In honor of Speak Now Taylor’s Version being released, I thought it would be an excellent time to share yet another quarantine project I did way back when in 2020. I wouldn’t say her style is very “iconic” in this era, mainly because I think it bleeds into the Fearless era vibe a bit. I chose a few of these outfits due to their proximity to when I saw Taylor for the first time in Washington D.C. on August 3, 2011 for the Speak Now Tour. That time is really what kicked off my love for her style through her eras. So it felt appropriate to finally bring these photos out since I’ve been listening to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) non-stop since 7/7! If you grew up alongside Taylor and ever felt inspired by her outfits, I hope you enjoy this blog post. You can check out my Fearless, RED, Cape Cod, reputation and Lover era recreations too!
Trends from the Speak Now Era:
- Skirts
- Oxfords
- Round, Oversized Sunglasses
- Fit + Flare Dresses
- Floral Prints
- The Wonderstruck Bag
- Red Lipstick
- Vintage Nods
If there is one thing I absolutely love about this era, it is that Taylor wore her Wonderstruck perfume tote bag all the time! I’m so glad I bought one when I was 15. I still have the bag, even if it is falling apart. I hope you can smell the Wonderstruck in these photos. And as always, shoutout to the wonderful and talented TaylorSwiftStyle for all of her hard work and wisdom over the years. I wouldn’t be able to find so many of these items without her website.
Disclaimers: I always like to mention that I KNOW Taylor and I have different body types. In these photos I am a US size 10-12, and (from what I can tell) Taylor is not that size. I’m not trying to go for exact here. I also like to mention that these candids are from 2011, so odds are I will not be able to provide exact or active links to whatever she is actually wearing. I will include some live affiliate links to some similar items, but style today is considerably different than what we all wore over 12 years ago. Let’s be for real.
And finally, as a shameless plug, here is my thredUP code. Get 40% off plus free shipping on your first order! I found so many of these pieces on thredUP, that I couldn’t do this post without this magical app.
Outfit #1:
I would argue this is one of her more iconic and recognizable looks for this era. I wanted to recreate this look because she wore it the day I saw her for the first time in concert. She also wore this outfit while visiting the Lincoln Memorial late at night right after the show I went to. I could not find the exact cat shirt she wore online. However! I did find a cat shirt that she wore in 2013 during Club Red. My friend Melissa currently has that shirt. I thrifted this pink skirt from thredUP and am currently selling it on my Poshmark too! I think this era was the start of Taylor wearing cat merch, which has continued through every era.
.
Outfit #2:
Taylor wore this gorgeous pale dress to visit Arlington National Cemetery (the day of my first ever Taylor concert, August 3rd, 2011). I found a similar dress from Rent the Runway! During this era, Taylor wore a lot of vintage inspired dresses that fell right above the knee. Perhaps this was the start of her true “grandma style era” but truly I was obsessed with it. I also acknowledge the pressure she probably felt to dress more modestly because of her fan base. I just think this pale yellow is such a lovely color on her and combining it with her Wonderstruck bag and a classic red lip is so camp.
.
Outfit #3:
I always think of this look as another well-known Speak Now Taylor outfit, but I think it constantly gets lost in history. I really struggled to find a shirt close enough to this Anthropologie one she wore (clearly another favorite brand of hers at the time), so I was thrilled to find this one on thredUp. It doesn’t really fit me anymore, so I am selling it on my Poshmark. You may recognize this J.Crew skirt I also got from thredUP from my Cape Cod recreation post. I do think Taylor is wearing the same skirt both times, so it only made sense for me too as well! This outfit also shows a glimpse of Taylor’s love for oxfords at the time. Although I didn’t include any outfits with oxfords, I need you all to know I owned a really ugly pair in high school, just because I wanted to be like Taylor.
.
Outfit #4:
Taylor wore this outfit out and about in NYC in November of 2011. This outfit truly gives me such 1950s vibes, especially with the red lip. Taylor wore this skirt to a girls trip to Charleston earlier that year and I love to see some outfit repeating. The pop of red on her shoes to go with the red lipstick is so good. I truly wish I had a black cable knit sweater to wear when I did this look, but I always strive to use what I have first! This skirt is from thredUP and I sold it on Poshmark I think in 2021, just because I prefer my inseams longer these days. But you gotta give me some credit for the color match!
.
Outfit #5:
This look often gets confused with Taylor’s RED era fashion, but I think it is so classically Speak Now. It is also wild to me that the top and skirt Taylor is wearing are both from Zara. I really thought Zara was a new brand and had just taken off in the last few years. But anyway…I was really obsessed with stripes when I was in high school and this was a classic “are you going to dress nice tomorrow?…what are you wearing?…a cute top and a skirt? okay same!” scenario outfit that I’m sure we all lived through. Also, props to Taylor for dressing this nicely in an airport. But if I knew I was going to be hounded by paparazzi anytime I walked outside, I would probably dress to the nines too. I already owned the heels, bag and top. I got this skirt from thredUP!
.
Outfit #6:
Taylor used to love this sweater! I was so happy to find this panda sweater on thredUP! I’ve already resold it on Poshmark but as an amateur collector of Taylor Swift fashion items, this was a big win. I was able to find the same sweater on sale on Poshmark in a size 4 for anyone who is interested. In my recreation, I paired the sweater with this scallop black skirt, when Taylor actually wore a grey-black ruffle skirt. Riding boots were definitely a sign of the times in 2011, but the fact that knee high boots are all the rage now, just goes to show how trends always circle around back to us. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a fashion girlie in this outfit today! I also feel this is a good time to mention how much I love Taylor’s little side braid. I’m so happy she brought it back for Speak Now TV!
.
.
Which look is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading! xx