Taylor Swift’s Iconic Travel Style—and How to Steal It for Yourself
Whether she's tooling around L.A. with pals or sauntering across the Tokyo Dome stage to the screams of 50,000 fans, one thing is certain: Taylor Swift always looks flawless. The country-singer-turned-mega-star has long traded her 2006-era ringlets and cowgirl boots for a sleek signature style that's as iconic as her infectious hit songs. For years, Taylor flaunted a foolproof repertoire of prim day dresses, peacoats, and coordinated separates—her look was a little classic, a little trendy, and always ultra girly and polished. But Taylor wouldn't be a super-savvy pop star if she didn't know how to mix things up: This year, she's traded some of her Peter Pan collars and high-waisted shorts for sequined rompers and funky florals (some of it merch from TS7; her seventh studio album, "Lover," is out August 23) and injected major color into her look. Want to copy Taylor's glam, no-fail style formula? It's easier than it looks. Read on.
Where Does Taylor Swift Travel?
Between film shoots, talk shows, red carpet appearances, and oh right, world tours (her Reputation stadium tour in 2018 was the highest-grossing in U.S. history), this woman is never, ever in one place for very long. The pop queen splits what little downtime she has between her eight homes across the country (in New York City, where she owns about $40 million of property on one Tribeca block; Nashville; Beverly Hills; and Watch Hill, Rhode Island) and fabulous vacation destinations, often of the tropical-island persuasion, like the Caymans and Hamilton Island in Australia, where she lavishly treated her 125-person team at the end of her 1989 World Tour in 2015. And for the past two Fourth of Julys, she’s exchanged hosting a big VIP-studded bash at her Rhode Island mansion for low-key getaways to Turks and Caicos and other Caribbean hot spots. It’s fair to say “The Archer” singer is pretty serious about world travel—as in rumored-to-own-two-private-jets serious.
Taylor Swift’s Travel Style
We’re talking about a woman who has spent nearly half her lifetime in the spotlight—she knows what she’s doing when it comes to appearances. For well over a decade, Taylor’s lured paparazzi angling for a shot of her perfectly put-together ensembles. (She’s also picked up some creative ways to avoid their cameras, like hiking backwards and allegedly traveling inside a giant suitcase, if Zayn Malik is to be believed.) All this to say, Taylor keeps her image polished to a T at all times.
Her style certainly has a bit of Jekyll and Hyde thing going on—on the one hand she’s the all-American sweetheart next door, on the other she’s a sexy bad girl with a taste for Vegas-level glitz and glamour. Grungy plaids and chunky lace-up boots? She can pull that off, too. Regardless, Taylor puts in maximum thought and care in how she presents herself to the world. The “Shake It Off” songstress goes hard on a theme, like channeling Jackie O in Cape Cod (think crisp collared shirts, dark shades, demure sundresses) or dialing up the dazzle to an 11, like she did at the American Music Awards in 2018 when she wore a head-to-toe Balmain, a look worthy of the Studio 54 dance floor.
Three Words to Describe Taylor Swift’s Travel Style
- Preppy. Taylor has long favored pairing cropped sweaters with high-waisted skirts and knee-high boots (or thigh-socks with loafers) and structured totes of the Birkin and Prada variety. You could call this surefire style her signature, but—in grand pop star tradition—she likes to keep fans guessing and constantly evolve her look.
- Feminine. Perhaps it’s her East Coast upbringing—Taylor always pulls together her outfits with at least a jot of femininity. Demure silk dresses, classic camel coats, and well-fitting separates have long been her standard. If she goes grunge, like she did in skinny black overalls, she’ll opt to balance the edginess with polished accessories like smart ankle booties and a ladylike pocketbook. Even when she stepped out in New York recently in a hot pink Balenciaga hoodie and leopard-print combat boots—a very seemingly un-Taylor outfit—she brought things home with perfect beach waves, sharp cat eyes, and absolutely pristine red lipstick, masterfully applied to showcase her Cupid’s bow.
- Glam. Her strategically composed looks afford many a great street-style moment, especially when she’s making a stylish exit from her Tribeca loft or dashing around New York with her #girlsquad (Gigi Hadid, Lily Aldridge, Zoe Kravitz, et al.) in tow. Taylor has a history with high-rise shorts and skirts, peek-a-boo jumpsuits, and mini dresses that showcase her legs for days. In 2019, she’s cranked her fun, flirty style way, way up—think fringe, sequins, snakes, butterflies, neons, ruffles, and rompers (including a striped, sparkly Bowie-esque number for this year’s Prime Day concert).
Three Fabrics, Colors, and Patterns That Taylor Swift Rocks
- Florals. Taylor’s daytime looks often involve sweet floral prints, like the ones on this silk-crepe shirtdress by Faith Connexion (worn with over-the-knee boots, of course!) or high-rise shorts that she recently wore with a floral top to tease TS7—”Lover“—out later this month. Oh, and the album’s ridiculously cute merch line just dropped.
- Animal Prints. Leopard print is something of a go-to for Taylor; she’ll wear the pattern as a sharp blazer (as she did to dinner with Lorde in West Hollywood), as a glamorous yet edgy shearling overcoat, or as a denim miniskirt, made all the more daring with a sheer top and studded T-strap heels that resemble a pet collar. Channeling feline energy may be Taylor’s not-so-subtle way of promoting her role in the upcoming film version of “Cats.” And ever since Kim Kardashian used a snake emoji to bully Taylor online, the songwriter has found more and more ways to weave snake print into her wardrobe, throwing sartorial shade at Mrs. West. Meow!
- Rainbow. Lately Taylor has been all about neons and technicolor rainbow hues. We’re talking glittery fringed minis seen on the Reputation stadium tour, an iridescent sequin romper worn on the iHeart Radio red carpet, and every glorious Tropical Skittles shade you can imagine in her “You Need to Calm Down” video. And the amazing technicolor dreamcoat-and-shorts set she wore to kick off Pride Month 2019 is everything.
How to Replicate Taylor Swift’s Travel Style in Three Outfits
Taylor Swift’s Airport Outfit
Most of us use airplane travel as an excuse to dress down. Not Taylor. The hitmaker has been known to arrive at LAX in tights—actual hosiery, for goodness sake (which she matched with a cropped knit, plaid mini, and tasseled loafers). We won’t vouch for tights on a plane, but we do love Taylor’s refined approach to airport dressing. This interpretation is far more comfy, while staying true to Taylor’s penchant for looking perfectly pulled together.
Taylor Swift’s Airport Outfit
Taylor Swift’s Sightseeing Outfit
When you’re Taylor Swift (or when you’re channeling her on vacation), you always look like you’re ready to dine alfresco in Rome with a handsome beau. To follow the songwriter’s lead, team up a cheery sundress with a chic day bag and platform sandals. The super-dark shades will keep you feeling incognito.
Taylor Swift’s Sightseeing Outfit
Taylor Swift’s Night-Out Outfit
Go all-in with a peek-a-boo jumpsuit and sky-high heels, a velvet choker, animal-print clutch, and daring red lipstick. If Taylor’s “Style” comes on in the Uber, ask the driver to turn it up, then roll down the window and sing out, “I got that red lip, classic thing that you like.”
Taylor Swift’s Night-Out Outfit
Three Taylor Swift-Inspired Accessories to Amp up Any Outfit
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