30 PHOTOS: The Style Evolution Of Taylor Swift
We first became aware of Taylor Swift when she was a young country artist singing about her first love on the radio. Taylor's come a long way since then, including her personal style, which evolved into something we never saw coming.
Taylor's fashion choices have truly changed from one era to the next. What she wore as a young country ingénue is a lot different from what she wears now as a hardened international superstar.
Our First Look
Taylor Swift burst onto the music scene in 2006 with her first hit single, "Tim McGraw." Her first full album followed shortly after. Initially, Taylor was a country girl. She moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter, and a record label quickly fell in love with her talent and girl next door image.
In 2007, Taylor attended the CMT Music Awards wearing a sparkly silver and white long strapless dress. She wore her signature blonde curls down.
A Budding Star
In the first year of her superstardom, Taylor held onto her country girl persona. In 2007, she presented an award wearing this layered teal dress with long off-the-shoulder straps. She opted for large, statement jewelry pieces, a nude lip, and blue eyeshadow.
At this time, she was still rocking those tight curls and she looks as cute as a button. This look is a long way away from Taylor Swift's image now.
We Want It Darker
When Taylor performed some of her more angsty songs on stage, she opted for some darker attire. Taylor always wore a dress on stage, though. We never saw her in pants or a skirt or shorts.
This little black dress looks lovely on Taylor, but it's not very fashion forward. It's pretty basic and it doesn't really have a point of view. Luckily, her fashion sense gets much better as her career progresses.
Soft And Romantic
This Taylor Swift look is very similar to the vibe of her "Love Story" music video. It looks like Taylor is living her own love story with Joe Jonas. We all know how this one ends, but at the time, these two were very cute and very much in love.
Taylor looks great in her taupe dress, even though it's a little basic. Wait until you see how her dresses get better as the years progress!
A Little Black Dress
Taylor Swift showed up to the Grammys in this black dress that's a bit of an upgrade from the last black dress we saw on this list. It has a bit more structure, the beading is more sophisticated, and it seems like the shade of black has a bit more depth to it.
Taylor's still sporting some statement earrings, but she's tied her long hair back into a messy bun.
A Vision In White
Taylor performed at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards' Artist of the Decade ceremony wearing this '70s inspired white dress. Taylor's classic acoustic guitar is the perfect accessory to go along with this boho look.
Taylor looks good in pretty much anything, but the cut of this dress is especially flattering on her, showing a free spirit version of Taylor. It's a little bit country and a little bit gypsy.
Speak Now
Taylor is wearing a long, flowy purple dress on the cover of her 2010 album, Speak Now. Purple seems to be the theme of Speak Now. The same year the album was released, Taylor showed up to the Academy of Country Music Awards in this embellished purple number.
This may be the most complex design Taylor had worn up until 2010. It shows that she's exploring some new designers that better reflect a budding artist.
Still An Innocent
Taylor performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in this '50s inspired look. Her hair and makeup are reminiscent of the classic '50s pinup girl style. Taylor sang into an old-style microphone about the incident that happened at the VMAs a year before.
Remember when Kanye West jumped on stage and tried to tell everyone that Taylor didn't deserve the award she had just won? Of course, you do. And we all have reason to believe that feud still hasn't been resolved.
Kicking It Up A Notch
This is where we see Taylor Swift's style really start to take off. She's tamed her wild curls into some sultry loose waves, she's wearing the most stunning pale yellow dress, and she's traded in her large statement earrings for some-still substantial but not overwhelming teardrop diamonds.
Taylor is no longer a budding starlet, but a fully fledged pop star. Her makeup plays up her best features and she looks like a gorgeous, professional young lady.
Sparks Fly
Taylor wore this tasseled gold dress every time she performed "Sparks Fly" while she was on tour in 2011. Taylor still wears tasseled dresses on stage to this day, and she can even be seen wearing one in the filmed version of her Reputation tour.
At the concert photographed above, Taylor raised over $600,000 to benefit victims of deadly tornadoes in the Southeast. I guess you could say that this dress is her money dress.
Go For Gold
In 2012, Taylor won two Grammy awards, one for Best Country Song, and one for Best Country Solo Performance (both for her song "Mean".) She wore this stunning, intricate gold dress on the red carpet, and it took our breath away.
Isn't it nice when your dress matches your Grammys? Taylor's showing off her brand new bangs in this photo, which have been part of her signature look ever since. Don't you feel like you want to get bangs now? Don't do it. It's a trap.
Red Hot For Red
Taylor really made red lipstick a part of her 2012 (and beyond) look during her Red tour. She wore red, she painted her lips red, she sang into a red microphone, and she described all of the feelings that red seems to encompass.
During this era, she rocked a short-sleeved simple red dress. It's working wonders for Taylor's figure (which really doesn't need much help) and it's a gorgeous fire engine red color.
Where's Waldo?
This striped red and white top paired with high waisted black shorts became a staple of Taylor's Red tour. Yeah, it's a little bit Where's Waldo-esque, but it's still very cool and very Taylor.
High waisted shorts were a thing for Taylor back in 2012. It's hard to see just how high they are in this picture, but I'm pretty sure that Taylor started the whole high waisted trend. Taylor wore her hair straight for a lot of the Red era.
All Over Lace
Taylor attended the Grammy Nominations Concert in Nashville, Tennessee in this gorgeous long sleeved lace dress. Her hair is down and in loose waves, she's still rocking the bangs, and this lace dress is everything.
I don't think we've ever seen Taylor in an outfit quite this covered up before. Although, I'm pretty sure that all that lace is see-through. The peek-a-boo effect makes this dress sexy and conservative at the same time.
The Eggplant Emoji Dress
When I look at this gown that Taylor wore to the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards, all I can see is a giant eggplant emoji. I mean, it would be more obvious if she were wearing green earrings or something, but still, I can't unsee it.
Taylor's pulled back her hair and her bangs into a tight bun, replaced her red lipstick with something more neutral, and let the color of her deep purple dress shine.
A Literal Goddess
Taylor arrived at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2013 wearing this Grecian inspired white gown. The silver accents are very classic Taylor, just stepped up a notch. I love that she's rocking a halo braid and that she's still embracing her straight bangs.
This white dress really pops on the red carpet. Taylor looks like she's ready to add some Grammys to her collection. We can't wait to see what she's going to wear next.
Old Hollywood Glamor
Taylor spoke onstage during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards in this gorgeous navy blue dress with a plunging neckline. Her hair is pinned up, her bangs are growing out, she's wearing some glamorous earrings, and her lips are as red as ever.
I love the design of this dress and how it fits Taylor's body. We don't see her in navy very often, but I think the color really works for her.
A Nod To Italy
Taylor posed on the red carpet at the World Premiere of the film Romeo & Juliet in Hollywood in this cream dress with a bold floral pattern. The colors and pattern in this dress are a nod to fair Verona, where Romeo & Juliet takes place.
I just think it has a very Italian feel. We don't usually see Taylor wearing big prints like this one, but I like that she stepped out of her comfort zone and experimented with fashion.
Super Shiny
At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, Taylor walked the red carpet in this amazingly shiny long silver dress. This could be the beginning of Taylor's warrior moment— I think the silver fabric kind of looks like chain mail.
Taylor is making a statement in those very high heels. Her long hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she's wearing some pretty diamond earrings. Taylor definitely looks like she's walking with a purpose.
The Crop Top Era
Taylor wore this two-piece gown to the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2014. This is the beginning of Taylor Swift's crop top era. It was around this time that she began exposing her midriff left, right, and center.
I'm not mad about it though. If you have nice abs, why not flaunt them? Taylor Swift definitely has nice abs. I love this black and white look on her.
The Best Of All Possible Worlds
This outfit is the perfect combination of all of the eras of Taylor Swift. It's sparkly, it's fringed, it's a crop top, it has high waisted bottoms, and Taylor's rocking her signature red lip, wavy hair, and bangs. This is the essence of Taylor Swift.
I love this look on her, but I find it a little too classic Taylor. I'd like to see her step out of her comfort zone a bit more.
1989 Era
Taylor wore this very sexy black top and pants combo when she performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2014. This short hair, crop top look is quintessential 1989 era Taylor Swift. Prior to 2013, we never really saw Taylor in anything too revealing. In 2013 and 2014, she decided she wanted to start showing some skin on stage and on red carpets.
Taylor fully embraced the pop scene she was walking into and left her country aesthetic behind.
Groovin' In A Green Dress
Taylor's awkward dance moves made the news when she was spotted dancing at the 2014 American Music Awards wearing this green dress. Again, we can see that Taylor is still clearly in her midriff stage. Again, I'm not mad about it.
Taylor took home an American Music Award that night, and she also ended up on many best dressed lists. I think this green dress is working for her. It looks nice with her hair color.
A New Take On All White
Taylor Swift attended the Billboard Music Awards with her then-boyfriend, Calvin Harris, wearing this sparkly white pantsuit. Taylor's outfit definitely turned heads that day (including Calvin Harris's).
Taylor is wearing some dramatic black eyeliner and a nude lip, which is a change from the red lip thing she had going on for a while. I do think a nude lip suits this outfit better. It was a good choice for the occasion.
Color Block Queen
Taylor Swift attended the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016 in this color blocked two-piece outfit. I think this is the most figure flattering outfit Taylor has ever put on her body. Even if orange and pink aren't your colors, you can't argue that Taylor makes a bold statement.
This is the perfect combination of pop princess and country queen. Taylor looks hip and classy at the same time, which is a hard combination to pull off.
Manus X Machina
Taylor went to the 2016 Met Gala wearing this silver number and sporting some very flashy bleached blond hair. We've never really seen Taylor switch up her hair color before, and even though this was a temporary change, it was cool while it lasted.
The theme of the Met Gala that year was "Manus x Machina," or man vs. machine. Taylor must have taken that theme to heart because her "Bad Blood" music video had a very similar feel.
Reputation Era
Taylor Swifts most recent album, Reputation, is stronger thematically than all of her previous albums. Taylor has a clear point of view and she's not putting up with any bull. Her wardrobe for the Reputation tour reflects this new hardcore attitude.
Yeah, there are still a few sparkly dresses (the old Taylor isn't completely dead) but the new Taylor is into hoodies and bodysuits. Taylor's legs are out to play.
Bandaids Don't Fix Bulletholes
The sequins on this black hooded bodysuit give it a snake-like appearance, which perfectly mirrors the snake theme that runs throughout the Reputation tour. Taylor took a negative comment (made by a person who shall remain nameless) and turned it into an anthem.
That's how you really get revenge, people. Take a note from Miss Taylor over here. She's not playing around. Have we talked about Taylor's new hair yet? Because I love the messy waves.
Boss Lady
Alright, just one more outfit from the Reputation tour. Taylor looks like some kind of high fashion marching band leader in this costume. I love the navy and gold combo so much.
Taylor looks like she means business in this photo. I like that she's traded in her ruby red lipstick for something a bit deeper. It's still bold, but it's a little bit harsher and a little bit less innocent.
Taylor Does The Golden Globes
Taylor showed up to the 2019 Golden Globes after party in this black dress with intricate fabric work, a sheer skirt, and off the shoulder straps. Taylor's current beau, Joe Alwyn, was in the movie The Favourite which was nominated for a Golden Globe, so Taylor showed up to support her man.
I love this black dress, and I think that Taylor looks better than ever. I can't wait to see what she's going to wear next.
