Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated The Eras Tour started on Friday night in Glendale, Arizona, which was renamed “Swift City” for the event. It’s safe to assume that Swifties were enthusiastic to see what the star had in store, given that her tour sold a record-breaking number of tickets on its first day of sales. During her three-hour set, which had 44 songs, the star definitely didn’t let us down with her outfits. She wore clothes from designers like Versace, Roberto Cavalli, and Oscar de la Renta that were made just for her. Her performance clothes paid tribute to all of her different eras. For example, she wore bodysuits that reminded people of “Bejeweled,” and she wore snake prints that reminded people of her Reputation days.
Swift’s true fans would be able to see how her new outfits are a nod to her past. They were updated versions of Swift’s signature looks that were put together by her stylist, Joseph Cassell Falconer. For example, her gold, fringed minidress by Roberto Cavalli was similar to a dress Swift wore on her Fearless tour in 2011. Fausto Puglisi, a designer for Roberto Cavalli, tells Vogue, “We chose a beautiful champagne color that is very Taylor.” Swift also wore the designer’s embroidered Rhombus top and mini skirt in her 1989 set and the embroidered snake catsuit she wears when performing songs from her album Reputation.
Swift’s detractors flooded her social media with snake emojis during the release of her Reputation album, so she began to use them herself. As a show of strength, she reclaimed the word and the symbol.
Each outfit fit with the message and feel of the era Swift was talking about. This showed the different sounds and styles she’s liked over her nearly 20-year career. Swift started off with songs from her Lover album, and she wore a glittery Versace bodysuit to match the album’s pastel colors. She wore a lavender Oscar de la Renta faux-fur coat and a beaded bodysuit when she sang “Lavender Haze” by Midnight. Swift wore gauzy prairie dresses by Alberta Ferretti and Etro for her more ethereal Folklore section.
Of course, Swift’s full-on princess dresses by Nicole + Felicia, which she wears when she sings “Enchanted,” were the most dramatic. They really are a magical design. Swift made a conscious decision to match her stage clothes to the music she plays, with each look being more stunning than the last. The designers themselves, most of whom made custom pieces, said the same thing. Puglisi says, “I always want to make clothes that fit the music.” “We took an artisanal approach to make things because when you’re making things for a concert in a stadium with a lot of people, everything has to stand out.” In other words, you can bet that she’s still playing.