Taylor Swift's Style Through the Eras

Throughout the years, pop sensation Taylor Swift has made music reflecting her life's many eras. Swift is one of the only musicians with distinct, recognizable eras that are reflected in her styles of music, as well as in her fashion sense. Many of her fans are able to recognize what era and what music is associated with each of her outfits. Her fashion choices have further defined her eras and have elevated them to not just be about her music.

Her early days of country music were full of cowboy boots, fun prints, and her naturally curly hair. Swift’s looks during this time embody the lively and youthful spirit of her teenage days. She rocked this style through her first two studio albums: Taylor Swift and Fearless.

When she moved on to her third album, Speak Now, Taylor Swift traded the cowboy boots and the bright prints for heels and deep purples. This era also sparked Swift’s love for a bold lip color. This album moved Swift from being a country artist to being a more prominent musician in the pop world, and her new style reflected the transition.

As Taylor Swift matured, so did her style. In her Red album era, Swift established a classic look of black and white outfits with of course pops of red. This style was heavily influenced by the surge of the twee trend during this time. Her favorite way to elevate her looks was with her iconic red lip as well as her signature bangs that debuted and became part of her recongizable look after her Vogue photoshoot in 2012.

Once again, Swift’s style changed with the release of her 5th studio album 1989. This era was all about pastels. She was often seen in pastel blues, pinks, and purples, and on tour, she made these colors pop with rhinestones and sparkles.

Taylor Swift took a drastic turn during her Reputation era. During this time she was rarely seen by the media, and when she was, she was caught wearing all black and smokey eye makeup. Her music during this time was less happy and upbeat than her previous albums, and it was more dramatic and sultry. This change caught a lot of fans by surprise.

Once again surprising the media, Taylor Swift’s style did a complete 180 after the release of her album Lover. Her previously dark and mysterious style was now bright and full of colors and rainbows. The songs in this album are some of her most upbeat and positive songs. This era’s key themes were love and acceptance. Many people interpreted the use of rainbows and positivity as a nod to the LGBTQ+ community.

The release of her sister albums, Folklore, and Evermore, in 2020 brought upon a more laid-back and calm style. This was reflective of the quarantine lifestyle when everyone was at home doing nothing during the Covid pandemic. Swift’s outfits during this era included a lot of grays and muted colors. This influenced the cottagecore trends that became very popular during this time. Her iconic cardigan is the perfect representation of this era.

Finally, her latest release, Midnights, has given us a new era of Taylor Swift. So far in this era, we have seen deep hues of purple and blue as well as lots of silver accents. Perhaps this color palette is a nod to the midnight skies.

Written by Catherine Kitchens

Copyedited by Trinity Gates

Graphics by Ny’Asia Keys