In my world, when Taylor Swift goes on tour, it’s not a big deal; it’s not even a major deal. It’s only like Christmas, my birthday, and the best first date all rolled into one. This is my Super Bowl, my Joker and all I will be able to think and talk about for the next several months (sorry to all those around me). Having secured my tickets in the Midnights fan pre-sale, I'm ready to start planning my outfit. Yes, my show may be a year away but I will not be unprepared!
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Inspired by every single album and era in Taylor Swift’s arsenal, ahead is a longtime Swiftie's guide to dressing for the Eras tour, from Debut-ready cowboy boots to reputation snakes, plus all the sequins, sparkles and fringing that we've come to expect from a TS tour, as well as some. I’ve followed the set list of the tour as it currently stands, throwing in fan-favourite outfit DIYs, some lyric- and Easter egg-inspired looks and colour themes that define each era.
Make sure to check back as we'll be updating this piece as Taylor switches up the tour and staggering 44-song strong setlist.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a Lover fan
After the darkness of the reputation era, 2019’s Lover was an explosion of colour, sparkle and bubblegum pop. This was when Taylor 'found herself' again after symbolically killing off her past self during "Look What You Made Me Do." Lover is also the first album owned by Taylor following her departure from Big Machine Records.
Like the literal transition in the "Me!" music video, when the rep snake bursts into pastel butterflies, this time was all about everything that makes Taylor, Taylor. It's also an era cut short by the pandemic (RIP Lover Fest), so it's meaningful to fans that Taylor kicks off the Eras tour this way with lyrics from 'Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince': "I counted days, I counted miles [...] It's been a long time coming."
Colours & themes of the Lover era
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The colours most closely associated with Lover are pastel pink, baby blue and lilac. In this segment of the tour, Taylor wears a custom, bedazzled Versace bodysuit, a sequinned Versace blazer (for "The Man") and sparkly Louboutin boots.
So, if you’re a Lover stan, this is also your time to shine in popstar-ready sequins, blazer dresses and butterfly and flower motifs. For an easy nod to the era, draw a heart around your eye à la Taylor in the album photoshoot. Other whimsical and romantic themes are winners here too — just think about the 'Me!' music video, which featured cats, a unicorn, princess dresses, candy-coloured cowboy boots and rainbows.
Lover era DIY costume ideas
Feeling crafty? I love how this fan replicated Taylor’s rainbow fringed jacket moment using just paint. If you really want to make a statement, DIY your own 2019 AMAs shirtdress.
To replicate an actual Lover era look, the "Me!" and "You Need To Calm Down" music videos provide a wealth of inspiration, from Taylor’s pastel suit and '60s babydoll look to her hot pink fur coat and cat eye sunglasses.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a Fearless fan
The Fearless era was when Taylor went from being the underground face of country pop to worldwide recognition and mainstream chart success. It’s the album that gave us career-defining songs like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" so it was perhaps unsurprising that Taylor chose Fearless as her first Taylor’s Version rerecord.
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Colours & themes of the Fearless era
On the Eras tour, it's second on the set list, with Taylor opting for glittering gold, fringed mini dresses, just like her 20-year-old self on the 2009 Fearless tour (gold is the official colour of this era). This time around she swapped out her black, knee-high riding boots for a custom pair of cowboy-style Louboutins.
The easiest way to honour the era is with a similarly sparkling gold dress, cowboy boots, Taylor’s signature curls and '13' drawn on the back of your hand. If you want to go all out, you could DIY a sparkly '13' guitar like Taylor’s.
Fearless era DIY costume ideas
Fun nods to the Fearless discography come from the era’s music videos. The hand-drawn band Junior Jewels tee is an easy arts and crafts project (wear with plaid pyjama trousers). If you’re going with your best friend, a great duo idea is band geek Taylor and cheerleader Taylor. Alternatively, channel Princess Taylor from "Love Story" with a white and gold corset top and flowing skirt.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re an evermore fan
At the first show of the Eras tour, Taylor dispelled a popular fan joke that evermore, the second surprise album she dropped during lockdown in 2020, is her least favourite. Not that she needed to — the five evermore songs on the set list and full-on theatrical productions for "willow" and "tolerate it" did the trick. For those whose ears are yet to be blessed by arguably — in my humble opinion — what is Taylor's best album, evermore is the surprise indie folk sister to folklore. Whereas, whilst both Taylor and the colelctive fandom have acknowleged that folklore lives in the months of spring and summer, evermore lives in autumn and winter. It's cosier and warmer in tone, with nods to the holidays and the cold drawing in, and so it's colour palette is also warmer and cosier.
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Colours & themes of the evermore era
For this era, a continuation into the "folklorian woods", Taylor marries the cottagecore sensibility with something more mystical. Think the witchy vibes of "willow" (a green velvet cloak, vintage-style slip dress and flower crown are a must), the lead and only single from the album. The key colours of this album riff off the album cover, on which Taylor wears a cosy-looking plaid coat: so rust orange, copper, beige and earthy browns.
evermore era DIY costume ideas
With less obvious music video prompts, you can have some fun here. Maybe you could dress as the golden thread? The willow tree itself? An ivy-covered house from "ivy"? A glass of champagne from "champagne problems"? A Wild West-style bandit from "cowboy like me"? You could even take inspiration from the album cover. The world is your evermore-shaped oyster.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a reputation fan
If you’re a rep stan, it’s time to throw out the candy-coloured sparkles and cowboy boots in honour of Taylor’s (aesthetically) darkest album. Taylor adopted the snake as the motif of the era, tapping into the imagery of a snake shedding its skin to symbolise regeneration.
Colours & themes of the reputation era
If you’re dressing for a "big reputation", then your safest bet is a lot of black, green, sparkles and snake motifs. Head to Netflix and watch the reputation stadium tour for inspiration — you’ll spot Taylor wearing hoods, bodysuits, knee-high boots, sharp-shoulder jackets, cut-out features and a black manicure to match the mood.
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reputation era DIY costume ideas
If you want something a little more subtle, then a newspaper print, inspired by the album cover, is a strong bet. Or try a cheeky nod to a lyric: old-timey "Getaway Car" Bonnie and Clyde, the maps where you buried the hatchet ("End Game"), or a magician and illusionist from "So It Goes…". Anyone brave enough to go as zombie Taylor from the "Look What You Made Me Do" video gets my vote though.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a Speak Now fan
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) is finally out in the world and, so far, it seems that 'Enchanted' has been permanently joined by fan favourite and certified tearjerker, 'Long Live' on the set list. With the infamous koi fish guitar no less!
This is arguably Taylor’s most romantic and magical era — "Enchanting", you could say. If you’ve seen the OG Speak Now tour footage, you’ll know that it’s one of her most theatrical shows to date, with elaborate sets for each song including an entire wedding setup for the titular track, a spooky forest for "Haunted" and Taylor’s first floating stages.
Colours & themes of the Speak Now era
To capture the nostalgia of the Speak Now era, sequinned babydoll dresses and princess ballgowns like those originally worn by Taylor are your best bet (preferably in purple, the colour of the album). Also a must for this era: a red lip and a carefully chosen arm lyric — something Taylor used to do as a kind of 'mood ring' for how she felt each night of the tour. This is the look Taylor is sporting in her latest music video, 'I Can See You'. You can also find more tips to getting into your Speak Now era here, in our dedicated Taylor's Version guide.
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Speak Now era DIY costume ideas
For a music video look, you have either the old school Flapper vibes of 'Mean' or the preppy school girl vibes of 'The Story Of Us' (DIY your own storybook poster to carry with you just in case locals don't get it).
So far, my favourite DIY Speak Now costume idea has come from this thrifty duo, who dressed as bottles of Wonderstruck and Wonderstruck Enchanted, the two perfumes Taylor released during this era (and which I hope she brings back for Speak Now Taylor's Version!).
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a RED fan
RED is one of Taylor’s favourites and, as a longtime RED stan, I’m very happy about that. It was her first proper shift into pop, spawning mega-hits like "22", "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", and her second rerecord in 2021, giving us the fan-favourite masterpiece that is the 10-minute version of "All Too Well" and accompanying short film, directed by Taylor.
Colours & themes of the RED era
The RED era has a very distinct aesthetic and not just because of the colour. During the OG RED era, Taylor’s personal style was perhaps best described as twee. She was well known for tea dresses, high-waisted shorts, brogues and Mary Janes, Breton stripes, bowler hats and cat eye sunglasses. The RED tour also saw one of her most iconic performance outfits: a top hat-wearing circus ringleader. She pays homage to the look on the Eras tour with a sparkling red jacket (a custom design by Ashish).
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RED era DIY costume ideas
The easiest way to channel RED energy is with a red dress, a twee-inspired shorts-and-brogue moment or a look from the "WANEGBT" or "22" videos: squirrel pyjamas/glasses Taylor and "not a lot going on at the moment" T-shirt Taylor spring to mind. Personally, I’ll be recreating my favourite RED-era photo shoot in Rolling Stone with a similar bomber varsity jacket from Superdry and a string of pearls.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a folklore fan
folklore is Taylor's first pandemic-era album — a total surprise drop that was announced less than 24 hours before its release and the first project that she released not on her usual two-year schedule (freed from the restrictions of writing for single-release and stadium shows). It's also her first true alternative album, co-produced partly with The National’s Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff who each collaborated remotely. In fact, the very first time they got to perform the songs together was in the Disney+ concert film folklore: the long pond studio sessions. Together they created a lush, folky, rustic world where Taylor could tell other people's stories, make up characters, and dip into history and local myth.
Colours & themes of the folklore era
folklore’s key aesthetic is 'cottagecore grandma picnics in the woods' so think floral prairie dresses and cosy knitwear (referencing "cardigan", of course). A plaid shirtdress is a great nod to the folklore: the long pond studio sessions.
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For the folklore segment of the Eras tour, Taylor turns it up a notch with a rotation of ethereal, floaty dresses that give Stevie Nicks and Florence & The Machine a run for their money. One of the easiest ways to capture some folklore energy is with a woodland-nymph look in a palette of whites, creams, greys and silver, and with light floral patterns. Think evermore vibes but for spring and summer.
folklore era DIY costume ideas
If you would rather take on a look inspired by your favourite song, you’re not alone. We’ve already seen silver, sparkling "mirrorball"-inspired outfits and moon/Saturn duos (for "seven") become fan favourites.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a 1989 fan
For Taylor’s pop magnum opus, you have a full range of iconic music video looks to choose from: "Shake It Off" (ballet or cheerleader Taylor), "Blank Space" (Taylor stabbing the cake in black lingerie and lace sleep mask), "Bad Blood" (one of The Squad) and "Wildest Dreams" (old Hollywood Taylor in the yellow dress). Alternatively, Taylor favoured matching two-piece sets, Wayfarers, sequinned jackets and skater skirts for the OG 1989 tour, which she continues to reference today. If you want a monochromatic look, the colour here is the light baby blue used on the album cover.
1989 era DIY costume ideas
It’s also easy to reference the 1989 tracklist with your outfit. This album and era are most closely associated with New York City (she opened the original tour with "Welcome To New York") so NYC-inspired prints are a winner. Likewise, I can’t wait to see "Style" fans nod to Old Hollywood with James Dean and "red lip classic" inspired looks.
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For an inside joke look, you can’t beat Taylor’s 2014 "no, it’s Becky" T-shirt, which has a special place in Swiftie history.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a Debut fan
Let's hear it for the Debut fans! Perhaps Taylor Swift’s most under-appreciated album among the fandom, I’m ready for teenage Taylor’s country twang to have its well-deserved moment when Taylor’s Version drops. Right now, there are no Debut songs on the set list — apart from the occasional acoustic surprise — but again, I hope this changes once we have the rerelease.
Colours & themes of the Debut era
The staples of any good Debut look are simple: boho summer dresses (preferably white, like the album cover art, or in shades of light green and blue), cowboy boots (shoutout to baby Taylor’s personalised pair), blue jeans, hoop earrings and an armful of bracelets. For a colour-first look, it's all about lush summer green, baby blue and white.
Debut era DIY costume ideas
There are some great music video looks to recreate for this era too, from "Picture To Burn’s" black mini dress, gloves and headband to "Our Song’s" baby blue prom dress.
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What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re a Midnights fan
Taylor’s most recent album is already generating a host of great costume ideas. Fan favourites include her "Bejewelled" video bodysuit (you can DIY your own), midnight blue star dress red carpet look, "Anti-Hero" orange hot pants and "Lavender Haze" faux fur and slip moment. You could also run with the nighttime concept of the album, from astrological prints to star chain belts. I love this "he was sunshine, I was midnight rain" BFF idea and this simple nod to the koi swimming through space in "Lavender Haze".
Midnights era DIY costume ideas
Inspired by the album cover shoot, Midnights is also the perfect opportunity to pull out your best Daisy Jones '70s looks. Here’s hoping that someone recreates Taylor’s Miss Bejewelled, Marie Antoinette look, too.
What to wear to the Eras tour if you’re broke
If you don’t want to buy anything new, I understand — tour tickets are expensive! Thankfully, the colours and vibes of each era are really strong so all you need to do is pull a monochromatic outfit in the album colour of your choice, draw a lucky '13' on your hand, cover your face/hair/body in glitter, and you’re ready. For a quick guide, here are the colours most commonly associated with each era/album:
Debut: mainly light green but also white and light blue
Fearless: gold
Speak Now: purple
RED: red
1989: light blue
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reputation: black and dark green
Lover: pastel pink, blue and purple (if you’re opting for one, then pink)
folklore: white and grey
evermore: amber, beige and brown
Midnights: midnight blue
What to wear to the Eras tour if you can’t pick a favourite era
I’ve changed my mind about which era I want to dress for about 13 times while writing this article. When in doubt, I think a sequin dress in your favourite colour plus cowboy boots is always a winning option and both are pieces you’re likely to wear again and again.
If you happen own Taylor Swift merch, then go for that. There’s something very Debut Taylor about a tour T-shirt worn with a denim miniskirt or your favourite blue jeans.
Don’t forget your friendship bracelets
Inspired by a lyric from "You’re On Your Own Kid", Swifties have started making and swapping friendship bracelets at the tour. This is a great way to strike up a conversation and make new friends if you’re attending a show alone.
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