Taylor Swift, at 35 years old, contains multitudes. So does her wardrobe. The country-spirited singer who once sported a mane of curly hair, smoky eyes, and rhinestone dresses while spreading her early songs across the United States connected with the fading echoes of the Hollywood stereotype that dominated a battalion of romantic comedies in the early 2000s: the girl next door, that is, the ordinary girl. With a trip to a shopping mall, or even during a stroll through a flea market, encountering Taylor Swift's aesthetic was a piece of cake. Anyone - your best friend, your cousin, your neighbor, you! - could find themselves transformed into the embodiment of her style. The release of You Belong With Me, in which she appeared in thick-rimmed glasses reminiscent of Betty, the ugly one, and described as the girl her romantic interest failed to notice because he was too busy with a more charismatic alternative ("she wears a miniskirt, I wear a T-shirt; she's the cheerleading captain, I'm in the stands"), propelled her into what would later drive the careers of bloggers and influencers: relatability. Swift was one of the gang. Her lyrics channeled the experiences of girls who didn't win the popularity contest in school. The same girls who fantasized about a prom dance in tulle and rhinestones.
With Shake It Off, her course changed. Her lyrics introduced the "haters" she chose to ignore because she sang, danced to her own beat. Alongside the perfected American teenage tropes, she added the glimmers of a retro superstar. She chopped her hair and with a matte red tone that seemed tattooed on her lips, raised the waistline of her bias-cut skirts, and let the V-neckline allow imaginations to flutter to the most famous photographs of Marilyn Monroe. She thus embraced a retro aesthetic linked to the hyper-femininity of the 1950s.
Throughout the global tour that kept her in the headlines for almost two years, Taylor Swift's aesthetic phases were celebrated and organized. Offstage, on the street and on the red carpet, amidst appearances with Travis Kelce and award galas, the singer's wardrobe seemed to be undergoing a new gestation process. At photocalls, the American singer chose outfits that, with metallic applications and yellow and black checkered patterns, simulated a certain punk spirit. On her walks through the streets of New York, the retro inspiration settled in sweetheart necklines, high-waisted shorts, and gingham printed dresses.
"In my opinion, her style is more conceptual and idyllic than anything else," reflects stylist and consultant Fátima Valdés. "She has a distinctive image, rooted in a deeply American representation, but it doesn't respond to a defined personal style, rather to a clear narrative identity: she uses fashion to tell stories, express emotions, and connect with her audience on a personal level. On stage, she often combines country touches and vintage elements with rhinestones or sequins, in a clear nod to Dolly Parton, but she also dares with rock, vamp, or even naive touches. Additionally, she frequently integrates the iconic fishnet stockings, so characteristic of the 1970s showgirls, in looks that evoke the legendary ballroom dance competitions and even, if you push me, circus performances. On red carpets, she usually opts for colorful and somewhat excessive dresses, which have little to do with the aforementioned."
According to fashion sociologist Pedro Mansilla, the fan effect intensifies the aesthetic results of Swift's choices. Faced with the star revealed as a messiah, "her fans, oblivious to any other criteria, approve and imitate her." The author of Love Story, he notes, seems to neither need nor find appeal in alliances with major fashion houses. "It's true that other stars, like Madonna, Rihanna, or Rosalía, have departed from their original archetypes and have accepted the authority of big names over their image, from Gaultier, to Balenciaga or Dior. In that sense, it's strange that Swift hasn't succumbed to the temptation. But I suppose her business figures make her a Midas and turn everything she touches into gold, without the need for a 'tailor'."
In Swift's aesthetic fluctuations, Valdés sees "an appeal that breaks molds because it doesn't adhere to a uniform or perfectly edited aesthetic. This apparent 'stylistic chaos' conveys authenticity, a quality valued in a world where image is often so calculated that it can be perceived as artificial." The aspect of naturalness, Mansilla adds, ensures that "her legion of admirers buys her as a complete product that doesn't lend itself to system makeovers. There's a kind of rebellion (as there was in all her predecessors) that hasn't been tamed yet. I suppose she'll eventually conform, but for now, her antifashion look functions as an independent brand. Perhaps in her subconscious, images of traditional American culture, like sports cheerleaders or folk singers, are still alive."
Her way of dressing is perceived as an extension of her personality and not as an external imposition, allowing her to connect with people of different lifestyles and tastes
In American popular culture, ventures Paloma Díaz Soloaga, professor of Intangibles and Fashion at the Complutense University, her origin and success are rooted. "Swift is another link in the country chain, which is part of the national social glue, as Dolly Parton or Loretta Lynn were before, although she also includes pop. One element that strikes me in her relationship with fashion is the use of the leotard. It has a retro look, but she brings it to the present with sequins. Ultimately, she abounds in a feminine ideal: the flower woman. Although very powerful, hardworking, tenacious, and perfectionist, she immerses herself in the crucible of the American girl and teenager with a very childish covering, of princesses, flowers, ruffles, butterflies, glitter, tutus, feathers. It's very cheesy, but well interpreted and combined with conventional femininity. With cowboy boots in a feminine version, of course. Occasionally, she wears something more sexualized, like a garter, but it's never vulgar. She is sweet. She's not Rihanna or Beyoncé. She's a different profile: she doesn't embody the woman, but the American girl of the 21st century who resonates with the American folk imagery."
The American girl of the 21st century, like those from the UK, France, or Spain, grew up in front of the TV dreams of Hilary Duff, the secret musical triumphs of Hannah Montana, and the premieres where Lindsay Lohan pierced the ears of her lost twin at summer camp. References to Gossip Girl and Sex and the City reverberated in the conversations of their older sisters. Taylor Swift's generation grew up marinated in what in 2024 an Instagram trend dubbed as "main character energy." Embracing their peculiarities, they transform apparent oddities into traits worthy of a Hollywood movie protagonist. A set of a corset and denim culottes paired with red patent leather boots then sheds incongruity and transforms into the look of someone who has left the ranks of those resigned to waiting for the guy to finally notice her during prom night. In her aesthetic, harmony and tempo are now set by her. "Swift doesn't seem to fear mixing trends or styles, even when they may seem disconnected or unbalanced. Her way of dressing is perceived as an extension of her personality and not as an external imposition, allowing her to connect with people of different ages, lifestyles, and tastes, who can find something of themselves reflected in her". Swift contains multitudes. Her wardrobe, too.