Taylor Swift’s Recent Fashion: Easter Eggs for Her New Album?
As the fashion world turns its gaze towards Taylor Swift's eagerly anticipated new album The Tortured Poets Department, both fashion aficionados and dedicated fans are piecing together clues from Swift's recent fashion choices. The buzz is reaching a high as the album’s release date (April 19) looms closer, and every outfit, accessory, and style shift is analyzed for hints of the literary and academic theme that Swift seems to be channeling.
Swift's fashion statements leading up to the album's announcement have been pivotal in setting expectations. Her appearance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, donning a Schiaparelli gown paired with opera gloves and a stunning array of Lorraine Schwartz diamonds, initially sparked speculations of a Reputation (Taylor’s Version) reveal. However, this ensemble—melding dark academia's classic elegance with an air of mystery—was the first of many Easter eggs hinting at deeper themes within her upcoming work.
Courtesy of InStyle
The gown itself, characterized by its sophisticated silhouette, evoked the timeless elegance often associated with the academic and literary worlds. The choice of white, often symbolizing purity, innocence, or even a blank slate, could be seen as Swift signaling a new chapter, both personally and artistically, inviting her audience to delve into the narratives she's about to unfold. Opera gloves, an accessory synonymous with formality and elegance, added another layer of historical complexity to her outfit. From their symbolism of status, power, and modesty, they could be interpreted as a nod to the performative aspects of both fashion and poetry—the way both mediums can conceal as much as they reveal allows the artist to control the narrative.
Post-announcement, we also now know that the layered white color could’ve been an Easter egg for something else: her Tortured Poets bonus track "The Albatross," which she announced during her first Sydney show of The Eras Tour, two weeks after the GRAMMYs. The albatross is a white bird that has a massive literary and cultural significance as a metaphor for a heavy burden or curse, used in works such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the 1939 film The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Swift's choice to also adorn herself with a watch necklace further deepens the narrative, introducing the theme of time and fate—a recurring motif in poetry and life. The lyrics "The tick, tick, tick of love bombs / My veins of pitch-black ink / All’s fair in love and poetry…" resonates as a cryptic yet profound introduction to the album's essence. This piece of jewelry, then, is not merely an accessory but a carefully chosen symbol of the album's exploration of temporal and emotional cycles. Additionally, it may hint at a song on her recently released tracklist: "Clara Bow". Clara Bow, the quintessential "It Girl" of the 1920s, embodies the allure and tragedy of Old Hollywood—a symbol of dazzling fame and the personal costs that often accompanies it. Swift's deliberate choice to adorn herself with an array of vintage-esque necklaces, mirroring the style Bow was known for, suggests a thoughtful nod to the legendary actress and a commentary on the cyclical nature of fame and its impacts.
Courtesy of People
This theme of transparency and introspection follows with the reveal of her latest album cover, where Swift appears in a striking black-and-white photo, dressed in a semi-sheer Saint Laurent tank top and high-waisted briefs from The Row, as confirmed by her longtime stylist, Joseph Cassell. The image—a blend of intimacy and reserve, with Swift amidst bedsheets and her tank top casually slipping off one shoulder—captures a delicate balance between openness and protection. It reflects Swift's lifelong dance between revealing her heart through her music and maintaining a veneer of privacy, a theme that is expected to permeate through The Tortured Poets Department.
Courtesy of The New York Times
Swift’s street style has also undergone a notable shift towards an academic and preppy aesthetic, further setting the stage for the themes of her upcoming album. An ensemble featuring Malone Souliers lace-up oxfords and a pleated baby blue skirt paired with an oversized light blue and white striped blouse from The Row mirrors the aesthetic Swift dons in her album cover, suggesting a deliberate thematic cohesion. The micro miniskirt, a staple of the 60s youth revolution, echoes a time of societal change and questioning authority, mirroring the spirit of artists who dared to challenge the status quo. Her choice of an oversized Stella McCartney rugby sweater, embroidered with a gold horse and horseshoe, paired with Prada knee-high boots and a Ralph Lauren baseball cap, continues this narrative of preppy rebellion.
In early December, Swift wrapped herself in a coordinating wool-blend tweed plaid trench coat and miniskirt by Stella McCartney. With these pieces, she wore unique Jimmy Choo/Jean Paul Gaultier pumps that boasted acrylic wedge heels with an Eiffel Tower design, a burgundy crossbody purse, and subtle, shimmering jewelry. The Eiffel Tower heels, in particular, evoke a sense of romantic escapism, perhaps hinting at the album's forays into the depths of emotional vulnerability and poetic expression.
Additionally, Swift's choice of an evil eye necklace carries profound significance, potentially serving as a subtle nod to a poignant line in her album-announcement poem: "My muses, acquired like bruises. My talismans and charms." The evil eye, a talisman historically believed to possess protective powers against harmful intentions and the negative impact of envious stares, stands out as a meaningful accessory in Swift's ensemble. This use of talismans has continued into 2024.
Very recently, she dined out in Sydney during her tour, accompanied by her opening act Sabrina Carpenter. She paired a Miu Miu pleated micro miniskirt with a House of CB top that was adorned with delicate cutouts and a ruched neckline secured with a bow. Accompanying this ensemble was a T-bar necklace, a classic talisman dating back decades symbolizing balance and stability in life. The t-bar design emerged from the pocket watch trend of the 1800s, where the t-bar was used on pocket watches, and as the pocket watch later became the wrist watch we know today, people started wearing the pocket watch chains as necklaces instead. By incorporating such historically rich and protective emblems into her looks, Swift not only enriches the narrative depth of her album's themes but also weaves a layer of personal symbolism and self-preservation into her public persona.
Courtesy of British Vogue
Swift's fashion in this new era represents a sophisticated blend of the old and the new, drawing from classic literature and traditional academia attire while infusing it with contemporary flair. By drawing inspiration from classic literature and the intellectual aesthetic of traditional academia, Swift transforms her wardrobe into a canvas that narrates stories, embodies characters, and conveys the complex themes of timelessness, introspection, and rebellion—ideas we believe will be central to the album. Swift’s ability to communicate Easter eggs and hidden messages through her style, as much as through her music, cements her status not just as a musical icon but as an artist who masterfully uses her wardrobe as a narrative tool. We couldn’t be more excited for the release of The Tortured Poets Department, where every outfit promises to be as compelling as the lyrics themselves.
Featured photo courtesy of Taylor Swift Official Store