NFL 2023-24 Season

A recap of Taylor's rookie season as part-time NFL observer

Your usual Monday post coming to you a bit earlier than usual - hope you don't mind! ;)

Thirteen games and one Super Bowl Championship later we are here. Because of course as Most Valuable Taylor, our girl gets to go to a Super Bowl her rookie season as part-time sportsball spectator. And her thirteenth game would be the Super Bowl. And *and* if she wasn’t going to appear as a halftime performer the fates were going to conspire to pull her there no matter what.

As a first foray into a new genre of style, it was fascinating to watch her outfits unfold in real time but now that her 'season' is over it's also great to take a step back and note the trends and the patterns in her chosen fashion. Or what Elizabeth Holmes would call: slideshow dressing which really had an opportunity to shine here when there was a repeatable context that required its own sort of uniform to dress for the occasion.

Taylor's approach in my opinion was to extend the thoughtful and intentional way she dresses elsewhere in her life and bring that to the role of supportive and enthusiastic observer full of lowkey, casual, and carefully thought out brand selects that kept her cute and very girlfriend-shaped while still acting as a continuation of the approachable, imitable, feminine style that she's known for. Recognizable Chiefs colourways were formulaically contextualized through a Swiftian lens thanks to cute, girly items like pleated skirts and heeled loafers or a little saucier with corsets and tall heeled boots. And all throughout were stacks of gold jewelry for that subtle 'glam' factor more typical 'WAG' style is known for and thoughtful, handmade items from women-led or locally-owned brands to give them a global spotlight.

Here’s a recap of the thirteen (again I ask, does she just have God on speed dial?) games we’ve seen and my personal ranking of them all.

GAME 1 / September 24, 2023 / Bears vs Chiefs (W): Kicking off her rookie season casual and lowkey in simple sporty basics that still appealed to her signature feminine style (like the delicate scallop trim and bow front on her Dôen tank top), sentimental repeats (like the Ksubi shorts that are circa 2018 in her closet), New Balance 550s. The jacket was a KC Pro Shop exclusive that kept the select heartwarmingly local (another trend she’d repeat through the rest of the season) and one can’t ignore the designer name, New Era, which I’m sure appealed to her. This was very smartly played for a first outing to kickoff (is that the right sportsball pun?) the publicity of the relationship. (Photo by Jason Hanna via Getty Images)

GAME 2 / October 1, 2023 / Chiefs vs Jets (W): For her first away game, I wasn’t entirely surprised when Taylor opted to not dress in Chiefs colours. Mostly because I think she was trying to play it slightly more low-key when not on home turf. It’s also not surprising to me that this outfit lands as high as it does in my ranking. When Taylor stepped out after the game with a Gant leather shacket to complete the sandwich-styling on this ‘fit - I knew I was sold. If the saucy Area embellished denim shorts and tall Louboutin boots hadn’t already sealed the deal for me. (Photo by Elsa via Getty Images)

GAME 3 / October 12, 2023 / Broncos vs Chiefs (W): Maybe it’s the fact that the necklace in this photo haunts me as one of the most asked from last summer that I haven’t found yet but this outing just doesn’t rank highly for me. The spicy zip-front Balenciaga bustier though definitely raised some eyebrows - both for its come hither-esque energy and for the ire Balenciaga has drawn in the last few years for its campaigns. What did get to me though is Taylor electing for women-led fashion pieces like Erin Andrews who's been at the forefront of designing stylish pieces for female fans. (Photo by Cooper Neill via Getty Images)

GAME 4 / October 22, 2023 / Chargers vs Chiefs (W): Taylor’s intrinsic understanding of the power of her fashion choices really started taking shape at her fourth game when she began using vintage as a tool in her closet. Taylor wearing vintage, to me, is a way for her to show her team spirit without literally buying into the NFL merchandising machine. This may seem like small potatoes when you consider her suite presence this season has lifted viewership for the NFL in key female demographics (so much so that analysts say the Super Bowl may reach gender parity in viewership for the first time), tripled Chiefs merchandise sales before she even entered Arrowhead Stadium in September according to USA Today, and surged north of $330 million in equivalent advertising and brand value to the NFL and Chiefs according to analysis Apex Marketing Group as reported to NPR. But in a situation without a microphone and a guitar, what other primary method of communication does Taylor have at her disposal? Her fashion. And opting for something already made and giving it new life as a more sustainable option for expressing her support instead of the latest NFL sanctioned merch drop feels significant and intentional to me. On a personal note, I also just loved that she sourced her sweatshirt from a Canadian retailer. The pleated mini skirt and Reformation loafers do fall into the category of suspicious retrospect for me as we consider the potential dark academic aesthetic of Tortured Poets. But she also swapped out the loafers later on for a custom pair of Nike Air Force 1s that were a bulk buy for many of the players and their significant others - an early indicator of becoming welcomed into the #ChiefsNation fold. (Photo by Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

GAME 5 / December 3, 2023 / Chiefs vs Packers (L): After a month+ long break while she was playing the South American dates of the Eras Tour, Taylor returned to a colder new era of sportsball viewership. Enter bulkier layers and chic outerwear like this teddy Stella McCartney number. Upon seeing the tall heel height and even taller shaft of her OTK Stuart Weitzman boots, I commented that it felt like a fashion evolution that was progressing in-step with her “growing confidence and power as she grows more comfortable entering these football stadiums as guest and watcher … It evokes a voluminous and large presence that cannot be ignored and demands to be seen.” And I stand by that observation to this day. (Photo by Stacy Revere via Getty Images)

GAME 6 / December 10, 2023 / Bills vs Chiefs (L): Of her vintage sweatshirts, this one by KC retailer Westside Storey is my favourite. Maybe it’s that this outfit based on the ratio of black and red really appealed to me as a copy + paste that I’d personally wear (the reworn leather Khaite skirt and tall leather Larroude boots. This also was a continuation of the theme of Taylor taking up space and feeling confident in doing so thanks to a long black coat by Gant from the mens section. (Photo by Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

GAME 7 December 17, 2023 / Chiefs vs Patriots (W): More vintage on display here but the cutest part is the handmade beanie (with pom) that has ‘87’ stitched into the cuff. Made by one of the employees of the vintage shop from the previous game that was sneakily stuffed into her purchase box. Plus a custom plaid skirt by Rails which I had noted then as a “resurgence” of an item Taylor has been a “longtime fan” of. Again, my Tortured Poets brain is thinking and wondering if there was an intentional connect there. (Photo by Kathryn Riley via Getty Images)

GAME 8 December 25, 2023 / Raiders vs Chiefs (L): How stinking cute was the Christmas Day game outfit? Perfectly festive but also very on-Chiefs theme with the Americana Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater (something Taylor has worn in so many colours over the years - underlining repetition and familiarity as one of her key fashion pillars) with a Christmas-y plaid Hill House skirt. You know I’m also side eyeing the Prada loafers for their potential dark academia contribution to Tortured Poets aesthetic. And, of course, an 87’ed Santa hat (plus a Jennifer Behr hair bow and barrettes). Too freaking charming. (Photo by Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

GAME 9 December 31, 2023 / Bengals vs Chiefs (W): The day of the his and hers Jeff Hamilton jacket! I loved this take on varsity dressing that felt overdue and on brand for Taylor as someone who’s evoked high school imagery in her lyrics (oh how far we’ve come from sitting on the bleachers pining and waiting for the day that he wakes up and finds what he’s looking or has been here the whole time!). Jeff Hamilton is very well known for his celebrity varsity jackets - this was a great on-theme fashion designer to tap for the opportunity. I love that while she coordinated with Travis, Taylor still delineated her own personal identity, too. Throughout this journey of having someone new by her side, Taylor hasn’t been afraid to showcase and celebrate both her individual sense of self and her unfettered, loving, fully Bejeweled joy. With so many wondering, “Does XYZ belong to Travis?” I love that the coordinating but not same-same jackets show a united, but unique front for the two of them. (Photo by Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

GAME 10 January 13, 2024 / Dolphins vs Chiefs (W): This day, Taylor’s outfit continued to illustrate not only the power of fashion, but also the power of her individual impact. This custom jacket by Kristin Juszczyk was perfect for the weather while also being fashun. But more significantly, by centering a female clothing designer, and single handedly catapulting Kristin’s design career to now lead to a licensing deal with the NFL, Taylor continued to subtly middle finger NFL merchandising. I’d like to think Taylor is aware of the halo effect her clothing choices can have on small businesses like Kristin’s but also the ability to sway the powers that be and inform future trends. In this case, elevating designs like Kristin’s that are unique and more stylish to diversify the options that female sports fans have when it comes to wearable merch to support their teams of choice. The leather-like styling options that Taylor opted for like coated Paige pants and Louboutin combat boots were edgy touches that also were a coordinated matching effort on the part of the significant others in attendance. (Photo by Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

GAME 11 January 21, 2024 / Chiefs vs Bills (W): I actually really like this outfit and want to rank it higher purely for the retail fashion take on a varsity jacket - making collegiate style chic. Plus the toque! But while I intrinsically know that gold/yellow is a Chiefs colour, I couldn’t help but feel thrown off by her choice to go for a mustard-y turtleneck underneath here which likely impacts its overall place in the ranking. And also one more time for the fact that CTFL stands for Connecticut Florida - the home bases of Gant and co-designer Kilo Kish. (Photo by Al Bello via Getty Images)

GAME 12 January 28, 2024 / Chiefs vs Ravens (W): Sentimentality abounded in this pre-Super Bowl look. I like that Taylor went completely nondescript, but still on-brand to Chiefs colourways, in a cherry red sweater by her good friend Gigi Hadid’s brand Guest In Residence and a trusty pair of Louboutin heeled boots (another +1 in the column for Taking Up Space with heeled boots). But as every good Taylor fan knows, it’s the details that matter. It’s her accessory choices that do a lot of the talking - which she undoubtedly knew might be the case as presumably an on-field celebratory walk was planned in the instance the Chiefs would win - inviting camera lenses the closest physical proximity to her at a game by foregoing the luxury that suites offered her from the grace of a telephoto lens. In addition to rings by Mejuri, Baublebar, and EB & Co, Taylor wore a custom diamond tennis bracelet spelling out ‘TNT’ by Wove Made. Wove Made confirmed they actually had two of the bracelets made and that the lettering choice was requested by Travis. ‘TNT’ is not only a reference to their names but it’s also like a luxe version of the friendship bracelet that brought their relationship into fruition in the first place. (Photo by Rob Carr via Getty Images)

GAME 13 February 11, 2024 / Chiefs vs 49ers (W) According to Reuters, a 30 second ad spot for the Super Bowl costs $7 million. The New York Times estimates that Taylor is shown on screen for roughly that length of time over the course of a three hour game. If we consider Taylor’s outfits the equivalent of a human billboard, the advertorial value of Taylor’s fashion choice on Sunday is worth millions of dollars to whoever she chooses to wear on the big day. With beauty brands also entering the advertising arena for the Super Bowl, all things point towards Taylor’s impact on the organization and its viewers as well as the insane value and draw it would be to be part of her Super Bowl style story. With all that said, many people asked if I would be doing a Super Bowl outfit prediction to which I just didn’t think one was needed. Not because it wasn’t important - but because Taylor has established a reliable uniform as a semi-professional part-time sportsball spectator that a predictions post just didn’t feel warranted. She was going to wear Chiefs red and black in women-owned brands + sentimental pieces. Taylor is there, after all, not to be a star of the show but to play a supporting role and her clothes reflect that low-key approach and she’s used the designers she selects to send messages that reflect her values. And that’s exactly what we saw at the Super Bowl which also included so many throwbacks to the evolution of her game day style over the course of this season. Like the Dion Lee corset that threw back to Game 3 while also being a diplomatic reference to Australia - the next stop on the Eras Tour post-Super Bowl. Or her Wear by EA jacket, also a call back to Game 3 and a continuation of her emphasis on women-led brands. Or the Area embellished pants which combine the colour of her Game 1 Ksubi shorts with the brand from the aforementioned lady bit bejeweled appearance at Game 2. So many nostalgic elements that had just the right amount of sentimental and bling for a Super Bowl appearance. (Photo by Steph Chambers via Getty Images)

Phew. What a journey. Above was chronological, but of course we want a more personal ranking, that looks like below:

What were your favourite outfits Taylor wore over the course of the 23-24 season?