What’s Up With Taylor Swift Fans And Cowboy Hats? (2024)
This past weekend, 90,000 people swarmed Melbourne as Taylor Swift played her biggest show of the Eras Tour yet. Dressed as Swift throughout the years, people flew across state lines and internationally to show off their Junior Jewels T-shirts; their heart-shaped sunglasses; their endless, colourfully personalised bracelets. They flocked to the MCG, spending thousands of dollars, either for tickets, for merch, or for some other bizarre combination of fan-crazed, Swiftie must-haves. But the most common costume choice was, strangely, the pink – or sometimes white – plastic cowboy hat.
Which is weird.Because I’m not really sure why.
When “Teardrops on my Guitar” came out, I was a 12-year-old girl in the suburbs of Virginia. I grew up knowing Taylor Swift. I can tell you about the gems applied to the corner of her eyes to memorialize the eponymous teardrops, the chunky striped top that convinced us all that it would be really hot to dress like French mimes for a year, the fedoras and the pageboy caps… but I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually seen Taylor Swift in a pink cowboy hat.
If you Google “Taylor Swift Pink Cowboy,” you’ll find that, in a technical sense, she’s worn one. As far as I could tell, there are exactly two photos of Taylor in a pink cowboy hat, and both are from a single shoot approximately 17 years ago. To the best of my knowledge, they weren't heavily featured in an album or a tour. If you expand to straw cowboy hats – which is generous because they’re an entirely different vibe – you can find another photo from the same era. But every other image, upon closer inspection, turns out to just be a photo of some other blonde woman, honouring Taylor by wearing a hat she almost never wore, an AI projection of the parallel universe where Taylor is actually into the pink cowgirl aesthetic.
Out of the hundreds – maybe thousands – of outfits that she’s been photographed in, how did one seemingly insignificant shoot become key iconography among her fans?
I decided to do a little on-the-ground reporting, and approached a source – my boyfriend’s 13-year-old niece who had joined the thousands of ticketless Swifties “Taylor-gating” outside the Melbourne venue. She gave me the same answer that I later found on Reddit – fans are manifesting Taylor’s original debut, back when she was a curly-haired country artist. But when I looked up “Taylor Swift debut,” every image was decidedly turquoise, a mass of flowy dresses, butterfly patterns, and bare feet in a creek. It’s country, yes, but not pink… and no hat.
I kept digging.
I decided to hit the streets, full of people earnestly trying to capitalise on Taylormania. We spoke to a man selling pink cowboy hats and Eras t-shirts near the venue. Football fans were walking past as a Melbourne Victory game had just finished blocks away. We asked what the deal with the pink cowboy hats was and he said they were for the football fans. I said, “What?” and he insisted: the Era t-shirts were for Swifties and the pink cowboy hats were for the Melbourne Victory game. The mystery was growing ever deeper.
Taylor Swift cowboy hats? No. These are for the football fans. Obviously.
I found no further evidence that Melbourne Victory supporters or players wear cowboy hats – but there’s another cultural icon who does – one who’s much more relevant to the Swift universe.
This brings me to my third theory, the one I believe deepest in my heart: people have entirely forgotten the difference between Taylor Swift and Barbie.
Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times
We are being asked to believe that this costume is inspired by the Taylor Swift debut, and…not Barbie.
When I watched crowds line up in pink costumes, I felt a distinct wave of deja vu: didn’t we just do this? Like six months ago?
James Gourley/Getty Images
Maybe Taylor was never huge on mixing western attire with hot pink, but Margot Robbie as Barbie definitely was: she famously wore a pink cowgirl outfit with a white hat nearly identical to ones sold outside the concert. More to the point, aren’t they a little bit the same, anyway?
Pop-culture monoliths successfully riding the age of the girl, invoking a hyper-youthful femme aesthetic as a palatable assertion against the patriarchy? And also…, they’re both blonde. It’s just a theory. But I think there’s something there.
Anyway, I have nothing against the cowboy hat, whatever its true origin may be. I think “Cardigan” slaps and Barbie’s fascism line is funny. I can’t wait until the boundaries between all forms of entertainment dissolve into nothingness and we’re left sliding around in a delicious, pink, iridescent soup of universalized girlhood.
But even if I didn’t, these things don’t need my approval. They’re happening anyway. Cowboy hats are decidedly in. At least for a certain kind of Taylor Swift-obsessed individual.
Somehow, the cowboy hat became the go-to piece of merch for Taylor Swift fans. It adds up... only slightly. This past weekend, 90,000 people swarmed Melbourne as Taylor Swift played her biggest show of the Eras Tour yet.
Swifties are the fandom of the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Regarded by journalists as one of the largest, most devoted and influential fan bases, Swifties are known for their high levels of participation, creativity, community and fanaticism.
Life's too short to take off your cowboy hat. Never underestimate the power of a good hat day. The west was won with style and a great cowboy hat. If the hat fits, wear it with confidence.
Taylor Swift's debut album is country pop at its finest and the style to match is incredibly easy to recreate, especially for a concert. Think cowgirl chic: sundresses, a nice pair of boots, and maybe a cowboy hat to match. Make sure to pull out your hair curler to replicate her signature curls from this time.
Because this album is filled with Swift's country roots, many people wear cowboy hats and cowboy boots to represent this era. Some like to pair these items with a white dress and denim pants or skirts.
Known for her success in the country and pop music genres, Taylor Swift has a large and devoted fan base called “Swifties” who are often characterized by their enthusiastic support for Taylor Swift, deep knowledge of her music, and active participation in fan communities.
“Having Taylor as a new Chiefs fan is very unique,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said during Super Bowl week. “I don't ever do an interview without someone asking me about it. I think a lot of players and coaches on the team are in the same boat.
Kelce, born in 1989, plays with a fearless edge that has earned him a reputation, much like Swift, as one of their profession's all-time greats. Thrusting Swift further into football lore, Kelce's brother, six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Jason Kelce, is a starter on the Philadelphia Eagles, Swift's favorite team.
Swift was born Dec. 13, 1989, and has long proclaimed 13 as her favorite number. During her "Fearless" era, Swift wrote a blue "13" on her guitar-strumming hand for good luck at her concerts. The singer doesn't do this anymore, but long-time fans like paying homage to that era by writing a "13" on their own hands.
She was born on December 13, 1989. She turned 13 on Friday the thirteenth. Her debut album went gold in 13 weeks. Taylor has said that whenever she has won an award, she has been seated in row 13 or row M, which is the thirteenth letter.
Delicate is from Swift's sixth studio album, Reputation, in 2017. Fans will know to yell the chant: "One, two, three, let's go b----!” when she sings: “We can't make any promises, now can we, babe? But you can make me a drink.”
Women, however, have a little leeway. A man who lets a woman wear his hat indicates that he's interested in seeing more of her — and if she takes it off him, it means that she'd like to take off some of his other attire, too.
Two reasons. First, because the brim loses its shape with the brim down, and secondly, because of superstition. The good luck flows out, like a downturned horseshoe. The brim getting pushed out of shape is the most obvious reason, but don't assume the superstition part doesn't play onto it.
If Lover is your era of choice, anything pink and pastel will do. Try this open-back mini dress or this pastel pink rhinestone denim jacket on for size. Or, copy Swift's stadium style with a blazer dress that makes you feel like the man.
For ranchers and farmers, cowboy boots are essential footwear. Since they were originally designed for this type of work, their construction ensures they can hold up to the demands of working in fields and barns while providing protection from hazards like hooves and tools.
Reach for flowy sundresses or skirts, whites and creams, and sheer fabrics like lace (this era is perfect for cowboy hats, too). We think creams and light pinks would add a soft, poignant touch, or you could pull out an oversized flannel and loose jeans for something more relaxed.
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Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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