anachronisms in Heights a result of choice, rather than miscalculation.

In this adaptation, costuming is part of the film’s point of view. In this case, as Radhika Seth, British Vogue’s film and culture editor put it, Fennell’s Heights is “envisioned as a kind of fantastical fever dream—a contemporary take on a ’50s soundstage melodrama that gleefully mixes historical references with glitzy modernity.” The fashion here doesn’t ask, “Is this correct?” It asks, “What does this feel like?” That distinction is precisely what allows a familiar story to be seen anew. “The costumes do a lot of storytelling,” Robbie told Vogue’s The Run-Through podcast.

The resulting looks, approximately 50 for Robbie alone, reflect the breadth of references first seen in Durran’s moodboards. An amalgam of nods to Elizabethean, Georgian, Victorian, and ’50s fashion. Durran’s moodboards spanned paintings and historical dress to contemporary fashion and representations of period costume in 20th century films. “The challenge,” said Durran, “was to distill that into looks that told the story that Fennell wanted to tell.” Robbie furthers, “The references were endless and varied. Finding the tonal space we were going to work within we started calling it ‘The Inch’.” The nickname refers to the Goldilocks state of pushing boundaries in fittings that much further to fit Fennell’s surrealist vision.

What’s been especially compelling about this “Wuthering Heights” adaptation is that the visual conversation doesn’t end when the film does. It continues, deliberately, on the press tour. Red carpets, photocalls, late-night appearances: spaces previously treated as promotional obligations are, instead, an extension of the film’s emotional universe.

Like many, I became enamored with Margot Robbie’s method procedure to press tours by her and stylist Andrew Mukamal’s master class in dress during the rollout of 2023’s Barbie. Their style strategy wasn’t content to be confined to just one color (pink, of course). Instead, they ambitiously recreated signature Barbie looks through custom couture, elevating the doll’s costumes into a cultural conversation. The pair - along with Zendaya and stylist Law Roach - have been leaders in promotional thematic dress. They have thoroughly demonstrated that an intentional approach to red carpet fashion can carry a film’s entire marketing plan on its back.

Certainly there’s a myriad of factors that go into ensuring a movie becomes a box office hit. But by now, Robbie and Mukamal have proven their red carpet attire strategy is an effective one. While it’s impossible to separate the estimated value of the tactic from traditional marketing efforts, I suspect interest in “Wuthering Heights” would not nearly be what it is without the powers of an intentionally calibrated press tour. This tactic has proven to generate daily press and online conversation, thereby exposing the film to an audience who might not otherwise have been aware of it. As a result, converting interest into ticket sales and turning moviegoers into active participants who take the opportunity to dress the part at theatres. “It’s so fun doing this kind of press tour where you get to keep telling a story even at this point in the movie’s release,” Robbie observed.

In support of her role in “Wuthering Heights”, Robbie has continued her trend of method dress. Her red carpet translations of her character, Cathy, extend the Gothic romance of the film beyond the confines of the screen. It’s a reflection of Mukamal’s personal efforts in creating a seamless bridge between the film and its promotion. “He’s a history major … He likes to go deep, find meaning, and tell a story with outfits,” Robbie said of Mukamal, adding, “He came to set while we were shooting, he spent time with Jacqueline [Durran] our costume designer, which normally doesn’t happen.”

To shed light on the literary intricacies of Margot Robbie’s fashion, both in the film and on the red carpet, I got in touch with Jodi Innerfield. Jodi is co-host of the podcast which conducts analysis of Taylor’s discography through a literary lens. She has a BA in Psychology from Columbia University and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. I was delighted to chat with her all about the costuming in the film, the “Easter Eggs” to Brontë’s original text in Robbie’s press wardrobe, and the validity of Fennell’s take on such a beloved novel.

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The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Before getting into the text of Wuthering Heights and its visual representation in film as well as its associated press, I would like to hear a bit about your background and what got you interested in literary analysis?

My co-hosts and I were inspired by a conversation about Taylor Swift and her music. On our podcast, we take different themes — like Marxist theory, eco-criticism, a color, or a piece of media like Bridgerton or Wuthering Heights — and we will each bring a Taylor Swift song that we think relates to that theme or topic.

When I’m not doing the podcast, I run a consulting agency working to develop messaging for product launches primarily for tech businesses.

For readers new to Wuthering Heights, what are some key plot points they should grasp first from the novel?

Jodi Innerfield: Wuthering Heights is the only novel written by Emily Brontë. It was published in 1847 under a male pseudonym which was common at the time. It is a dark, morally complex Gothic novel that follows the obsessive and vicious bond between the orphan, Heathcliff, and Catherine Earnshaw, who grew up together on the moors. They fall in love, but they have vastly different social statuses.

It’s really important to know that in the novel, Heathcliff is deliberately described as not white. He has an ethnically ambiguous background and that serves to further emphasize his lack of social standing. It’s one of the many reasons that he and Catherine cannot be together. When Catherine chooses to marry the wealthy Edgar Linton, it prompts Heathcliff to disappear in a fit of betrayal. When he returns after a number of years, he is rich. While he now at least has money to increase his social status, he is still not socially acceptable because of his racial background. Thus, he vows to destroy the lives of the Earnshaws; who raised him, the Lintons; whom Catherine marries into, and all of the generations to come in the name of revenge. This second generation of Earnshaws and Lintons continue this cycle of bitterness and abuse.

What are some of the novel’s most notable themes?

Much of the book explores nature versus culture and the world of social class. The book centers on the tension of two juxtaposed houses: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The settings of each inform the behavior of its inhabitants. Wuthering Heights is wild, stormy, untamed. Thrushcross Grange is refined, calm, civilized.

You also have a huge theme of revenge and cruelty. The whole purpose of the novel is Heathcliff’s long-term, systematic revenge against these families, which is driven by the isolation, exclusion, and abuse that he suffered. It’s all the things that have been done to him and that society does to him that drives his motivation for revenge and that’s what really gives the narrative its darkness and its psychological obsession.

The last one I would say is love and obsession. This is not a traditional conventional romance. If you are coming to this book primarily from the marketing of the movie, you would think this is some sort of star crossed lover’s romance. It’s not. Heathcliff and Catherine have a very toxic, very codependent relationship. I would not call it romantic. It’s romantic in the sense that Romeo and Juliet is considered a romance when really it’s a tragedy.

Interesting because Romeo and Juliet is evoked in the movie.

Yes! In the movie, Isabella criticizes the concept of the play. She’s incredulous about the foolish decisions the characters make. “Why would they kill themselves instead of just having a conversation?” It’s a great way to connect one doomed tragic romance to another.

Given your knowledge of the book, how did you feel about the movie?

The best thing that helped me go into the movie with the right frame of mind was to think of this film as fan fiction. Visually, it’s stunning and bold. The textures are incredible. The cinematography, the production design, the costumes are all amazing. But, ultimately, it’s a bastardization of the story.

Would reframing it as something like Catherine and Heathcliff have taken the heat off of this film being (or not being) a faithful adaptation of the text? Yes.

But this movie is also meant to be a box office smash and, in the very least, this approach has gotten people talking.

What were some major criticisms of the book from those who didn’t have that “fan fiction” framing in mind?

Firstly I’ll say that Fennell’s choice to only focus on the book’s romance between Catherine and Heathcliff is fine. I would guess, also, was largely driven by time constraints. And also, frankly, people are more likely to be interested in the relationship element of the story anyway. There have been eight or so other film and television adaptations of Wuthering Heights. Most of them do not get into the second half of the novel which centers on the longtail impact of Heathcliff’s trauma and abuse on the next generation. Fennell is not unique in that regard.

The main issue - which arose long before anyone saw the movie - is the casting. Namely, that of a white actor in the role of Heathcliff. It’s a valid criticism because while class disparity is a theme, Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity is central to his societal ostracization which is the entire thrust of his character’s motivations. Saying he was an orphan is very different than saying he’s an orphan of a different race and what that meant in that time period. While less egregious, there is also the plain fact that Catherine, the character, is a teenager. To her credit, Margot plays the part of this petulant, selfish, bratty character well. But it challenges one’s suspension of belief when that character is being portrayed by someone, beautiful as they are, years beyond what is credibly accurate to the text. Especially when that character behaves in a way that is at least partially due to her immature age. In a film where there is clearly so much intentionality and care put into the look and feel of things, it makes the factors that are clearly “off” feel even more “off.”

Secondly, there’s no sex in the book. Cathy and Heathcliff do not have a sexual relationship. They don’t even kiss. It is pure longing. Their love for each other is never consummated and it’s certainly never acted upon.

But, in a way, that distinction helped me to appreciate the movie more as its own separate piece of media rather than as an extension of the book.

We know that fashion can be a powerful communication tool. A key point being made about this film is how it differs from the original text. What does this film’s costuming tell us about this director’s reading of Wuthering Heights, its themes, and also the emotional states of its characters?

I think the costuming is a really great symbol for how we should look at the film as a whole: A composite inspired by the era, but is more loyal to the director’s vision than accuracy to history or to Brontë.

As some have noted, a film based on vibes.

Yes exactly. The book was published in 1847. The time period of the action of the novel is 1770 to 1802, although in the movie it’s even earlier. Much like Bridgerton, or even Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, it takes inspiration from the forms and the fabrics and the patterns of multiple eras but it’s very much loosely interpreting and mixing in eras, colors, cuts that would not have been common. The costume and the visuals are meant to heighten the emotions and the themes of the film, but not give you historical accuracy.

What does costuming allow filmmakers to say about literature that dialogue alone cannot?

The costumes both in the film and in the press tour do so much to create context around what you should be feeling and seeing. That’s something you can’t quite do in a book, spatially, without using exposition or lengthy dialogue to extrapolate. With costumes, a visual medium, that communication is instantaneous.

What also helps give the film a lot of freedom for interpretation is that Wuthering Heights is a framed narrative. It’s filtered through the lens of two unreliable narrators. The first being Nelly who is telling the story and can only speak to the moments when she was in the room. The second being Lockwood, a visitor, who is being haunted by Catherine’s ghost. So we are only ever, in the book, seeing what Nelly has experienced. Further to that, we’re only seeing what Nelly has experienced and then subsequently described to Lockwood. There’s a lot that we as readers are missing.

When you’re translating something like Wuthering Heights to film you have to find ways to speak to the emotional states and inner monologues of characters that Nelly has no access to. You have to find other ways to communicate. Costuming creates an immmediate shorthand to convey emotion or social class that would otherwise take up too much real estate in a book.

Did you notice any moments where the clothes departed most clearly from the novel?

It’s interesting because the novel actually doesn’t talk about clothing a lot. The only time you really have a full description of one of Catherine’s looks is in Chapter 7 when she is coming back from Thrushcross Grange. This is also, incidentally, a scene we get in the movie.

The book says: “Instead of a wild, hatless little savage jumping into the house and rushing to squeeze us all breathless, there, lighted from a handsome black pony, a very dignified person with brown ringlets falling from the cover of a feathered beaver and a long cloth habit which she was obliged to hold up with both hands that she might sail in. I removed the habit, and there shone forth beneath a grand plaid silk frock, white trousers, and burnished shoes.” That’s one of the very few times we actually receive mention of clothing in this entire text. Here, it’s meant to show Cathy’s transformation from this wild, unbridled child who’s been running around Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff to a more refined lady who’s been influenced by the Lintons. This transformation brings her even farther from Heathcliff and his wild ways, making their social differences even more stark.

That said, in the film, there were two outfits that immediately come to mind. There’s this black latex-type dress that she’s wearing at one point that felt very dominatrix and very imposing. To me, likely very symbolic to who she is at that time where she is restricted by the fact that she is a woman in this society, yet also comes at a time when she’s in a true sexual awakening and is actively having an affair with Heathcliff.

The other is the dress that she’s wearing after her wedding when she kind of walks into her husband’s boudoir room and it’s this cellophane present type thing. This in no way, shape, or form fits the time period. But it is very representative of her being gifted to, and in possession of, a man. Again, very symbolic but not at all relevant to the time period. But it doesn’t have to be because that’s not the point that’s trying to be conveyed. Where that costume is confusing is that it visualizes Cathy’s lack of agency - which is a recurring theme in the book. Cathy, as a woman, feels she has no upward mobility in society because of her sex and that her only means of escape is through marriage. But that’s also in direct contrast to the film’s affair narrative which gives her back her choice and is a storyline not from the book.

Did you feel that the Margot’s costumes were intentionally anachronistic? Because, by comparison, Heathcliff’s dress is reportedly incredibly accurate to the era.

I think there were costumes that evoked the time period which were at odds with pieces that were clearly not. That muddiness, of marrying deliberately anachronistic dress with authentic dress, creates confusion. Especially if you have an audience that isn’t intimate with what the difference is supposed to be. We’re talking about a major motion picture that is appealing to people who - in all likelihood - have not read the original text. I think that I can see where people would be upset when you are trying to blend historical accuracy in a film that, at its core, is not about authenticity to the text, it’s about interpretation.

My preference would be to commit to the bit. Make everything wacky and truly immersive. A Tim Burton or Baz Luhrmann or Yorgos Lanthimos degree of creating a deliberately and unmistakeably surreal visual universe.

Do you think that “muddying” was intentional?

Whether it’s for marketing or whether it’s for the authenticity of the story that she wants to tell, I don’t think that anything Emerald Fennell does is without thought. She is so specific down to every texture, every ooze. I think, in the same vein as Taylor, that she’s intentional in everything she does. That doesn’t mean everybody understands it. It doesn’t mean everybody likes it. But I think it’s deliberate.

It’s provocative. It’s generating chatter. Even titling the film “Wuthering Heights”, albeit with quotes, naturally invites comparison to the original text and, by extension, discourse about where it is disloyal to it.

It’s the difference between positioning the film as Clueless versus as Emma.

Or when you go to the Shakespeare’s Globe where they do a performance of a Midsummer Night’s Dream in contemporary dress, but the text is verbatim. Here, interpretation is inconsistent which makes comprehension more difficult for the viewer.

Do you think that those choices in this particular instance helped or hindered the film?

I think it’s a mixed bag. For instance, I thought the stylized music was a boon that worked really well. (Editor’s Note: I agree!) Having the costumes vaccillate between authentic and provocatively anachronistic hurt. Taking Heathcliff’s race out of the storyline - mostly in the sense that it immediately put people on the defensive about the film - hurt.

Margot’s stylist, Andrew Mukamal, pulled looks that directly referenced lines from the book. Snakes and feathers are two examples. Did you notice any references to the original text in Margot’s promotional ensembles?

What stood out to me was how the looks captured the full timeline of Cathy and her personality at each of the distinct inflection points of her character. Her young, wild self on the moors of Wuthering Heights. Her glamorous, refined self at Thrushcross Grange. And a more sensual and sexualized self of Cathy which is unique to the film as she embarks on an affair with Heathcliff.

While doing radio press, Margot wears a dress by Mark Gong that had a delicate floral pattern with a black, sheer overlay that gave a sort of ’90s grunge look which, to me, evoked a modernized view of young, wild Cathy. The kicker was the bows in her hair which were placed asymmetrically and also messily. One of the recurring descriptions of Cathy in the book comes back to her wild, tangled hair.

I also love the Alexander McQueen black lace dress. I thought it did a good job of bridging the gap between the very dark Gothic nature of the book while feeling sensual enough to evoke the sexual awakening that the movie depicts.

The images from the promotional tour seem to rely just as much on setting as it does on fashion. This feels very true to the book where its wild location carries a lot of the emotional weight of its characters, no?

Absolutely. The locations in the novel really act as a character themselves. The moors of Wuthering Heights are a metaphor for Catherine and Heathcliff and the people who grew up there who are wild, unkempt, untamed, uncontrollable. Thrushcross Grange then is very refined and civilized and calm.

Given the director, whose work often elicits strong response, were there any costume choices in the film or on the red carpet that felt deliberately unsettling? What work do they do thematically?

I’d say some costumes were unsettling in a beautifully disturbing way - which is a Fennell signature. Specifically, the Dilara Fındıkoğlu dress at the London premiere which I thought was spectacular. The dress appears to be woven from a hair-like material which echoes this hair bracelet Margot has on.

One of my favorites, too. Not just for the nod to the Brontës but also the historical weight. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a woman’s hairstyle could announce her marital status, her family’s wealth, even her political leanings. Looser styles signaled youth and unmarried status, while updos marked marriage and maturity. As you went up the social classes, hair became more elaborate, often with really intricate braids. Compared to a lot of the things the film kind of gets wrong in terms of accuracy, Cathy’s hair journey is spot on. So to have Margot in this hair-centric dress really highlights that high point in the film.

That’s so interesting! We also see hair evoked in the film’s title card.

I noticed that, too!

So it’s not only an accurate nod to the period and the importance of hair, particularly through a woman’s journey from girlhood into becoming a married woman, but it also centers the female experience. It’s disturbing, it’s beautiful, it’s evocative of the period, and it also serves a purpose. I thought it was so well done.

The other ones that I felt were unsettling was this red snake outfit which basically appears to be a corset with no pants. That, to me, was like Catherine’s sexual awakening. Something which, again, doesn’t happen in the book and is unique to the film. This served as a good preview of the creative liberties the movie was going to take in departure from the novel.

There was another outfit that she wore that was specifically from a 1992 collection. I wondered if that was an intentional nod to the 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which is one of the more referenced versions of the book, or if it was another example of creating a style timeline of Cathy and is another, grungier, nod to her teenaged rebelliousness.

Can you contextualize the decision to eroticize the plot? You mentioned in the beginning the fanfictionalization of the text. I’d argue a key element of a lot of fan fiction is “shipping” and, well, erotica.

This just has Emerald Fennell written all over it. If Quentin Tarantino’s signature as a director is excessive violence, Fennell’s is the erotization of characters and situations in unexpected ways that make the viewer uncomfortable.

It’s like a jump scare, but it’s a jump arousal.

Yes! And I think the opening sequence sets this up perfectly.

But also, Fennell isn’t the first person to take a source material and give it an erotic charge. For instance, I saw Romeo + Juliet on Broadway last year which was quite saucy.

There appeared to be recurring fabrics, colors, textures, and silhouettes in the film’s costuming and promotional outfits. Did you notice these?

Red, as an example, was repeated throughout both the film and on the press tour.

My favorites were her red ball gowns - the Schiaparelli and Chanel. These seem to be directly related to the crimson color that defines Thrushcross Grange in the book. I pulled a quote for that, hold on: “A splendid place carpeted with crimson and crimson covered chairs and tables.”

I thought it interesting that Margot’s most glamorous red carpet looks were red and how that seemed to correlate to how Cathy is at her most glamorous in the film when she’s at Thrushcross Grange.

By contrast, her more casual looks seemed to be more grungy and unkempt, bringing to mind the “Wuthering Heights, younger days” version of Cathy.

If you had to summarize this adaptation’s thesis on Wuthering Heights using only its costumes, what would it be?

This is an imaginative, anachronistic interpretation of the classic that is not trying to be a faithful representation of the novel.

What would you say to people who might, say, wish that this film had safeguarded the literary text better?

I mean … Write your screenplay! /laugh

Seriously, I think you’re allowed to feel upset and not like the adaptation for whatever reason - including accuracy to the novel. But that doesn’t mean the film didn’t do what the director wanted it to do.

I liken it to Taylor’s discography. There’s something within it for everyone. Not liking one album doesn’t mean there isn’t something else in that wealth of art to like nor does it preclude future works from being something you like.

Totally. We live in a current age of reboots galore. I think we also have a culture that is very black and white and is uncomfortable with shades of gray. This film has so many shades of gray.

Having to sit with two truths at the same time, which is what this film is asking us to do, is uncomfortable. There’s both the text that inspired the film and the simulacrum of a story Fennell has created as a result of that text. I hope we can get to a point where we are more comfortable sitting in the messy middle and having conversations and sitting with competing ideas.

Mostly, I’m very curious to see how this film ages.

Many thanks to Jodi for sharing her time and expertise. The depth of the liner notes here! So much to think about.

Have you watched the film? Read the book? Seen Margot Robbie’s promotional looks? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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I believe joy is a form of resistance. But I also don’t want to substitute the privilege of distraction with the imperative to take action. If you need something to take you out of the present moment…

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The interest was phrased a few different ways. “Items Taylor wears under a certain price point.” “Budget-friendly brands Taylor gravitates toward.” “How does Taylor mix designers within a single outfit.” Different wording, same idea.

At the root of this request, I think, is a desire to replicate Taylor’s fashion - or at least to borrow from it in a way that feels approachable. Taylor Swift Style has always been driven by an interest in analyzing the visuals of a given moment to provide context and commentary. But it also speaks to something more personal. Which seems apt given the storyteller at the center of it all, wouldn’t you agree? It serves an inclination to parlay interest in Taylor’s music into another facet of our lives that’s equally as expressive as a favorite lyric or song: The way we present ourselves to the world through our outfits. In that shift, from inspiration to embodiment, Taylor’s fashion reveals itself as one of the most meaningful throughlines of her cultural impact.

I was happy to dip into the Taylor Swift Style archives to spotlight the accessible brands Taylor has returned to time and again. Below, you’ll find some of my favorite pieces she’s worn from these retailers. These are the brands that have proven themselves reliable staples across eras. Not exhaustive, by any means, but the ones that immediately came to me with accessibility in mind. Were there any I missed? Would love to hear from you on that!

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A note that many of the exact items are no longer available new. Such is the reality of high-street turnover. I’ve done my best to track down links to what you can still shop. But mostly, I hope this post serves both as a stylish walk down memory lane and a useful guide for tracking down items secondhand.

🛍️ Under $100: Did you know there’s a section on Taylor Swift Style dedicated to budget-friendly exacts? Linking you to it HERE.

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Fashion, like music, is a storytelling tool. Taylor’s songs create a shared emotional vocabulary; her style becomes a visual extension of that bond. Replicating her outfits allows fans to signal recognition outside of official merchandise. Clothes, then, become an insiders-only shorthand. I can’t tell you the number of Popflex “Piroutte” skirts, VRG GRL crochet dresses, and Little Lies velvet minis I saw while on the Taylor Swift Style book tour in Fall 2024. Fashion, in its own way, represents the physical proof of a bond. Music is the connective tissue in a fandom that you can hear and that you can feel. But fashion is what you can see.

Taylor’s signature style has always been inherently imitable. Regardless of brand, her outfits rely on familiar wardrobe building blocks: a sweater, jeans, boots, a shoulder bag; a bodysuit paired with a plaid mini, and heeled oxfords. Since faithfully documenting Taylor’s fashion since 2011, I’ve seen clear throughlines emerge. Certain brands recur. Specific silhouettes return. There’s a consistent aesthetic that underpins her style, making her instantly recognizable no matter the Eras-centric window dressing layered on top.

For me, there’s equal pleasure in tracking her designer pieces — what accessories she repeats, which collections her stylist Joseph Cassell pulls from to expand her repertoire — and in spotting the accessible high-street items she weaves in alongside them. Most often, Taylor comfortably occupies the space between the two, favoring what I’ve dubbed a “high/low” approach that blends luxury with accessibility. For fans hoping to recreate her outfits, it’s no surprise which pieces resonate most. Looks anchored by high-street items, like the ones we’ll get into below, are simply more likely to be purchased than their designer counterparts. My backend data supports this!

🍂 Outfits Like Pieces Into Place: Want more inspiration from the archives? I had the best time going through the TSS “vault” to pull my favorite fall ‘fits of Taylor’s to replicate for this newsletter.

A brief editor’s note: Throughout this piece, I use the word “accessible” rather than “affordable.” Affordability is subjective; accessibility is relative. What constitutes affordability is in the eye of the budget beholder. I find the term “accessible” better captures what these brands represent: The pieces that are more likely to fall within reach of an everyday consumer compared to luxury labels. (I gave an exception to the subject line. SEO is, unfortunately, a language of its own.) These are brands with wares some of us might still consider “investments.” Much in the way Taylor loves to rewear pieces (CPW, ftw!) a piece from these retailers could be approached as a rare splurge - a piece you come back to again and again that feels particularly special because of its Swiftian backstory.

All of this feeds into the well-documented Swift Effect, the financial shockwaves that occur when Taylor wears, or does, anything. It’s an economic impact rivaled only, perhaps, by Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex whose fashion likewise inspires leagues of royal watchers who are eager to replicate their outfits. Taylor’s visibility casts a halo effect on the brands she chooses, one that becomes especially pronounced when those pieces are attainable to her audience. Taylor appears to dress instinctively, guided by personal taste rather than price point. Sometimes that results in a fabulous head-to-toe designer outfit. But when those instincts land on accessible items, the downstream effects are impossible to ignore. For fans, it’s an invitation to step into her visual world. For brands, particularly the small businesses she so often supports, it can be transformative - often overnight.

In 2023, I spoke with The Wall Street Journal about the business side of Taylor’s fashion. Lane Florsheim reported the dramatic traffic and sales spikes that followed the identification of Taylor’s outfits: items selling out within hours, waitlists swelling into the thousands, some brands reporting sales increases of nearly 10,000%. “Nobody has the power that Taylor Swift does,” said Beckett Fogg, CEO and co-founder of Area, whose “Rebirth” jeans sold out almost immediately after Taylor wore them in April 2023. Lena Baranovsky of Hunting Season, a leather goods brand whose social followings swelled when Taylor carried one of their bags in October 2023, echoed the sentiment: “Taylor is relatable. You want to emulate her look because it feels like something you can actually do.” The same effect helped propel Fazit CEO Aliett Buttelman’s glitter freckles into a multi-million-dollar business after Taylor wore them to a Chiefs game. As Buttelman told Glossy, Taylor understands the power of visibility — and uses it.

Taylor’s accessible fashion matters because it makes style feel participatory rather than aspirational. It invites fans not just to admire, but to engage. In many ways, it mirrors the effect of her music. Her greatest talent, after all, has always been making the personal feel communal. And that is where her influence, fashion included, proves most enduring.

Who: A boho-chic retailer that carries a mix of in-house brands in addition to designer assortments under their umbrella that span home decor, beauty, and even bridal. Anthropologie’s style is defined by romantic and whimsical details. Think flutter sleeves, distinctive prints, and vintage silhouettes. Anthropologie is also a brand under the URBN label which also comprises other Taylor favorites below Urban Outfitters and Free People.

What: Taylor has worn many items across the Anthro catalogue in street style outings, fan meet and greets, and even on film! She wears one of their dresses and a plaid tunic in the movie and promotional appearances for her role in Valentine’s Day (2010). Most often, Taylor will reach for their sweet and feminine dresses in a myriad of prints. But she’s also carried a few of their leather bags, clipped some fanciful barettes of theirs into her hair, and even worn their vintage-inspired one-piece swimsuits.

One of my personal favorite Anthro moments? Taylor wore their “Scalloped Stripes” dress during the live webchat to announce RED in August 2012.

Who: A brand that hits close to home for me - literally. The Canadian retailer is one I’m deeply familiar with for their in-house brands offering trendy, elevated staples that run the gamut of sleek office-ready pieces like trousers and blouses to athleisure (don’t sleep on this fabrication for workout gear! I’m a believer). They also carry a few curated third-party labels, particularly to fill in their denim catalogue.

What: Taylor typically pulls from Aritzia’s casual and cozy lines, including many of their plaid mini skirts and cropped knits. She’s also been known to style their sleeker pieces for dinners out in New York like bodysuits, LBDs, or thin base layers. The most visible Aritzia appearances might just be in the folklore album imagery where checked pieces offered a more modern, graphic foil to the softer cottagecore styles associated with the era. But Taylor’s very first brush with Artizia was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment embedded in different album’s visuals: A scene in the “Shake It Off” music video featuring a cropped graphic cat sweater.

Who: An Italian-owned brand that hit its stride when it tapped into a relaxed, California-cool aesthetic catered towards the younger, preppy set. Picture baby tees, tank tops, zipped hoodies, and plaid mini skirts. They are perhaps known for their “one size fits most” approach to sizing which has been met with criticism as it limits who feels represented by - and is able to shop from - their catalogue.

What: Taylor dabbled in many of Brandy Melville’s varsity pieces, wearing sweaters and cardigans of all different colors slashed with a preppy double stripe on the arm. Their easy basics also made a great layer en route to the gym while their dressier pieces like corduroy or plaid mini skirts suited her girlish style for dinners out. While you might be distracted - understandably - by the five holes clearly in the fence of this Instagram post from February 2019 (if you know you know), Taylor also wears a Brandy Melville “Forget Me Not” tee here too.

Who: A slightly newer retailer in Taylor’s more accessible style brand rolodex - and priced at the higher end of the acceptably accessible spectrum, I’m aware! The California-based brand often evokes the warm hues, natural elements, and carefree, laidback attitude of SoCal. They’re another brand known for their feminine and romantic style often translated into weightless summer dresses dotted with delicate prints.

What: Taylor has near-exclusively worn pieces of the frillier variety from this brand. Though we have seen her dip into the evening bag and knit categories, most of her Dôen pieces are of the frothy persuasion. A ruffle-edged dress, a lace eyelet tunic with cascading frills at the front and sleeve hems. Indeed, one of her floral dresses by Dôen was named by Taylor Swift Style readers as a favorite outfit of 2025. If I were to pick mine, it would be the button tie front tank she wore to her inaugural Chiefs game back in September 2023. Memories!

Who: As the name implies, Free People is driven by a free-spirited, bohemian-chic aesthetic. Their pieces are flowy, layered, and relaxed. They are the flower crowned royalty of the 2010s boho festival circuit. Pieces like lace shorts, embroidered tunics, and bell sleeved dresses rendered in paisley reigned due to FP’s influence.

What: From offstage slouchy loungewear to ruffled tunics that support album-era visuals, and even her most memorable boho-leaning street style moments, Free People has been one of the most enduring brands in Taylor’s wardrobe. For all the time I’ve been documenting Taylor’s fashion, I’ve been familiarized with FP’s catalogue by extension. Its presence is so ingrained that beyond her street style and home loungewear moments, Free People appears across much of Taylor’s filmed and visual work. From her documentaries Miss Americana and The End of an Era to folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, as well as in music videos (“Highway Don’t Care”), advertising (her Taylor by Taylor Swift fragrance for Elizabeth Arden), and editorial shoots (Entertainment Weekly for evermore).

Who: A byproduct of the popularization of “twee” in the early 2010s. ModCloth tapped into a customer desire for vintage-inspired, whimsical aesthetics rooted in mid-century fashion. Their designs skew playful and feminine, with retro silhouettes, bright colors, and quirky prints. The types of fit-and-flare dresses, high-waisted skirts, cardigans, and tailored blouses accented by polka dots, gingham, bows, and Peter Pan collars that Zooey Deschanel would have fawned over. The brand also emphasized inclusive sizing up to 4X.

What: ModCloth’s peak in Taylor’s wardrobe was neatly packaged in the RED years when Taylor leaned into her self-described “1950s housewife” aesthetic. That clarity was part of the charm and, indeed, was a formative period for Taylor when it felt like she was more aware of creating distinct guardrails to define an era. It made the fashion ecosystem around her refreshingly easy to map, with ModCloth emerging as one of those instantly recognizable brands that understood the assignment and executed it with cheerful precision. You couldn’t mistake one of their looks for anything else.

One moment that will always stand out for me, courtesy of ModCloth? An outing in November 2011. On this idyllic fall day, Taylor wore an ensemble featuring an unexpected color combination of navy, goldenrod, and red. It was my first-ever full outfit identification I’d made on my own in the fledgling moments of running a fashion blog. I still recall finding those Marc Jacob heels and scouring the Fendi runway for that bag, shakily establishing contacts at the house to confirm if Taylor’s was an unsold style from the brand (it was!). This look also earned its own spread in my book Taylor Swift Style - rightfully so!

Who: The California-based brand got its start upcycling vintage pieces and focusing on deadstock or sustainably-sourced materials. Their clothes are effortless, cool, feminine, and often have a vintage twist. Taylor’s style in a nutshell, basically! It’s why they’re one of her longest standing accessible brands she continues to turn to today. Imagine polka dot wrap dresses, patterned mini skirts, cable knits, and matching sets as defining style points. In cadence with their increasing popularity, Reformation has accelerated its production cycle with frequent drops and, at times, more cost-conscious materials. It’s prompted reflection on how closely this aligns with its founding values, though the brand touts they’ll be integrated into the circular fashion cycle by 2030. One thing that must be said? The subject lines on their marketing emails should not be missed.

What: A street style mainstay for Taylor. Her earliest string of candid outings with them from fall 2013 through winter 2014 remain some of my all time favorites to this day. From their catalogue she’s predominantly favored their light swingy dresses, matching two-pieces (a trend she helped popularize circa the 1989 era), and as of late their cozy knits. One I’ve had my particular eye on for myself is her v neck sweater spotted in The End of an Era docuseries. That color looks like the most sumptuous warm neutral.

Who: Sézane, for those who yearn for that je ne sais quoi essence in their looks. The Parisian retailer trades in a studied kind of ease. Outfits that appear effortless, but are actually the result of careful curation. Rooted in vintage references and elevated by natural fabrics, its wardrobe staples - slouchy knits, ruffled silk blouses, unfussy denim, quietly excellent leather goods - are designed to live long, not loudly. There’s a femininity that feels considered rather than precious. They do a thoughtful job in balancing clean, modern lines with a softened, bohemian inflection.

What: In the same vein as Dôen, this is a newer brand in Taylor’s rotation - but its one that shows promise to become a reliable source for adding a bit of undone polish to Taylor’s street / off-duty style. Her picks from Sézane haven’t yet been consistent in type or category, shifting between her favored platform heeled loafers in one appearance to a barely-there buttoned tank top the next. With time, I’m hopeful we see more of this French brand in her street style rotation.

Who: The Beatles. One Direction. Topshop. Just a handful of some of the U.K.’s greatest exports. I kid! Though it is true that Topshop was once tops at fast fashion in London, excelling at diluting runway edge into something wearable for British teens at prices they could afford to leap at. Their collaborations with supermodel Kate Moss was the stuff of legend. Indeed, in their prime, Topshop functioned as a cultural seismograph for youth style that every “it” girl wanted to wear. Eventually, the fast fashion brick and mortar brand got sick of running as fast as it could. Failing to keep up with digitally native brands, it was acquired by the mega online retailer ASOS in 2021.

What: Taylor’s Topshop selects are as eclectic as the brand itself as their catalogue shfited to meet the trends of the moment. One moment a look might be Brit rocker chic with pointed heeled boots. The next, a sweet eyelet fit-and-flare dress for summer. In cooler temps, she’s pulled on their charming toggle coats and knit accessories. Perhaps her most beloved Topshop piece? A “Genius” sweater that I recall many messages in my inbox about. This happens to be one of my most precious Taylor exacts that I own.

Who: Rounding out this list is Urban Outfitters, a brand that originally started out life as Free People. As the brand grew, it bifected to create two distinct retailers, the formerly known Free People refreshed into Urban Outfitters. The URBN parent company also has Taylor-favored brand Anthropologie as part of its brand portfolio. Urban’s fashion offerings feel a bit more rugged and irreverent in contrast to the gaze of FP’s softened bohemian outlook. At UO, trend-forward silhouettes and slouchy basics coexist alongside band tees, throwback graphics, and reworked vintage under the Urban Renewal in-house label.

What: In a similar vein to Taylor’s pulls from other brands in the URBN umbrella, Taylor’s picks from UO are of the girlish staples one would expect. Skater skirts and high-waisted shorts appeared frequently, particularly through the Speak Now to 1989 eras. As did basic tees in neutrals, stripes, or polka dots or patterned dresses in the summer. I was particularly charmed by her cable knit beanies (“toques” as I would say) she wore from them, picked up in a myriad of colors. One particularly memorable piece for me are the teal ballet flats pictured above from April 2009. Written inside the shoes, in scrawling letters, the hidden message “fairytales are true.” Both the phrase, and its concealed location, feel utterly on-brand for an Easter Egg-loving hopeless romantic.

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I hope this roundup felt like both a refresher and a reminder of Taylor’s style that exists somewhere between runway pulls and red carpet appearances. The beloved items that are worn, reworn, and refreshingly personal.

I loved revisiting these moments and delighted in sharing them with you here. Any brands or shining moments I missed? Do you own any “Taylor exacts” yourself? Would love to hear!

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And if you’ve ever craved an expanded, comprehensive look at Taylor’s fashion evolution over the years, might I recommend my book Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through the Eras which is only $10 here!

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Much like last year, I’m excited to hit the ground running in January with another no buy. My goal is all of January at a minimum - but I’m hopeful I can go longer if I can keep the momentum going. I find posts like this fun (Not just because I think we’re all nosy to a degree about the faves of our friends - it’s communal recommendation sharing!) but because it’s also a great way to level set and remind yourself of the wonderful richness of things you already have rather than building a wishlist for what to buy next.

In the spirit of reminding ourselves of a few of our favorite things I’d love to hear about your best buys in the comments.

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For now, some full-throated recommendations from me.

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MAKEUP

I generally have a light touch when it comes to daily makeup. I tend towards building glow with skincare first then going in with product to create fluffy lashes, a defined lip, and flushed illuminated cheeks.

• NARS Tinted Moisturizer: I bop around a lot when it comes to shades depending on the time of year but I love added SPF of this tinted moisturizer.

• Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Skin Enhancer in Medium Dark: A dreamy bronzer that adds warmth to the face.

• Merit Minimalist Foundation and Concealer Stick in Burlwood: For that extra smudge of coverage under the eyes and around the nose. The unfussiest application process ever.

• Merit Flush Balm in Fox: A lovely warm rose color. The tiny packaging is incredibly satisfying to chuck into a travel bag.

• YSL Lash Clash in Brown: I’m very picky with my mascara formulation (I like a fat, feathery, fluffy lash) and after the demise of my previously beloved mascara (RIP Bite Beauty) this is a good replacement that also comes in brown which feels softer for everyday.

• Glossier Lip Liner in Buff: Super glide-y formula that lasts longer than I’d expect for someone who usually has three drinks on the go at any given point in the day.

• Merit Satin Lipstick in Tiger: I’ve never put this on and regretted it. It’s one of those shades that feels like “you” in a tube. Mmmm.

SKINCARE

If your skincare routine is boring, I feel you’re doing something right. A pared back handful of stable, well-formulated, fragrance-free products will rarely steer you wrong. One of the best things I did for my skin this year was consulting with a derm to get prescription-strength azelaic acid (AM) and tretinoin (PM) to address my biggest skin concerns (sun spots, texture, dullness) with uncomplicated go-tos via the below filling the spaces in between.

You could get fancy here with an eye cream, exfoliator, and what have you. But if you’re at the start of your skincare journey and find the sea of product categories overwhelming, I think nailing down something to cleanse, treat, moisturize, and protect are required basics to nail down first.

• Clinique Take the Day Off Balm: There is nearly nothing so satisfying as digging your fingers into a pot of cleansing balm and rubbing it all over your face to dissolve dirt and makeup. Primal.

• Dieux Deliverance Serum: You will never walk into my bathroom and not see this in my top drawer with a minimum of three backups ready to fill the void. Do with that information what you will.

• Rhode Glazing Milk: When I got overeager with my aforementioned tret application and was experiencing flaking (particularly around the nose and mouth) this was my saving grace. Positively lush!

• Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer: When one of the creators of Skinceuticals’ famous Triple Lipid makes their own dream moisturizer you lean in and buy every tube you can. ‘nuff said.

• Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Sun Gel: Beautifully fluid sunscreen that’s juicy on the skin and sits great under makeup. For my fellow dry-skinned husks that like a glowy finish with their sun protection.

FRAGRANCE

I’m a fragrance fiend. They’re a favorite category for me to invest in - particularly during the bi-annual Sephora sale - because they’re pricier items that also have a long use window.

My preferred scent profile trends towards a “unisex” palette. Anything smoky, woodsy, leathery, musky, with a hint of sweetness is usually a win for me. In the summer, I’ve been known to dabble in anything rose-forward.

• I’m fond of basically every Maison Margiela perfume but my top picks are By The Fireplace (my wedding scent), On A Date for spring/summer (notes of rose petal), and Jazz Club for fall/winter (tobacco leaf, pink pepper).

• Taylor might have her own preferred Tom Ford fragrance, Santal Blush, but I will always be a proponent of Ombre Leather and Tobacco Vanille for spicy, sweet scents.

• Commodity Velvet+ is a stunning rose-forward perfume. I also love Commodity’s approach to formulation. Every scent gets subtle variants. Each with added notes to increase the projection of throw and the depth of profile. As a perfume lover, I think the ‘Bold’ take on all their scents is the way to go.

• Glossier You Doux is, as its name implies (doux is ‘soft’ en français), a softer and woodsier version of the original You fragrance - which is also a great pick.

CLOTHING / SHOES / BAGS

This is my first full year of logging outfits in the Indyx app after I (rather painfully) started to digitally catalogue my entire wardrobe there in January 2025. As you plug in your outfits, the app helpfully gives you wardrobe statistics right at your fingertips /incoherent data nerd screeching.

With that, you know that these five items are scientifically proven as my most worn this year.

👗 ICYMI: I started January 2025 with a clear plan to make more of my closet. It began with a style quiz and ended with a purged and organized closet. I have even more plans to elevate what I’ve started in 2026 — stay tuned for that!

• Everlane Organic Box Cut Tee in White, worn 50 times: I’m completely unsurprised by this. By this indication, I’ve worn this white tee approximately ~1x/week all year. By itself on a warm day, with a blazer on a cooler day, a crisp white layer peeking out under a sweater on an even colder day - I could go on. I’ve washed and dried this tee a million times and it’s come out wonderfully every time. The only thing I’ll say about it is the white isn’t quite as white as it used to be. But it’s held up beautifully otherwise!

• Everlane Way High Curve Jean in Washed Black, worn 41 times: I know not everyone loves a barrel style, but these have been amazing for anyone with a dramatic waist-to-hip-to-thigh ratio. As a pear-shape, the extra few inches that a barrel style offers are precious!

• Reformation Prudence Ballet Flat in Leopard, worn 36 times: Chances are good that when I’m wearing an outfit it’s comprised of neutrals. Chances are even greater that before I head out the door I will reach for these leopard flats to give my outfit that much-needed zing of ‘Edgy’ per my Three Words.

• Madewell Perfect Belt in Black, worn 35 times: The name says it all. Not too chunky, not too thin. Just perfect. Though I will say I am loving this blingier version which feels like a more ‘Edgy’ accessory option my closet could use.

• Clare V Moyen Messenger Bag in Evergreen, worn 31 times: The hero piece of my honeymoon! The only bag I brought with me to traipse for four weeks across Europe. It was everything I hoped it would be - and you guys loved it, too. It was one of my most clicked links of the year. Roomy, but not unwieldily large. A zip top for security. Multiple ways to wear it. And, of course, that color. Greeeeeeeeeeen! I managed to snag mine on Clare V’s ‘Le Resale’ secondhand portal but it’s also available new.

🧳 Packing Capsule: The full details on how I survived four weeks out of a carry-on.

JEWELRY

I’m really proud of the spot my jewelry collection has gotten to. But I also think it’s worth noting that I’ve been collecting with intention since, oh, 2016/17. Proof that a thoughtful accumulation of beautiful pieces can often take time. I’ll caveat that many of my truly favorite all time Mejuri pieces have been tragically discontinued (like the beloved Croissant line!). But I’ll call out faves from my collection that are still available.

• Dorsey James Bezel Necklace*: The only necklace I brought on my honeymoon. It’s timeless and beautiful and I feel like the classiest broad around whenever I wear it.

• Mejuri Duo Ring: For the minimalist who wants something a little special. I call this my 2-for-1 ring.

• Mejuri Dôme Slim Ring: To pair in your ring stack with the above for a soft, architectural swoop.

• Mejuri Brioche Pearl Earrings: An edgy twist on an elegant classic. These always add a classy oomph to any outfit. I’ll often reach for them when I’m layering a crisp white tee under a sweater - the light color in each adds a brightening sandwich style effect around the face.

• Mejuri Garnet Heirloom Ring: A Taylor + Sarah exact that, as its name indicates, is forever.

FITNESS

I’ve always been athletic. As a child, I was raised on dance and any sport that was in-season. As an adult, I’ve put myself through the paces of basically every group fitness class there is (barre, spin, pilates, F45). Lately, my routine is strength training at the gym 4x/week with cardio 3x/week, daily walks, and the odd Lagree class thrown in. In 2026, I’m hoping to get back into the dance studio for movement that’s rooted in joy. Physical activity plays such a key part in my life. (Though I could talk about my relationship with exercise and body image in a whole other essay!) As a result, I’m pretty opinionated about my athletic gear.

• Oura Ring: I retired my FitBit in June and haven’t looked back since. I’ve loved the Oura ring for tracking my steps and my sleep. But the clincher are the biometric insights. It’s accurately predicted drops in my immune system with an impending cold twice and is also now attuned to my cycle.

• Lululemon WunderTrain Gloves: Very unsexy but I use them for every single workout.

• Aritzia Butter fabric: After looking in all the typical places for workout gear, I found it at … Aritzia! Yes, the same place I shop for blazers, work trousers, and wool outerwear. The Butter fabric is as familiarly soft as, say, lululemon’s famous Align technology — but with more compression. This makes it ideal for strength training (Align, to me, is a yoga / lounge material). In the Butter lineup, my picks would be the Tumbler Bra or Mini Bra Top (I like a minimal sports top as I, ehm, don’t need much in the way of support in that area) and the Cheeky Infinite Legging (No front seam! HUZZAH!).

• Yeti Rambler: Dishwasher safe, leakproof, keeps liquids cold, comes in a zillion colors. What’s not to love? Mr. TSS thoughtfully gifted me a TSS branded one (Can you believe?!) and I use it all day long for my morning greens / creatine, afternoon protein shakes, and water in between.

• Dagne Dover Landon Carryall: An overdue upgrade for me. I got the large size and it’s wonderfully roomy when fully expanded but can be punched down into a more petite shape that hangs nicely on the shoulder. The neoprene fabric has a scuba-like feel and I suspect is borderline indestructible. This would also double nicely as a personal item for flights.

MISCELLANEOUS

The below don’t quite fit into the above categories, but they still felt very worthy of a mention.

• Kobo Clara: I converted to an eReader in 2017 and I credit it entirely for making reading a joyful experience for me as an adult, reinvigorating that love I’ve had for books since I was a child. I read every night before I go to bed and bring my Kobo with me on every trip. Not that there’s anything that can truly replace cracking the spine of a physical book or the sensorial feeling of entering a booktore, library, or secondhand shop to touch and smell those papery pages … but the convenience! The ease! Lying down on your side to read without a book flopping into your face is a luxury I refuse to give up.

• Hotel Lobby Candles: Per my perfume obsession above, I love to hoard a beautifully scented candle. When my former favorite candle source underwent a rebrand (I haven’t had it in my heart to give the new Boy Smells a try), I’ve fallen heavily on HLC. I love Fifth Avenue and Blue Skies for spicy sweet notes, London is a creamy ladylike scent, and Paris Nuit is practically a bedroom candle.

• Knix Pajamas [AD: Thank you to Knix for sponsoring this mention]: I’ve been on a one-woman mission to no longer wear ugly things to bed. Sleeping in a holey t-shirt and shorts? Never again! I’ve purchased (and repurchased) Knix menstrual undergarments on my own for years (stock up on these and these then thank me later) but never known until recently that they also make cute modal pajamas. Now if you’ll please excuse me while I slowly acquire every color …

• Cuyana Travel Set: I’ve owned this set for years and the leather is sublime. I keep the larger one in the bathroom to house all my makeup while the smaller one has become my de facto “bag within a bag” that I transfer to whatever purse I’m using that day. It makes for a very cute emergency kit, if you will, that holds all the bits and bobs you might find yourself needing while on the go (Tide Pen, dental floss, eye drops, ibuprofen, hand cream/sanitizer, lip balm, etc).

I’d love to know - what were some of your best buys in 2025?

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Share Taylor Swift Style

We return to where we started to bring the series over the finish line. After having spent five …

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It’s also a way to meet demand in the generally warm reception the series has received. Chris Willman for Variety called the first two episodes “entertaining, absorbing, emotional.” AV Club’s Sophie Brookover descibed the series as “prioritizing maximalism and joy while highlighting Swift’s commitment to excellence even in harrowing situations.” Amber Dowling for The Globe & Mail praised Era’s collectivism approach, calling its multi-narrative perspective “a scrapbook of one of the most important moments in pop culture history.”

The sharpest skepticism the series has drawn centers on how intentionally calibrated its candor appears. This, to me, reads as outdated criticism from a time when the word “calculated” was a negatively-charged descriptor instead of an accurate take on a savvy businesswoman. Angie Han for The Hollywood Reporter wrote “The End of an Era is hardly a juicy tell-all”, pointing to the Lana Wilson-directed Miss Americana as a superior example of that genre, and is instead a “flattering portrait that will primarily be of interest to those already bought into the Taylor Swift ecosystem … who should be pleased with the warm intimacy (albeit carefully negotiated, artist-approved intimacy) on offer.” In his three star review for NME, Nick Levine opined that he hoped the series’ remaining four episodes would be “slightly less controlled,” adding the episodes lacked “gloriously off-the-cuff” and “revealing” moments as compared to other tour documentaries. In my view, this docuseries is best viewed in service to her fans, yes, but also to her brand. As a result, it’s natural to be tightly curated. The six episodes crystalize an apex in Taylor’s career, documenting the journey of the tour and celebrating its legacy while also positioning its scale against the physical and emotional labor of the humans at the heart of it. Taylor sits at the helm, adeptly maneuvering the topics of her life and career she wants to rebut or rewrite. Throughout the series, the idea of wanting to set “precedent” feels potent, with Taylor preferring to let her actions demonstrate her beliefs, with leadership as action. A buried example? The brief mention to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. “The one thing I can provide people is an escape. I’m glad I will have given 100% girlhood and hope and belief and sweat and effort because that’s the job,” says Taylor.

To contrast week over week, I found episodes three and four delivered on the minutiae and inner-workings of the Eras machine more effectively than the previous pair of installments. There were so many details that had me delightedly writing notes! I’m sure you can guess which portion of the third episode got me most excited for obvious, read: stylish, reasons.

Below, my thoughts on all that was shared during episodes three and four of The End of an Era: “Kismet” and “Thank You For the Lovely Bouquet.” I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts on the series so far so please click below to discuss it in the comments — I look forward to joining you there!

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A few notes before diving in:

• Fashion: In case you’re wondering about the outfits Taylor is seen wearing throughout the series, I’ve collected them on Taylor Swift Style as well as ShopMy. There, you’ll find conveniently organized outfit breakdowns which use affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase, I may get a small commission — at no cost to you! Thank you for supporting Liner Notes.

• Comments: I’d like to shout out the Liner Notes comments section. This corner of the internet is reserved for paid subscribers; a community of people open to a nuanced, thoughtful, and critically kind discussion. Would you consider upgrading for $5/month (or $31/year) to join the conversation and support my work? I’d so appreciate it if you did. I look forward to joining you in the comments! Thank you.

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🎞️ ICMYI: My recap of the first two episodes of The End of an Era is below and free for all to read.

Episode 1 of the series was a requisite emotional tablesetting of the heightened stakes of the Eras Tour. In the first hour, we’re briskly put through Eras 101, hitting a talking points list of the tour’s highs: Its global impact (the “Swiftnomics” effect injecting tourism dollars into every city it stopped in) and unparalleled fan mobilization amongst them. As well as its lows: The devastating acts of violence, both fatal and nearly-avoided.

What follows is a rinse-and-repeat of intertwining storylines, letting the viewer become accustomed to the pacing and soft-focus portraiture that upholds the Swiftian brand. Each subsequent chapter in the series uses an Eras Tour city stop as scaffolding to prop up a theme (choreography, costuming, off-stage heartbreaks) with guest stars both musical (Ed Sheeran, Florence Welch, Sabrina Carpenter) and personnel (Kameron Saunders, Amanda Balen, Mandy Moore, Jeslyn Gorman, Whyley Yoshimura) to act as side studies of the village it took to produce Eras (here’s hoping the remaining two episodes include a dedication to Jan Ravnik and his ladder). These anecdotes add charming, off-canvas color to the main portrait of Taylor herself who provides personal details of her own that often reward a reader willing to read between the lines. Jeslyn, in a team huddle, puts it best when she describes Taylor as someone who “like[s] to shed light on people and make them feel bigger than they are.”

For the first time, I wondered at the title of the episodes and what they say about Taylor’s headspace. Kismet is a synonym for fate. Something Taylor has written a lot about in the past. By contrast, so much of The Life of a Showgirl is about unplugging from the Industrial Fairytale Complex Taylor raised herself on. “Wood”, for all its … er … suggestive imagery, lends itself well to this concept. After Tortured Poets’ “The Prophecy”, we see the romantic whimsies that are the backbone of much of Taylor’s earlier works — where romance is framed as painful twists of destiny in order to arrive beautifully scarred at your happy ending — replaced by a more mature understanding that love is much simpler than she thought. It isn’t some great cosmic power, magnetizing those meant to be. Love is the result of everyday effort. True romance is clear-eyed, straightforward. There is no luck, there are just choices. Much like how the Eras Tour was not the result of good fortune, but of human fortitude required to make it happen - as the series thoroughly documents. The second episode title, of course, is a direct pull from the titular track of Showgirl. Whether simply a reference to her duet partner Sabrina Carpenter’s cameo in the episode or an indicator of more Showgirl content forthcoming (the album was, after all, written on this tour as much as Poets was) is unclear. But I’m hopeful!

Episode 3 captures the feeling of summer break, depicting the relaxation and the revamp of effort in the two months between the European and North American legs of the tour. By now, we’re familiarized with the on-stage efforts to make the three and a half hour show happen that fans see in person (or via livestream). Here, the camera does a lot of storytelling to demonstrate the personnel who step in when the stage lights are off. A trunk tagged “Plane 4” (quietly inferring the presence of at least three other planes) releases a puff of rainbow confetti as it’s loaded away. The short clip does as much as the post-production text overlays to convey the behemoth task in dismantling and transporting the Eras stage across the Atlantic. A feat that, alone, took six weeks.

The concept of family, both amongst the tour cast, is strong. An instrumental of “peace” drifts over footage of bassist Amos Heller with his children at home in Nashville. Co-band leader Mike Meadows unknowingly recreates a lyric from “Wi$h Li$t” as he plays basketball with his family in a different Music City driveway. As we surge past the halfway point of the series and its conclusion looms, the lingering question keeping me up is if future content will address what is next for Taylor.

The Planets, The Fates, and all the Eras Aligned

“She, from a very early age, always knew exactly how she wanted things to be.” - Andrea Swift

• What happened: The episode opens with a series of childhood clips of Taylor pulled from the Swift family archives. Here, Taylor’s lifelong wish to have her most intimate songs echoed back to her by a crowd is contrasted against the gargantuan reality she’s built. “I don’t think when you’re doing that you ever, for a split second, think it will become … this,” says her mother Andrea.

My liner notes: I’ll admit I was quizzical at the initial framing. We’re already three episodes deep and the inclusion of home movie footage is the furthest pull back in the timeline we’ve seen yet. The narrative materializes with the following scenes which trace the dramatic trajectory of Eras. The plucking sounds of the “invisible string” instrumental overlaid was a thoughtful - and cinematic - touch. Particularly with Andrea’s narration working to soften the edges of Taylor’s ambition.

In the absence of pinning a performance rehearsal to a surprise cameo like the first pair of episodes, we get a delightful amount of footage of Taylor, solo, practicing her acoustic mashups for the show. Sans makeup, hair mussed, in a tee and ripped denim shorts - the image harkens to her childhood bedroom beginnings of writing songs to put into the world in hopes of documenting her feelings and connecting with others who feel the same.

The end of the episode provides a neat, ribbon-tied conclusion to the concept. It’s there, nestled amongst Taylor’s dreamily-hazed voice overlay with the image of her twirling on stage in sparkling Roberto Cavalli interspersed with clips of her similarly spinning around as a towheaded toddler with Andrea’s laughter bubbling behind the lens. Taylor abuts the idea of her lifelong desires and decades of manual labor with the sliver of magic and happenstance that life is still capable of delivering. “I’m very well aware of mysterious forces at play that I will never have control of. So all I can ever do is say to myself I’m going to use every tool in my toolkit and I’m going to paint with every single brush I’ve got … I’m going to try as hard as I can to give these people everything they want … But sometimes … there’s something you can’t plan for or something you can’t manufacture. There’s still got to be some magical, beautiful mystery to life.” The tour’s supernova success is the direct result of her exertion, her sweat, her tears, her labor. Perhaps there really are still beautiful things.

The Story of Us Looks A Lot Like Eras Now

“It’s never me. It’s always we.” - Jeslyn Gorman

• What happened: The episode largely concentrates on the logistics of furiously running through the tour in preparation for its comeback in Miami, FL. The crew refamiliarizes themselves with the thousands of particulars the show necessitates, led by Rick Berger “stage managing the shit” out of the runthrough (and who, for the degree of dizzying specifics he cues, might find a fulfilling second career in air traffic control one day) amidst weather concerns tracked by the dedicated Swift Metereology Department (who knew this was a feasible career path? I would have loved to know it was an option!) tracking wind speeds with fully branded Eras Tour reports. The directors peg the supporting storyline of the episode to background singer Jeslyn Gorman’s moving cancer journey from diagnosis to her triumphant return to stage.

My liner notes: After the initial installment of episodes, the format of The End of an Era solidifies. We are deeply embedded and fully acclimated to the glittering, intensely emotional world that is Eras. It’s the personal element that drives the Eras machinery, a concept that is hammered in with each episode. Taylor, after all, once described how she is in the “business of human emotion.” It’s clear given her oversight of the series that she wanted to center the stories of everyone who took part in Eras, letting those human components complete the project’s vision.

This was particularly true of background singer Jeslyn Gorman’s story revealing she was battling cancer in the wings of the Eras Tour curtains. As someone whose life has also been impacted by breast cancer, I felt a deep pang in my heart when the distinctive guitar pickings of “Soon You’ll Get Better” played overtop her emotional telling of undergoing treatment. There was a period in my life where listening to that song was too hard, too close, too much. The fact that Jeslyn hopped on a plane to rejoin her “Eras family” the very moment she could? My heart!

Eras Never Go Out of Style

“We chose to be reflective and sentimental and tie in the designers who had been with Taylor from the beginning.” - Joseph Cassell

• What happened: Of course, the thing I was hoping for most! We enter a wardrobe fitting with Taylor and her longtime stylist Joseph Cassell as she tries on new costumes slated for the final North American leg of the tour. Cheers to going out with a very stylish bang! Like much of Taylor’s inner circle, Joseph has been a long-standing constant at her side. Proof of Taylor’s preference for loyalty and track record for employee retention. The episode also goes deeper, literally, diving down into the labyrinthine underworld of the Eras Tour stage and the intricate logistics set up to facilitate the tour’s quick changes.

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