A Breakdown of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Fashion
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which launched this March in Arizona, is a visually stunning celebration of the singer’s entire career, revisiting all ten of Taylor’s musical eras, from her debut album Taylor Swift to her most recent Midnights.
Swift has reinvented not just her music, but her entire look over the years with each new album, so that her style choices for the Eras Tour evoke flashbacks and echoes of her past. From a single glance, devoted fans can recognise which era an outfit is from: think 1989 Taylor with her shorter hair, two pieces and white sunglasses, Fearless Taylor with her golden curls, sparkly fringed dress and the number 13 painted on her hand, or Red Taylor with her high waisted shorts and graphic tee.
Simultaneously, the tour is a visual example of the pressure placed upon female artists to always look new. This is a phenomenon on which Taylor herself has commented, noting in her documentary Miss Americana: “The female artists have reinvented themselves 20 times more than the male artists. They have to or else you’re out of a job. Constantly having to reinvent, constantly finding new facets of yourself that people find to be shiny.”
This endless cycle of reinvention that underlies the careers of female artists is most evident during Swift’s Eras Tour performance of ‘Look What You Made Me Do’, in which old versions of Taylor are trapped in glass boxes across the stage, while she delivers the iconic line “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Because she’s dead.”
Swift has faced pressure to reinvent and rebirth herself across her career, but the Eras Tour is a testament to her talent, and her strength to shine above these demands. She has transformed the double standards into a glamorous tour, which is as much an entrancing fashion show of her past selves as it is a concert. Taylor’s custom-made outfits are exquisite, sparkling and meticulously matched to the aesthetics of each era. Here are some of the tour’s fashion highlights so far:
The Versace Lover Bodysuit
Taylor dazzles in a glittering custom Versace bodysuit that evokes the comforting and pearly pastel pinks of the Lover era. She pairs it with silver knee-high Louboutin boots, complete with red soles, and adds a matching silver blazer for her performance of ‘The Man’. She has switched up the colours for different shows, opening with gold instead of pink on the tour’s second night, and opting for a black and gold pinstripe blazer for an even bolder look.
The Fearless Fringe Dress
Taylor instantly recalls her Fearless days with a custom Roberto Cavalli mini-dress, adorned with a metallic golden fringing that shimmers as she moves across the stage. Paired with silver cowboy boots, the outfit is reminiscent of Swift’s country beginnings.
The Reputation Bodysuit
The snake imagery from Taylor’s Reputation era makes a dramatic return to the stage with the one-legged jumpsuit designed by Roberto Cavalli. With one sheer sleeve, the asymmetric look features ruby red snakes which wind around Swift’s body from the bottom of her leg to her neck, standing out in vivid contrast against the sparkling black background.
The 1989 Two Pieces
Roberto Cavalli designs are again chosen by Swift for the 1989 portion of the tour, where the era’s classic two piece look is adorned with sparkles, beads and fringe galore.
The ‘Enchanted’ Ball Gowns
The ball gowns that Taylor has worn during her performances of fan-favourite ‘Enchanted’, have been nothing less than enchanting. The bespoke Nicole + Felicia Couture crystal embellished gown and the Zuhair Murad Couture pink tulle gown are both breathtaking in their beauty, and capture the ethereal feeling behind the song. Both dresses also echo the iconic Valentino gold sequin chiffon gown that Taylor wore at the end of the Speak Now Tour in 2011.
A Lot Going On At The Moment
Taylor opens the Red era in a custom sequin t-shirt by Ashish, with black and red letters spelling out a slogan that has changed at different concerts. The opening night t-shirt recalled the top worn by Swift in her ‘22’ music video, but with the wording changed from ‘not a lot’, to ‘a lot going on at the moment’. Another highlight from the Red era is the glittering red coat, also by Ashish, which Taylor wears over a matching bodysuit for her performance of the ‘All Too Well’ 10 Minute Version.
The Alberta Ferretti Purple folklore Dress
Alberta Ferretti have designed several beautiful dresses for the Eras Tour, including the purple folklore dress which captivated the audience. The layers, ruffles and floaty chiffon fabric, as well as the muted lavender colour, perfectly encapsulate the delicate beauty of folklore.
Bejewelled Taylor
Finally, all of the looks from the Midnights era deserve to be mentioned here, each living up to the song ‘Bejewelled’. Taylor's first outfit is a looser fitting Oscar De La Renta aurora borealis t-shirt dress, entirely embellished with iridescent sequins. This is then swapped with a glittering, bold black bodysuit, also by Oscar De La Renta, complete with fringing that evokes Swift’s earlier looks. For her closing song, ‘Karma’, Taylor adds a sparkling ruffle jacket in a bright final celebration of all of her eras.
