Taylor Swift: Beyond the Red Carpet

Photo by Suvan Chowdhury from Pexels.

Madeline Yingst and Natalie Olson

What makes Taylor Swift so iconic? Could it be her well-known breakup songs? Her numerous awards? Her meticulously crafted music videos? While all aspects of her career are iconic in their own way, one stands apart. What could possibly be left you may ask? Her red carpet looks of course! This article will take you through some of Swift’s most noteworthy and masterful red carpet ensembles and uncover the unseen implications. This queen of Easter eggs always has a deeper meaning for those willing to take the time to see it.

✓ Occasion: 2021 Grammys

Taylor Swift [@taylorswift]. (2021, March, 14). [Photograph]. Instagram.

The Grammy Awards, usually shortened to the Grammys, is a U.S.-based award show to recognize the achievements of musical artists around the world. Swift's climate at the time holds COVID, the pandemic taking the world by storm and causing everyone to quarantine. Throughout this time at home, Swift kept fans satisfied by releasing two sister albums, folklore and evermore. During this prestigious award show, Swift was nominated for six awards and wore an Oscar de la Renta floral-embroidered tulle mini dress with a matching custom evening mask. She pairs this with baby pink lace-up heels and her hair pinned back in a bun. Swift used this emergence from quarantine as a way to reinvent her style and steer away from her previous on-trend pop star looks of the past. She is becoming more purposeful and matching her outfits to whatever “Era” she is currently in. For this look, she was in her folklore “Era.” Swift claims folklore is her “album written in a cabin in the woods on parchment far away from everyone else.” A lot of the songs feature stories created from her imagination and give off more “nature” vibes. The flowers on the dress symbolize the album's connection to the outdoors. She chose a more playful style of dress since a lot of the songs have to do with being younger or looking back on life.

✓ Occasion: 2023 Grammys

Roberto Cavalli [@roberto_cavalli]. (2023, February, 6). [Photograph]. Instagram.

In 2023, Swift was nominated for four awards for the second re-recorded album of her fourth studio album, Red (Taylor’s Version). Swift was in her said “Midnights Era” while simultaneously on her record-breaking “Eras Tour.” For this show, she wears a Roberto Cavalli long-sleeved, floor-length, midnight blue set and $2.6 million worth of Lorraine Schwartz purple sapphires in her earrings and matching ring. Her hair is pinned up in a classy updo. Swift’s Midnights album includes a lot of songs reminiscing her past experiences and sharing her personal growth. Her look excellently showcases this, portraying her regality. The deep, midnight blue of the dress also, of course, connects with her “Midnights Era” at the time. Swift has always been calculated and creative when it comes to choosing outfits she steps out in, and this Grammys look is the best example. 

✓ Occasion: 2022 VMAs

Taylor Nation [@taylornation]. (2022, August, 28). [Photograph]. Instagram.

In 2022, Swift attended the VMAs award show 13 years after her unfortunate incident involving fellow artist Kanye West at the 2009 VMA’s. This long-lasting feud, when West claimed he was the reason for Swift’s booming success, was the inspiration behind her sixth studio album Reputation. Fans have deduced that several of the songs on the album are about West, while the title refers to West attempting to destroy her reputation by calling her a liar. One of the songs, “Look What You Made Me Do,” is clearly about all of the drama. Swift filmed a music video for this song featuring her in a bathtub full of diamonds with the same makeup style as the red carpet. Why stir up everything 13 years later? While the number 13 might seem random to the general public, die-hard Taylor fans will know that 13 holds special significance in the singer's life. She was born on the 13th day of December after all. Unbeknownst to fans, Swift was also prepared to announce her tenth studio album, Midnights. On the event’s red carpet, the singer wears an Oscar de la Renta mini dress made entirely out of crystals, an ode to the “Look What You Made Me Do” music video. She accessories the outfit with two strands of crystals draped over each arm, creating an off-the-shoulder look. Her hair is, once again, pinned into a low bun with her bangs swept to the sides to frame her face. She finishes this iconic look with her signature red lip. Her shoes also match her sharp look. Swift looks expensive. She came to the red carpet with her reputation in mind, and she dressed to impress. The style of the dress is slightly more exposed than looks in the past, making her seem more mature and grown up. All of her accessories are diamond, like her earrings and the makeup above her eyes. There is nothing obstructing her message that she is bold and unafraid.

✓ Occasion: 2023 VMAs

Video Music Awards [@vmas]. (2023, September, 12). [Photograph]. Instagram.

This show was after Swift announced her new album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), marking her fourth re-record. Fans speculate that Swift’s next re-record will be her version of Reputation. This outfit also tells fans that she’s re-entering her “Rep Era.” She wears a Versace halter-neck gown that features a high slit and gold buttons along the seam. She pairs layers of gold necklaces with the dress along with black stilettos. She has a smoky eye look and a nude lip. Her signature bangs are tousled and the rest of her hair is pinned back. It’s also important to note that Swift made VMA history that night with the most wins in one night and second most overall wins, second only to Beyonce (I bet Kanye’s happy!!). After Swift’s growth “era” during her Midnights album, she decides to go back to her revenge-filled “Reputation Era,” signifying that she’ll never be fully done with the drama of her past. In the past, her looks have been targeted, almost predictable, while this seems to come out of nowhere, just like her original Reputation album did. Swift chooses this dress to show her fans that she’s ready to drop the record at any point, so they should be too. Everything about this outfit screams Reputation, from the deep black color and asymmetrical fabric coverage—an ode to her black bodysuit she dons for the Reputation portion of her tour. 

✓ Occasion: Eras Tour Concert Movie Premiere 

Taylor Swift [@taylorswift]. (2023, October, 12). [Photograph]. Instagram.

Swift attended the premiere of her Eras Tour Concert movie with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) set to release a few weeks later. She dazzles in an Oscar de la Renta bright blue strapless embroidered cutout floral gown. The blue color signifies an ode to her “1989 Era” when that signature shade of blue held large significance to her brand. She compliments the dress’s color with a matching blue eyeshadow and her signature red lipstick. She finishes the look with a classic diamond necklace. She pins her lengthy curls into a faux bob, a callback to her iconic 2014 haircut. 1989 was the year Swift was born. It was her last youthful, playful era before her release of Reputation and her inevitable shift into a more mature style. This dress is teasing the release of her re-record. The cover of the re-record is the first time she has ever smiled in the cover art. The style of the dress is light and floaty, and reminds viewers of the sky. Her hair is pinned up to give the audience the feeling that she is reverting back to her 1989 days and bringing back her iconic moments. 

Taylor Swift is the ultimate mastermind. From perfectly placed lyrics to flawlessly executed outfits, she has every last detail planned with care. The Easter eggs we discovered at these red carpet events are far from the only ones present. Every outfit she chooses has some sort of meaning behind it. It’s up to us to uncover the rest of her secrets.