Taylor Swift is feeling so high school (musical).
The pop star sent fans reeling when she arrived on the Grammys 2025 red carpet in a glittering scarlet Vivienne Westwood minidress and a delicate ruby “T” charm (designed by Swift herself, in collaboration with Lorraine Schwartz) wrapped around her thigh.
While the look seemed to be a clear tribute to boyfriend Travis Kelce rather than a hidden message about upcoming music, there are still plenty of Easter eggs to unpack.
Loving him was red
Crimson is an ever-present color in Swift’s life these days, from her signature lipstick to the Kansas City Chiefs’ team hues. The shade’s come up over and over again in her work, too — dating back to 2008’s “Love Story,” when she declared, “you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter.”
It even inspired Swift’s 2012 album, “Red”; in the title track, she sings, “Loving him was red.” But in “Daylight,” from 2019’s “Lover,” the Grammy winner recanted her original statement: “I once believed love would be burning red, but it’s golden.”
While that lyric may have been inspired by Swift’s then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, current beau Kelce happened to step off the plane in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday night in — what else? — a gold tracksuit, repping his team’s other hue.
Swift’s “T” charm instantly drew comparisons to a lyric from her most recent album, 2024’s “The Tortured Poets Department.” In “Guilty as Sin?” she asks, “What if he’s written ‘mine’ on my upper thigh only in my mind?”
The jewelry also called to mind a line from 2017’s “Call It What You Want”: “I want to wear his initial on a chain ’round my neck.
As Swifties were quick to point out, that’s exactly what Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) did with the necklace Troy (Zac Efron) gifted her in “High School Musical 2,” the second installment in the Disney Channel’s franchise following a jock who falls in love with a brainy singer. Sound familiar?
The rubies that I gave up
Swift may have been drawn to rubies for reasons beyond their fiery color. The gem serves as the birthstone for July, and in that month in 2023, Kelce tried and failed to give Swift his phone number on a friendship bracelet during her Kansas City stop on the Eras Tour.
Rumors of their romance began swirling around that time, though they didn’t officially confirm their relationship status until September.
Fans even dissected the shape of the “T,” with eagle-eyed Swifties recognizing the serif font from the official lyric video for “So High School” — her 2024 tune dedicated to Kelce. (Lyrics include, “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle.”)
In the clip, the songstress illuminates the letters “T,” “K,” “T,” and “S” in a sweet nod to their initials, with the font matching the charm’s.
While the same classic typeface has featured heavily throughout her “Tortured Poets” era, it’s worth noting that Swift walked on stage to present the award for best country album not to her Grammy-nominated hit “Fortnight,” but rather — you guessed it — “So High School.”
We never go out of style
While the font talk and color comparisons could be a stretch, it’s plain to see that Swift’s a major Vivienne Westwood fan.
She’s worn the British brand on many dates with Kelce, including the blue midi dress and heart-shaped purse she picked for a hang with the Mahomeses in Amsterdam. She also opted for a plaid Westwood corset top and skirt for an October 2024 Chiefs game.
Swift also added an entire section to her Eras Tour in May after releasing “TTPD,” for which she was outfitted in multiple custom Vivienne Westwood designs. (Who could forget when Kelce made a surprise appearance on stage in a tuxedo and top hat during that part of the show?)
The stylish “Grotesquerie” actor even wore Vivienne Westwood himself when he attended model Karen Elson’s wedding as Swift’s date.
Swift may have been inspired to add the thigh charm by a different Eras Tour outfit: her blue “Midnights” bodysuit by Zuhair Murad, which Swift accessorized with a garter to perform songs including “Vigilante S—t” and “Karma.” (In the latter, she occasionally switched up the lyrics to shout out her “the guy on the Chiefs” rather than her ex “on the screen.”)
It also recalls the edgy Halara skort she wore to Coachella 2024 alongside Kelce, with its high slit and buckled leg strap.
Whatever Swift’s inspiration, we can’t wait to see how she tops her high-fashion cheerleader look at the Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans this Sunday as Kelce’s Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
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