The power of Taylor Swift is undeniable. You may have never heard a Taylor Swift song, but you know who she is. Her presence resonates beyond music. Her style resonates beyond generations. Her business acumen resonates beyond the most prestigious brands.
Taylor’s style sets her apart in that she isn’t always wearing what other A-listers are wearing. Taylor leans into her own style, in everything she does, and provides inspiration for everyone to do the same.
When it comes to Taylor’s bag choices, she is brand agnostic and has carried a variety of well known and lesser known brands. This variety has inspired us to show our own versions of what Taylor has worn and how you can make your own version at home! But… full disclosure… I know almost nothing about Taylor Swift as an artist. So, I enlisted help for this blog. One of my dear friends, Misty Doan, is a proud Swiftie and she has agreed to help me with the all-things-Taylor part of this blog. Thank goodness for good friends!
Misty will cover the artistic knowledge side and I’ll cover the bag design inspiration … are you “Ready For It?” (Get it?? I at least know that much…)
GIGI
For long time Swifties, we know that Taylor’s style often hints at the music she’s making. When she made the leap from country starlet and ventured into pop music with her album, Red, her fashion changed right along with her songs. More mature, a little rock and roll, and a nod to her love of classic and vintage - plus we got the first introduction of the now iconic, red lip! The Red album is all about overcoming heartache and emerging on the other side a happier, more vibrant version of yourself. - Misty
Listen to: All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)
Design Inspiration: The simple lock closure, bright color and classic shape of Taylor’s bag fit the Gigi pattern flawlessly. Gigi is a great size for any occasion - casual to formal. We love this bag in our elegant Jade cork, a perfect complement to the red lip!
Download Gigi pattern and purchase supplies here!
JESSICA
Let’s leap into the current era, The Tortured Poets Department. Here Taylor combines gothic, dark academia vibes with contemporary. As she describes herself, “In my mind, the tortured poets department is a government municipal building where they study the behavior and minds of poets.” As one of the world’s most famous artists, people are quick to share opinions about her personal life and this album explores that. Quite literally, we’re placing the world’s most fragile hearts under a microscope and watching to see what happens. Aesthetically, how does this style read? Think black and white, tweed, houndstooth, lots of layers, and (faux) leather. All in all, it’s rooted in finding comfort and confidence in yourself. - Misty
Listen To: So Long, London
Design Inspiration: The Jessica baguette bag, in soft and buttery faux leather lite, fits beautifully with a layered style. This bag brings forward classic bag elements with decorative O-rings, clean shapes and blended hardware finishes.
CARRIE
When she isn’t selling out stadiums on the record breaking Eras Tour, Taylor’s everyday style is elevated casual. Here she’s rocking items we likely have in our own closets - a white button up, simple shorts, a great bag and she’s out the door to join her girlfriends for some time in New York City. I love that Taylor is unapologetically a girl’s girl. She supports her friends, cheers them on, and shows up when it matters. We all need a friend like that in our corner. - Misty
Listen To: Long Live (Taylor’s Version)
Design Inspiration: The brown saddle bag is a fashion staple. It goes with everything, just like a white button up. We love the versatility of the Carrie bag and how its shape lends itself to a variety of fabrics to make it truly your own. To emulate Taylor’s style, we love the Carrie bag in a Hazelnut Pebble faux leather, with a little pop of gold in the Designer Flip Lock closure.
BACK TO BASICS TOTE PATTERN
Here’s another great example of how we’re seeing her dress in her TTPD (The Tortured Poets Department) era. Notice the basic black tee with the tweed, pleated skirt. Such a classic look. But she’s paired those classic pieces with these really avant garde thigh high boots and a great alligator bucket bag to bring in some modern touches to her outfit. I love her ability to combine genres both in fashion and her music. One of her biggest artistic leaps was her Folklore album. For the first time, instead of writing from her own lived experiences, she created a fictional world of characters and wrote songs from their perspectives and the end result is one of her most beloved albums. - Misty
Listen To: The Last Great American Dynasty
Design Inspiration: A single fabric choice can change everything. It can take a simple tote bag and make it a posh, fashion forward bag in an instant. Our free Back to Basics Tote pattern changes to a Taylor Swift style bag by using Black Alligator faux leather. This tote also provides a perfect platform to add elements like decorative chains or closures to really make it stand out in a crowd.
Listen To: Style (Taylor’s Version)
Design Inspiration: The Dovima pattern incorporates beautiful arch handles to exemplify another classic bag shape. But, in Taylor Swift style, adds in a modern element with the bag color choice. We love a handmade version of this using Forest Green Legacy faux leather to bring this to life in your handmade projects.
Download Dovima pattern and purchase supplies here!
We think that Taylor represents a new celebrity approach to fashion. One that is less focused on designer brands, more focused on classic elements, but is open to experimentation.
Swift’s approach to fashion feels approachable and down to earth, so maybe one day she will venture into trying to make her own handmade bag? We can only hope and we would be happy to teach her!
Thanks so much to Misty for being our guest blogger and helping us tap into Swiftie knowledge! Follow Misty on Instagram: @mistydoan.
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