How Taylor Swift Inspires The Style And Creative Pursuits Of Singaporean Swifties

As the Eras Tour rolls into town this weekend, four creative Swifties tell us how Tay Tay has shaped their style and craft.

By Pang Jia Wei , 1 Mar 2024

There is no doubt that Taylor Swift is one of the top celebrities – if not the top celebrity – of her generation. She was Time’s 2023 Person of the Year and her ongoing Eras Tour has become the highest-grossing of all time. Her trajectory and discography are the subject of courses at Harvard and – in a world first – newspapers have turned her into a beat with dedicated reporters. There is also little doubt that much of this has to do with her fans. Ahead, four creative Swifties tell us how the American Idol has shaped their style and craft.

CLARA LI, 29, FULL-TIME MARKETER AND PART-TIME CONTENT CREATOR (@CLARA.SLAYS ON BOTH IG AND TT) KNOWN FOR HER TAYLOR SWIFT-INSPIRED MAKEUP TUTORIALS

How long she’s been a Swiftie: “Since her very first album released in 2006. She was very young at the time (Swift was 17 then) so I felt like she was very relatable and that it was refreshing for someone her age to do country music. The songs were so catchy and everyone – including myself – would cry while listening to them. You can say I’m an OG Swiftie.”

One thing that proves she’s a Swiftie: “Throw me any of her lyrics and I can complete them for you.”

What she loves most about Tay Tay: “I think that she stands very strongly for rejecting haters and continuous reinvention… Her ability to not be bothered by negativity – or at least appear not to be – is something everyone can relate to. It’s a reminder that we have the power to build ourselves up and if we support those who support us, the fruits of our labour will show in time for all the world to see… Of course, she also has a way of writing songs that feel timeless and that people – no matter how old, or what stage or relationship they’re in – can relate to.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift album: “1989 – it marked when she decided to reinvent herself and be away from men, focusing on time with her girlfriends instead… My favourite track on it is Is It Over Now? because you can just scream your heart out along with it.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift song: “I refuse to answer this question because my favourite song of hers depends on my mood at that point in time. Right now it’s You’re On Your Own, Kid, which is a really good track to both cry to or laugh to. This track is also how the friendship bracelet trend started within the Swiftie community. There’s a line in it that goes: “Everything you lose is a step you take / So make the friendship bracelet / Take a moment and taste it / You’ve got no reason to be afraid.” It serves as a reminder for us to just grab our friends and go do girly things together and because of it, everyone has been trading bracelets. It happened at the Eras Tour movie screening that I was at and it was so wholesome. You’d think that only kids would do it, but grownass women like myself do too!”

Her favourite Taylor Swift era: “Reputation because it represents who I am at my core: someone who’s not bothered by and fights back negativity. Its whole black-and-white aesthetic is also how I usually dress. The whole period before this when she went into hiding was a very hard time for us Swifties. Dramatic much?”

On creating beauty content inspired by Taylor Swift: “This started when Red (Taylor’s Version) came out. This one GRWM video that I did (in which she created a makeup look while listening to All Too Well (10 Minute Version)) unlocked a whole community of viewers from all over the world and got me thinking about how I could create a series inspired by her different eras and outfits. These videos have been doing quite well and make me happy – I had always wanted to watch such content growing up, but couldn’t find them, and I had always wondered how I could better showcase my personality through my beauty videos. Another thing I must point out is that Taylor is the iconic queen of red lips, which was another inspiration – she mentions red lips so many times in her songs. Someone made a compilation of all the lipsticks that she has used and I even went to hunt them down. Sadly, most of them are not available in Singapore.”

Total number of Taylor Swift-inspired beauty looks she’s created: “I’ve lost count, but I think about 50?”

Her next favourite celebrity after Taylor Swift: “The only other person I’ve paid to watch in concert is Dua Lipa. I love her whole vibe and her songs, and let’s not forget that she co-created a collection with Versace, starred in Barbie and came up with one of the greatest hits of 2023, Dance The Night. She’s so beautiful and she’s a really big inspiration.”

ADELINE TAN, 28, HOME BAKER WHO DOCUMENTS MAKING TAYLOR SWIFT-INSPIRED VINTAGE-STYLE CAKES ON HER TIKTOK ACCOUNT @ADDIEBLESAUSAGE (AND, YES, SHE SELLS THEM TOO)

How long she’s been a Swiftie: “Let me preface that I’m not a Day One Swiftie. I only started getting into her music from her second or third album onwards – the Speak Now or Fearless eras, influenced by my friends in school who were also listening to her then.”

One thing that proves she’s a Swiftie: “I like to bake things that are Taylor-inspired. There are her famous Chai cookies (of which recipe can be found online), but there are also cakes inspired by her different albums or songs. Some of these are for customers, but most are for myself to celebrate a new release, and I video the making-of and post them on social media to share with fellow Swifties and anyone else interested in her music.”

What she loves most about Tay Tay: “Her ability to articulate her thoughts and emotions into songs so well. Sometimes, I’d be listening and singing along to them and it would hit me: This is exactly how I feel. Not to be dramatic, but her music has gotten me through some tough times.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift song: “My answer would be the same if you were to ask me which song of hers is my go-to at karaoke, and that would be You Belong With Me. I love everything about it.”

On creating Taylor Swift-inspired confections “Even before I started doing so for my own indulgence, I had customers place such orders – a very popular one has been cakes inspired by her song 22 for those celebrating their 22nd birthday. Then I started seeing people commemorate her new releases in different ways on TikTok and wondered how I could also do so and express my creativity in my own way. I came across someone who comes up with dishes based on different songs and it hit me that I could do the same, but with cake. Every Taylor-inspired cake I’ve created is pretty different and the process of making them has been so fun and the recipes keep evolving as I learn new techniques.”

Total number of Taylor Swift-inspired cakes she’s created: “More than 50, but less than 100. One of the most popular that’s documented on my TikTok account has been the one inspired by the Blank Space music video (this classic buttercream confection contains a red jammy centre that explodes when cut into). Personally, my most memorable of such cakes is one that I had made for the release of Speak Now, which recreated the dress Taylor wears on the album cover using sheets of Vietnamese rice paper rolls that I dyed purple. A more recent one is what I call the burn away cake, which I came up with for her Reputation era and have continued working on (the top layer – a printed wafer sheet – burns up when lit, revealing the icing sheet printed with an image of Swift in her Reputation era beneath).”

The cake she would present Taylor Swift with: “Definitely a burn away cake because it’s visually the most ‘wow’. Hopefully she’ll be impressed and be my friend.”

PAIGE BOON, 20, BUSINESS STUDENT WHOSE SIGNATURE QUIRKY STYLE IS INSPIRED BY TAY TAY’S OWN WARDROBE AND MUSIC

How long she’s been a Swiftie: Eight years

One thing that proves she’s a Swiftie: “I think I know most of the lyrics for most of her albums – and I can sing all of All Too Well (10 minute version). I think that should be the baseline for every Swifite.”

What she loves most about Tay Tay: “Her authenticity… I also love how hardworking she is, and how she’s able to constantly update herself and come up with different ways to keep her fans entertained and satisfied.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift album: “Reputation on which she spoke up about all the negative press and comments she’s received... Listening to it has taught me to be more confident about myself and know that I can always turn to my loved ones for support and not feel hurt by any struggles or negativity.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift song: “Today it’s King Of My Heart from Reputation because I’m in a Reputation mood as seen in my Reputation-inspired outfit, but it might change.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift era: “I really enjoy Red (Taylor’s version) because I can tell how much she loved producing it and that it was a really passionate project for her.”

The Taylor Swift lyric she quotes the most: “Isn’t it funny to think that all along there was no visible string tying you to me? (from Invisible String)”

How long she queued to get her ticket for The Eras Tour: “Very long… Long story short, a friend had helped to queue up at the post office while the rest of us who also want to go for the concert went to a PC cafe for better Internet access and ended up spending two hours there… I ended up getting queue codes from many of my friends and I just spammed and bought as many tickets as I could for us… I will not want to go through the whole process again, but it was worth it.”

On the Taylor Swift effect: “Keeping up with her music and seeing her in different eras has made me appreciate a wider range of music genres as well as helped me develop my own personal style… I actually started on my own fashion journey by coming up with outfits based on her different songs and album covers, and that has helped to shape the way I dress now. The black-and-white fit I’ve put together for this shoot, for example, was inspired by the cover of the Reputation album. I’ve paired a shirt, tie and leg warmers with a girlish skirt and bows because I think this juxtaposition of the hard with the soft represents the album quite well. Meanwhile the red look is obviously inspired by her Red album. I wanted to channel her boldness and energy during this era, when she started experimenting with pop music. I’ve thus added red tights – something new in my wardrobe that I’ve never worn before.”

How else Taylor Swift has inspired her: “I think she’s inspired me to become more creative – to be more open-minded and to appreciate more of the arts. And through her heartfelt lyrics and how she works on her albums, she’s motivated me to be more of a hard worker too.”

What she would say to Taylor Swift if she met her in person: “That I really like her music and that I’m really proud of her for her growth and success… And, of course, I’d ask for a picture.”

Her next favourite celebrity after Taylor Swift: “BTS, Seventeen and Sabrina Carpenter – sorry, I can’t choose one.”

SIMONE BIANCA WEE, 19, BUSINESS STUDENT AND ASPIRING MUSICIAN WHOSE GREATEST ARTISTIC INFLUENCE IS TAYLOR SWIFT

How long she’s been a Swiftie: “Since 2015 – when I was about 10 years old and had to choose a song to dance to for an interclass competition in school, and the one my class selected was Shake It Off because it was the most popular hit at the time.”

One thing that proves she’s a Swiftie: “Definitely my room. It’s a Taylor Swift haven with DIY Taylor Swift posters featuring lyrical graphic designs inspired by her songs all around. Even my guitar is decked out with stickers of Taylor Swift. I’ve also started a business and while it’s not solely based on Taylor, a significant number of the products I sell are influenced by her. For example, I have tote bags printed with her lyrics and I’m currently wearing one of the friendship bracelets that I make and retail (an It accessory among Swifties inspired by a line in the Taylor Swift song You’re On Your Own, Kid).”

What she loves most about Tay Tay: “That she cares for her fans. Ever since she started her journey as an artiste, she has always made sure to give back to her fans whether it’s through meet-and-greets or by surprising them and fulfilling their personal wishes. She has consistently been very kind especially to the younger Swifties. She makes time for them and says hi and takes pictures with those waiting outside her hotel lobby. I find that very admirable.”

Hey favourite Taylor Swift album: “Definitely Lover. My favourite song on there is The Archer – I view it as a song about anxiety and whenever I get nervous or feel my own anxiety rising, I listen to it and it really helps my heartbeat come down.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift song: “I have two: All Too Well (10 minute version) because I just really like its lyrics, and You’re On Your Own, Kid because I grew up as an only child and have always felt like I’m on my own.”

Her favourite Taylor Swift era: “Again Lover – I really like the album because it expresses all sorts of different emotions. It also opens the Eras Tour and from what I’ve seen of the concert online, I love the accompanying outfits, choreography and set design. Everyone is going to enjoy it.”

The Taylor Swift lyric she quotes the most: “‘I’ve hosted parties and starved my body like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss’ (from You’re On Your Own, Kid) – it’s a reminder of the bad times in my life and pushes me to improve as a person”

On the Taylor Swift effect: “I grew up listening to the likes of One Direction and that made me think that to become a successful musician, one’s music had to include drums, bass, guitar and more. Then I heard Taylor Swift’s Champagne Problems, which is mostly all piano and realised that I don’t need a five-person band to make good music… It’s not just her music that has inspired me though. Since the whole Kayne West thing at the 2009 VMAs (when West interrupted her while she was accepting her award for Best Video by a Female Artist) she’s shown what it means to be strong and to persevere through years of hate and difficulties. I also think that her different eras really capture how she has grown as a person over the years and that is something that I resonate with. Her music has helped me to discover who I want to be and what kind of music I want to make.”

How long she queued to get her ticket for The Eras Tour: “I started queuing two days before sales opened and even had to go for a lesson in school midway. I was really, really tired and even slept on the hot concrete floor, but it ended up being a really heartwarming experience. Even though everyone there was competing with one another to get tickets, people would cheer one another on while in line. This auntie even filmed the process of me getting my tickets for me to have as a keepsake and we’ve become quite close… The Swiftie community is definitely friendly and open – it’s made up of people from all different backgrounds, but when we meet, there’s a sense of familiarity and lots of fun.”

What she would say to Taylor Swift if she met her in person: “I’d be starstruck for at least five minutes and hope she won’t leave in that time. I’d thank her for inspiring me all these years and getting me through things that she wouldn’t know about – things that have been very difficult in my life.”

COORDINATION PANG JIA WEI PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA DIRECTION JONATHAN CHIA HAIR & MAKEUP SARAH TAN

This article first appeared in the March 2024 Celebrity Edition of FEMALE