Taylor Swift’s latest outfit is sending Swifties mixed messages.
On September 21, Swift and close friend Gigi Hadid were photographed out in New York City, and the 34-year-old pop star’s look gave fans a lot to discuss. I’m not normally one to decode celebrity outfits piece by piece for clues about their upcoming projects, but this is Taylor Swift we’re talking about. She was literally dropping Tortured Poets Easter eggs in plain sight for months without anyone noticing.
For the purposes of this article, we are going to go through nearly everything she wore, and what it might mean for the two final Taylor’s Version records and a possible 12th studio album. Check out the photos here, then come right back to see what fans (including myself) think Swift’s trying to tell us.
Let’s break the ’fit down first
According to Page Six and Taylor Swift style expert Sarah Chapelle, here’s everything that could be easily identified:
Reputation (Taylor’s Version)
As I wrote yesterday, Taylor Swift’s Vivienne Westwood snakeskin-patterned booties sent me right back in time to 2013. Lita-esque footwear aside, Swift’s wavy bang and black nail polish could be subtle nods to her revenge era, but the snakeskin platform boots are definitely Reputation-coded.
It’s also worth pointing out that her Stella McCartney bag is croc-embossed, which feels snake-adjacent! Of course, we’ve been teased with snake prints many times before.…
Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version)
Now, let’s talk jewelry. Swift wore a series of necklaces and rings, but her chain-link choker is sending some Swifties into detective mode. While some think the necklace represents the number 12 (more on that in a minute), others think the piece is actually a TS initial necklace, as Page Six reports.
While it’s completely normal to wear one’s name or initials around one’s neck, this could be a sign that her self-titled album could be ahead of Reputation in line for a rerecording.
Swift has actually talked about the Reputation rerecording, so it feels more likely that she will drop those “fire” vault tracks before focusing on her debut album. But let’s talk about another theory.
Undisclosed 12th studio album
TikTok user @kamandlam pointed out that the lettering on the choker looks like the number “12” in photos, but it “says ‘TS’” when flipped upside down. While I assume the opposite is true, it’s hard to believe Swift wore the piece incorrectly by mistake, especially since Tortured Poets marked her 11th studio album. Of course, some Swifties disagree.
