The Showgirl Aesthetic — Rouge Magazine

Whether you love her or hate her, you cannot deny Taylor Swift’s influence in fashion. With the clothes she wears selling out within minutes of her stepping out in them, the fashion of the “The Life of a Showgirl” era is already making waves. From music videos to talk shows, to street wear, there have already been dozens of looks in this new era to give us a taste of the fashion and vibes we can expect to continue seeing.

This era started out strong with “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, in which there were several elaborate outfits. One of my personal favorite looks was the one in the opening scene, with a simple white gown.

The whole scene was meant to reference John Everett Millais’ well-known “Ophelia” painting. The gown itself is a custom Alberta Ferretti, designed by Lorenzo Serafini. Swift previously wore this designer during the “Folklore” section of the “Eras Tour”, as well as during her performance at the 2014 Grammys. Another personal favorite of mine is the custom Roberto Cavalli black chainmail fringe midi dress that she wore mid-way through the video.

Swift is no stranger to Roberto Cavalli's looks. Many looks on the “Eras Tour” were designed by him, including many of the iconic surprise song dresses. One last pick I really love is the custom Kelsey Randall rhinestone mini dress worn towards the end of the video.

This is a new designer for Swift. Randall launched her brand only 10 years ago and is already creating custom pieces for one of the most influential people in the industry. Overall, the looks from the music video display many decades of “showgirl” fashion and are a fun way to present the overarching theme of this new era.

With the release of the album, Swift has embarked on an extensive press tour, appearing on several late-night shows. She started on “The Graham Norton Show,” where she wore a David Koma black halter-neck minidress.

To me, this look screams understated yet classy glamor, which I think tones down the overstated, extravagant looks seen in the music video and album photoshoot. Following Swift’s appearance in the dress, it sold out on David Koma’s online store in less than a day. Swift also appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

She donned a Giuseppe Di Morabito crystal minidress, contrasting her simple look on “Graham Norton,” showing a flashier side of the “showgirl” aesthetic. This dress also sold out within hours of her appearing in it. Swift’s final late-night appearance was “Late Night with Seth Meyers”, which was my personal favorite of her talk show looks.

While this outfit didn’t exactly fit my idea of a “showgirl” outfit, it is filled with many easter eggs, something Swift is known to do through her outfits. She wore a two-piece set by Wiederhoeft that included a strapless bustier top and a mini skirt. The floral pattern could be referencing the set of “The Fate of Ophelia” music video or lyrics in her song “Eldest Daughter.” Her outfits worn on these talk shows perfectly continued to build the aesthetics of this new era, as well as keeping us on our toes for possible hidden messages.

Editor: Sydney Annis

Graphic: Delaney Chernault