Taylor Swift's Second Language May Surprise You
No. 74
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Taylor Swift speaks to us in two languages: her music and her fashion. To underestimate the latter's power is to miss a vital driver of Swiftmania.
Through the lens of the applied psychology of fashion, Taylor's savvy use of accessories and clothing encourages all of us to engage in three essential acts of personal wellbeing: connection, evolution, and self-expression.
The result is a virtuous cycle that has propelled her fans' happiness — and Taylor's career — to glorious heights. During these difficult global times, her strategic use of fashion teaches all of us how our personal style choices can be used to uplift ourselves, too.
According to the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, modern society is suffering from a loneliness epidemic. Human connection is at an all-time low, while our innate human yearning for a sense of belonging remains as strong as ever. Against this backdrop, Taylor has masterfully created an emotional bond with her fanbase that is unlike anything ever seen in pop culture. She has done this by deepening her fans' connection to both her and to themselves through, yes, fashion.
In the world of fashion psychology, "dopamine dressing" is a term describing the state in which our attire literally makes us happier. Using an inexpensive fashion accessory – the friendship bracelet – Taylor has deployed this tactic effectively across the globe. Through the very act of creating, wearing, and gifting these now cult-like adornments, her fans are experiencing the joy of much-needed human connection.
Furthermore, Taylor's clothing choices are a classic example of "enclothed cognition," a psychological phenomenon whereby what a person decides to wear can quite literally increase their cognitive processing, attention, performance, abstract thinking, and confidence.
In Taylor's early days, she performed in flowy, pastel dresses and cowboy boots. Through this look, she celebrated creative thinking and attention to detail that marked her arrival on the country music scene. Fast forward to her Reputation Tour, and Taylor is seen wearing darker clothing, thigh-high boots, and cat-eye black eyeliner. These style choices were a deliberate statement about the pain she felt as a result of rampant public attacks on her personality and character. This very different look served to announce her newfound confidence and liberation from the expectations of others.
It is interesting to observe how hundreds of thousands of Eras Tour attendees arrive at stadiums in clothing selected to mimic the Era with which they most relate. This indicates fans are also experiencing enclothed cognition as they journey through their own eras of personal evolution.
Lastly, "self-perception theory" explains how the very act of what we choose to put on our bodies can be a healthy expression of our uncensored, unedited, true selves. The use of this concept is where Taylor really sparkles and inspires us. Rather than conform to a specific trending aesthetic or hot brand of the season as so many stars do, she rejects the "fashion girl" narrative. Her outfits consistently reflect who she is at that moment in time.
On non-concert days, Taylor has been photographed wearing t-shirts, shorts, sneakers, and even a baseball cap over her braided pigtails. Make no mistake, this isn't simply her version of casual Friday. These clothes are typically a strategic mix of pricey designer items and accessible pieces from mainstream clothing stores. This combination enables Taylor to be aspirational yet attainable at the same time. Knowing full well that virtually every public step she takes is chronicled by paparazzi for the world to see, Miss Americana is speaking to us with these off-duty outfits: "I am one of you, and you can be one of you, too.”
Most of us will never sing like Taylor Swift. However, through the strategic use of the applied psychology of fashion, we can all learn how to experience more connection, evolution, and self-expression.
Just like Tay Tay.
So great and thought provoking. Thank you.