Why people hate Taylor Swift’s fashion sense (and why they’re wrong)
On Sunday 9 February 2025, during Super Bowl LIX, Taylor Swift appeared on the Jumbotron and an uncomfortable wave of boos erupted from the crowd. The singer, who was there to support her boyfriend—Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce—attracted an almost visceral response. And while some people might argue that the reaction was solely due to the musician’s Chiefs allegiance, I’d argue that in reality the crowd’s real problem with Swift is that she is a wildly successful, self-possessed woman that stands by her own views.
Taylor Swift laughed off being booed at the Super Bowl 😅 pic.twitter.com/Zdc5fHKc0A
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 10, 2025
Truth be told, being one of the biggest celebrities in the world is hard work. It may have its perks and fun, but it also involves public exposure—often to the point of extreme scrutiny. For Swift, her Super Bowl moment of widespread ‘shade’ wasn’t a standalone event. It was emblematic of the scrutiny the artist faces online, a microscopic lens that often has a particular focus—her fashion choices, or rather, her so-called “lack of taste.” Ouch.
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Has Taylor Swift got bad taste?
In August 2023, a Vogue article posed the thought: Taylor Swift is not a fashion innovator, but perhaps that’s the point? The piece dissected the singer’s off-duty aesthetic, one that was dismissed as dull, pedestrian, even calculatedly uninspired. Swift may be breaking records, selling out stadiums, or redefining the music industry’s relationship with fandom, but according to her critics, she can’t dress.
This sentiment, clearly a universal feeling, even has a dedicated Reddit page—aptly named SwiftlyNeutral that explores the singer’s supposed lack of taste. One post reads: “From the mismatch of pieces to the terrible shoe choices… since it doesn’t seem to come naturally for her, I would love to see her hire a decent stylist and SERVE some looks. Everyone on the main subs constantly talks about how great her looks are—am I missing something??”
Under that particular take, more than 400 people fiercely discussed the singer’s inability to conform to the current fashion zeitgeist.
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This is not new, though. From Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour to her Super Bowl boos, something more insidious than mere sartorial critique is taking place. Swift’s bad taste is becoming nothing less than a cultural battleground.
Heather Jude, an award-winning fashion stylist and creative director, has it nailed: “When Taylor steps out in a sundress, it’s labelled too ‘girly.’ When she opts for a sleek power suit, some claim it’s an overcorrection toward seriousness. This constant tug-of-war reflects the impossible standards women navigate daily.The real question isn’t whether her outfit is ‘bad’, but why we feel entitled to pass judgment at all, creating unnecessary bad blood.”
Why does Swift’s casual wardrobe spark such debate, with even entire social media pages devoted to what she should wear? Jenn Holcomb, a former English teacher at the University of Indianapolis who writes and produces the AP Taylor Swift podcast, explained: “Social media thrives on debate, creating a culture where controversial critiques and opinions go viral. Adding the most recognisable person in the world, Taylor Swift, to that equation practically guarantees clicks, follows, and likes. It’s much more click-worthy to say something negative or critical about Taylor’s wardrobe (or her relationship) than it is to focus on her music,” the expert told SCREENSHOT.
Would the same argument be made about a male artist? It is difficult to imagine critics dissecting the everyday fashion of a male musician with the same intensity. The scrutiny reserved for women—particularly successful ones—often masquerades as objective critique but is, in fact, another means of control.
Swift’s fashion has had its questionable moments: Her Eras Tour included a spectacle of sequins and prom-like gowns. Her 2024 MTV VMAs ensemble—a yellow plaid look with black leather gloves—was dismissed as uninspired. Her 2025 Grammys Vivienne Westwood selection was met with lukewarm responses.
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Taylor Swift in red-hot Vivienne Westwood and Chappell Roan in vintage Jean Paul Gaultier are two of my fav looks from the 2025 GRAMMYs 🌹 Who delivered your fav look from the night? #mtvceleb pic.twitter.com/I6XUwTYggp
— MTV UK 💛 (@MTVUK) February 3, 2025
But is bad fashion a crime? And more importantly, who gets to decide what constitutes bad fashion? “There’s this unspoken rule that celebrities must be sartorially flawless 24/7. After all, there’s an entire industry built around capturing their fashion mishaps,” notes Jude.
“But Taylor’s true appeal lies in her relatability. Yes, we gasp when she steps out in a couture gown on the red carpet, but it’s her everyday outfits that hit home because they feel real. They make her seem like an old childhood friend who made it big but is still that girl next door.” Rather than aiming to be a fashion icon in the traditional sense, Swift’s approach to dressing is deeply personal—an extension of her music and identity.
Even if Swift were to embrace a high-fashion aesthetic—aligning herself with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, or Rihanna—she would likely face criticism for being inauthentic. The reality is, no matter how the singer presents herself, there will always be voices eager to diminish her choices. The Reputation artist has built an empire, maintained control over her narrative, and defied industry conventions but ‘she can’t dress’, at least according to the internet. “Taylor Swift’s wardrobe controversy isn’t about the clothes. It’s about the impossible expectations placed on women in the spotlight, the cultural weight of her choices, and the audacity of authenticity in a world that demands perfection” concludes Jude.
Swift’s real transgression is not her so-called lack of style, it’s her audacity to exist, loudly and unapologetically, as a woman in command of her own image. And in an era where misogyny still permeates cultural discourse, that probably remains the ultimate controversy.
