In honor of the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), I’m showing you how to copy Taylor Swift’s Fall 2023 outfits.
We’ve all looked to celebrity style for fashion inspiration at some point in our lives. But it’s one thing to say, “I love her outfit,” and it’s another to actually copy it in real life.
For this series, I’m going the extra mile and making it happen. Each week, I’m getting inspiration from a celebrity and copying five of her looks as closely as possible. Then, I’m reporting back to you: Did the outfits work in real life? Did I feel comfortable? Did people treat me differently? I’m sharing it all.
This week, in honor of the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), I copied Taylor Swift’s 2023 Autumn/Winter street-style outfits.
(For my past Taylor Swift posts, see my guides to All Too Well outfits, Taylor Swift’s street style, Taylor Swift eras outfits, Evermore outfits, Folklore outfits, Midnights Mayhem With Me outfits, The Eras Tour outfits, and Taylor Swift’s 2023 Spring/Summer street-style.)
Table of Contents
About Taylor’s Version
After Taylor Swift left Big Machine in 2018, she wanted to either buy her master recordings or the record label itself. Big Machine wanted her to sign another six-album contract that would transfer the masters to her slowly over time and never offered Taylor the chance to buy them outright.
Knowing that Republic Records (her current label) would at least give her ownership of her future work, she signed with them and moved on. Then, Big Machine’s CEO Scott Borchetta sold the label to Ithaca Holdings, Scooter Braun’s company. Braun is a former manager and friend of Kanye West, resulting in a man she doesn’t like — and who doesn’t like her — owning eleven years of her work. While she was angry about this, she decided to re-record her songs later in 2020 to get them back.
Taylor took up the challenge to rerecord all six albums after declining to become an equity partner with Shamrock Records after Braun sold her back catalog to the firm. As of late 2020, Taylor has begun re-recording her first six albums: Debut, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and reputation.
Each rerecorded album includes previously unreleased songs, known as the From The Vault songs, and new collaborations with other artists.
The order of the re-recordings is Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and, finally, her pop debut, 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
About 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Considered her first mainstream release, 1989 was everywhere. Taylor became the first artist with two albums that had sold over a million copies within a week. Her eight-month 1989 World Tour was the highest-grossing tour of 2015.
The re-recording was announced on August 9th, 2023. It was the last night of her US leg of The Eras Tour in Los Angeles. And I’m happy to say that I was there when she announced it! From the very first blue dress, the excitement for a now inevitable announcement was buzzing all over SoFi Stadium. It was a really magical and special moment that I’ll never forget.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) has sixteen previously released songs and five From The Vault songs. The Deluxe version includes the only collaboration on the album, Bad Blood FT Kendrick Lamar. Finally, Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor’s Version) is included in the Target exclusive Tangerine edition.
I think it’s safe to say 1989 was Taylor’s biggest album before folklore and Midnights. She became part of the cultural zeitgeist, for better or worse.
During the 1989 era, Taylor was more polarizing and hated than ever. Her face and name were used as quick clickbait by all media, leading to an oversaturation and even more backlash. Whether it was her all-female group of friends, her dating life, her body, or the themes for her songs, Taylor was targeted like never before.
But her fans stayed and loved the album. Swifties embraced her new sound and fell in love with her tongue-in-cheek humor, vulnerability, and masterful lyricism.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) is an ode to early adulthood. It’s an album about a newly discovered freedom and the excitement it brings, but also all the uncertainty and loneliness that come with it.
Taylor Swift’s 2023 Fall Outfits Guide
Continuing the trend we saw this Spring/Summer, Taylor has given us many great street-style moments. Whether she is going out with her friends, going to football games ;), or, again, going in and out of the studio, she has given winks to her style during her 1989 era.
Taylor has re-worn a lot of pieces previously worn in 2014-2016. The preppy style that marked the 1989 era is back but with a more mature style. In contrast with her polished crop top and heels outfit combo from that era, Taylor also incorporates more edgy, casual, and loose-fitting items with more comfortable shoes, like sneakers and boots.
Now that we’re transiting to colder weather, she has worn a lot of light layers with knit, denim, and mesh. Short skirts contrasted with boots and loafers have entered the rotation. Also, corsets, tailored pieces, and athleisure items have become a must. Most of the time, she’s also wearing warm neutrals with accents of color, especially red.
Monday – Outfit #1
For my first look of the week, I wanted to recreate something that was a mix of the 1989 original era and the Taylor’s Version era. And this look is it.
Taylor’s wearing a blue sweater, plaid skirt, black booties, and a crossbody bag. The moment I saw this look, I knew I had to recreate it.
For my version of this look, I first wore a navy blue sweatshirt. Then, I paired it with a plaid mini skirt. The skirt is in shades of brown and is pleated. For shoes, I put on a pair of black combat boots with silver details. Finally, I accessorized with a warm brown crossbody bag.
My outfit slightly differs in the items, but it’s a very close recreation with minimal shopping. The only thing I bought was a skirt. (I did buy it for this post, but I have been looking for an excuse to replace one that doesn’t fit me anymore.)
Taylor’s skirt is a deconstructed denim and plaid skirt. I found this plaid one that was very similar to the part of hers that you can actually see. The rest of the items I’ve had for years, but they’re basics, so they are easy to find.
Overall, I think it’s a simple-yet-cool outfit. Personally, I would’ve tucked in the sweatshirt, but I’ve been loving the not-tucking trend; it’s very comfortable.
Obviously, this outfit is not for the coldest days of Winter or even Autumn, but with the colors and materials in it, tights and a warm coat wouldn’t look out of place.
And, quick FYI, I work from home, so I could wear this as-is. But, if there are any dress codes in your work or you don’t feel comfortable with a mini skirt, adding tights is also a great option for a casual office.
Tuesday – Outfit #2
To tackle my next outfit, I had to do a red and black football moment. In recent months, Taylor has given us a masterclass on put-together, comfortable looks to wear to a game.
In this look, Taylor is wearing a red sweatshirt, a red t-shirt, a faux leather skirt, and two shoe options: heeled loafers or white sneakers.
[For a more in-depth guide to what to wear to a football game, inspired in part by Taylor, read this post!]
To create my outfit, I started with a basic red t-shirt. Mine is not oversized like hers, but it’s my only one. Then, I wore a faux leather, black, pleated mini skirt. For layering, I threw on a red sweater. Finally, I used white socks and a pair of white Nike sneakers.
For this one, I bought the skirt too. The reasoning was the same as the previous one: the one I had didn’t fit me at all anymore, and I kept putting off buying a new one that did. My body has changed, and I guess this post was the first step to finally let go of a lot of things I had been holding on to that stopped fitting a long time ago.
I thought about getting a red sweatshirt for this, but I couldn’t find one that would arrive on time for this post and that I would love to wear for years ahead. The same with the sneakers. Taylor is wearing really pretty red and white Nike sneakers, but I’d rather wait for a Black Friday deal on those.
This outfit was cute. This one feels like the perfect transition outfit between Red, 1989, and reputation. It’s fun and so preppy.
For wearability, it doesn’t get easier or comfier than this. But, just like my previous look, it is for the warmer days in Autumn and Winter.
I don’t live in a place that gets really, really cold, so thin layers, like this sweater, are fine to get through the day. To style it my way for a colder day, I would switch the t-shirt for a red turtleneck and even add red tights. If it gets too cold for me, a coat, preferably red, would be my solution.
Wednesday – Outfit #3
Wednesday arrived, and Taylor came with the perfect lazy but put-together outfit. She is wearing a rugby shirt, knee-high boots, a coat, and, again, a crossbody bag.
To create this look, I wore a black rugby polo shirt. This one is actually from the Men’s section, so it’s not a true oversized item; it’s just a big one. I threw on a yellow suede coat that resembled her toffee-colored coat a bit.
Then, I had a bit of a debate about the shoes. I had two options: a pair of riding boots in the right material and knee height and a pair of over-the-knee boots that I could scrunch down but were suede and a different shade of brown.
I ended up choosing the brown riding boots. In my mind, they were closer to what she was wearing than my other options. Again, I accessorized with a brown crossbody bag.
The first time I saw Taylor in this look, I couldn’t believe it. I had just bought this black rugby shirt, and it was on its way when these photos hit the internet. So, I knew I had to do this one. I don’t like big emblems or logos, so mine is not an exact dupe, but if you want something closer to hers, H&M has a pretty good dupe.
Not going to lie; this is, again, an amazing early Autumn outfit. It was extremely comfortable and cute. I didn’t wear the coat all day, just when I went out to run errands in the afternoon. If I had used the heeled boots, the comfort levels would’ve decreased, but the Preppy Taylor vibes would’ve been much higher.
Thursday – Outfit #4
The week was almost over, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) had been playing non-stop in my house for almost a week. In the look below, Taylor’s wearing a colorful mesh top, a faux-leather mini skirt, black booties, and a corset.
For my version of this date night look, I wore a simple black camisole. Then, I layered with a blue, long-sleeved mesh top. For bottoms, I wore the same faux-leather, pleated mini skirt I used for Tuesday’s look. I didn’t tuck the shirt in, just like she didn’t.
Finally, I wore my black Doc Martens as my version of black lace-up booties and also tried to style my hair in two buns like Taylor’s.
This look was cute, but I had to compromise a lot to create it.
First, I compromised on color. I just couldn’t find a good reason to get a green mesh top when I already had this similar top. Then, the style of the skirt was different, but again, I had this one already, and that was enough for me. Finally, the corset. I do have one, but it looked really weird when I wore it under the shirt.
When these photos came out, I saw someone describe this look as “folklore going out,” and I definitely saw why. It was a very edgy look, more reminiscent of other albums to me than 1989. But, inadvertently, I think with the snake print, I created a reputation-era look.
Related reading: 14 Corset Outfits That Will Have You Looking Hot AF
Friday – Outfit #5
Finally, it was Friday. And date night too. So, why not copy one of the *official* date night looks Taylor wore to go out with Travis Kelce? She is wearing a corset top, tailored pants, heels, and a coat.
To create this look, I put on a black corset. Then, I used a pair of black pin-stripe pants. The pants have a loose fit and a high waist. As for shoes, I wore black heels. Finally, I layered with a grey tailored coat and accessorized with a gold chain necklace.
To create this look, weirdly, I already had everything I needed. My corset is slightly different; Taylor’s has gold chains as straps, and mine is strapless. There are other slight differences. For example, my pants are pinstripe, and my coat is more structured.
Overall, I had pretty good dupes for everything she was wearing. My take on this one would be that maybe you only need to buy the corset.
This is a hot outfit. And I loved it. I honestly think I looked awesome. However, I tried wearing it in the early morning, but I quickly changed my top and shoes. To be able to work and be comfortable throughout the day, I swapped in a black sweatshirt and sneakers. When it was time to go out, I changed into the actual outfit.
That’s the biggest thing: this is *just* a going-out look. If I were to make it more wearable for every day, I would add a shirt under the corset and use booties or sneakers instead of heels.
Final Thoughts
I loved 1989 (Taylor’s Version) week!
Do not come at me, but 1989 has always been my least favorite Taylor album. I do like the album; it just ranks lower to me than her other albums. That being said, some of my all-time favorite Taylor songs are from this album, like You Are In Love, Clean, and New Romantics.
Now, with the rerecording, I have listened to it back-to-back for the first time in years, and my outlook on it has changed. This rerecording has forced me to look back on these past nine years and how much I tried to do the same thing Taylor did: reinvent myself to find out who I was.
Now, in hindsight, I can relate to many of the themes and emotions Taylor brought up in 1989. Especially having gone through early adulthood and all the changes it brings. The need for reinvention comes with becoming an adult and figuring out who you are, what you want, and where you want to go in life.
With the rerecording, I also find the sound is cleaner and the production is more crisp, but still very much from its time. form the new songs, my favorite ones are probably Is It Over Now?, Now That We Don’t Talk, and Slut!.
This week was fun. I loved the outfits, and Taylor has been giving us some major fashion inspiration lately. Now that her Latin American leg of the tour will continue, I’m curious to see how her street style will be or if there are any costume changes within the show.
One of my favorite things about Taylor’s style is that it is truly her own, even when trying to convey different eras or drop little Easter eggs. She is known to wear things in her own way, even if that means wearing items backward or styling them in a different way than intended (e.g., a rugby shirt as a dress).
If you’re looking for inspiration to freshen up your Autumn/Winter wardrobe, look no further than Ms. Swift. With little tweaks, most of her outfits are wearable on cold days. In general, a lot of the items you probably have already. Even if you don’t have a specific item, Taylor mixes a lot of designer with high-street, so finding either dupes or exact items is not hard.
What do you think of Taylor Swift’s fall outfits for 2023?
What do you think about 1989 (Taylor’s Version)? Do you like Taylor’s recent street style? Which recreation is your favorite? Would you wear any of these looks? Let us know in the comments below!