Welcome to the Summer of ‘Swiftie’ Fashion
Shannon Adducci
Style Director
Summertime, and the living is… Swiftie.
That’s the general message that Taylor Swift‘s fans have delivered as they’ve set out to devour the singer’s Eras tour, underway since late March and now making its way from the East Coast to the West through the summer (then onto an international leg starting in late August).
Plenty has been noted about the many looks that Taylor Swift has debuted onstage during the tour, from custom crystal-encrusted Christian Louboutin thigh-high boots to sparkly Versace bodysuits.
But there might be even more to say about the Swiftie looks, as their show-going outfit ideas continue to go viral. With their enthusiasm and cohesive audience aesthetic, the singer’s fans already seem to be shaping the fashion direction, en masse, of summer ’23.
Which means they are also driving a large portion of the consumer trends for their demographic. As reported by CNN, Swiftie purchases have led to a spike in sales of certain items. Since the tour kicked off, countless guides have come forth offering ideas on how to dress accordingly — and according to different Swift albums. From lavender looks to folk-friendly dresses, to “Red”-themed lyric tees and a whole lot of glittery, embellished two-pieces, Swifties are planning their outfits weeks in advance and covering a lot of ground in the fast fashion and contemporary women’s fashion markets.
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But one piece seems to stand above the rest: the white boot.
Done mostly in a Western style, but also in an ankle silhouettes, in crystal or glitter finishes — or a combination of all three — the white boot is the punctuation mark on Swifties fashion. Echoing Swift’s own style tendencies, fans like to pair them with everything from fringe-y dresses to denim cutoffs and miniskirts.
With the Western boot continuing to show up as a fall ’23 footwear trend, the summer Swifties moment gives designers and retailers the opportunity to double-down on the boot while it’s still hot.
If the frenzied moment feels a bit like déjà vu, that’s because it also happened last summer, when Harry Styles embarked on his “Love on Tour” run following the release of “Harry’s House.” The massive tour unleashed the singer’s equally enthusiastic fans (known as Harries). What the Harries had in their feather boas, the Swifties now have in their white boots: a calling card of their own.
