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For years, you could spot a Taylor Swift outfit from across the room: a tea dress, a red lip, and winged eyeliner. That is why her latest look made people look twice. Black lace. A big leather jacket. Vogue calls it edgy, at least by Swift standards. Is this a sudden fashion shift, or just a one-night mood? The answer is a little more mixed than the headlines suggest.
Her Style Barely Changed While Her Music Changed Constantly
Swift’s style has been remarkably steady, even as her music changed. Her go-to formula has long been some version of a tea dress, a red lip, and winged eyeliner. Every so often, she tosses in a pair of grandma shoes, Vogue notes. Her albums have moved through eras, but her wardrobe mostly stayed in one lane. So when did that start to change?
The Chiefs Tank Tops Were the First Hint
Her wardrobe had already started to loosen up. Vogue says the newlywed singer has been easing off her longtime formula lately. She has even dabbled with WAG culture, which means the style of athletes’ wives and girlfriends, by wearing Kansas City Chiefs tank tops. The Chiefs are the team her husband, Travis Kelce, is known for. The tank tops were a hint. A date night in New York went further.
A Black Lace Dress Skipped Every Floral Hallmark
Her latest date night had none of her usual hallmarks. Vogue says the outfit skipped the floral, feminine details she is known for. Swift wore a black lace Simkhai midi dress with strappy Jimmy Choo Azie leather heels. Lace is soft, but black lace and leather heels send a different mood from a gingham tea dress. Then one piece changed the whole picture.
One Oversized Leather Jacket Changed the Whole Outfit
An oversized leather jacket changed the entire look. Swift layered a Saint Laurent jacket over the lace dress, a piece Vogue calls Charli xcx-, Zoë Kravitz-, or Hailey Bieber-coded. She added a Givenchy bucket bag and wore her Kindred Lubeck engagement ring. A soft dress under a tough jacket is a mix many people can try with clothes they already own. Did the look end there?
The Edgy Mood Carried Over to Saturday Night Live
It did not. The same mood showed up again. Over the weekend, Swift appeared on Saturday Night Live in support of her best friend, Dakota Johnson. She wore an off-the-shoulder Simkhai dress, pulled in with a Saint Laurent belt. It was another look built on a clean shape with a tougher accessory, this time on live television.
Vogue Suspects a Dakota Johnson Influence, but It’s Only a Guess
Vogue has a guess, though it is only a guess. Swift and Johnson recently worked together on Swift’s “Patient Zero” music video. Vogue wonders whether Johnson, whom it calls “vampish,” is behind the leather and lace in Swift’s after-dark outfits. That is the magazine’s theory, not a statement from either star. It is an interesting idea. But Swift has not given up glamour.
Swift Hasn’t Given Up Her Showgirl Dresses
Swift still loves a dramatic dress. At this year’s VMAs, she wore a glittering gown by Tamara Ralph, a showgirl look that fits her usual style. So this is not a full break from her old style. The leather and lace look sits alongside her glam side instead of replacing it. Vogue notes she has not let go of the showgirl dresses.
“Edgy” Here Means Edgy by Taylor Swift Standards
What is new is the mix, not a total makeover. Vogue describes the leather-and-lace look as edgier only by Taylor Swift standards. Black lace, a leather jacket, and a belt are everyday pieces for many people. For Swift, they are a break from the florals she is known for. The change is real, but small. Is it the start of something bigger?
A Tea Dress and a Leather Jacket Can Share a Closet
That double take could be the start of something. Vogue suggests her wardrobe may be ready for a new era of its own, and jokes that the gingham dresses had a good run. The report includes no comment from Swift. Fans will have to watch her next outfits for clues. For now, one thing is clear: a tea dress and a leather jacket can share a closet.