Can I truly call myself a Swiftie without one of Taylor Swift's branded cardigans in my closet? My gut says no. But Swift will soon remedy my problem, because the pop star is releasing a new cardigan design in honor of her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl.
Just 12 hours after announcing her newest merch drop, on Sept. 17 (and influencing me to place an order in the process), the Grammy winner modeled the $70 knit herself. A behind-the-scenes video revealed Swift in a sparkly, pumpkin-tinted knit. The autumnal hue played into the orange-and-teal color palette of the album's glitzy cover art.
The Life of a Showgirl merch follows the same design format as Swift's eight previous cardigans: It's slightly oversize, with a cable-knit pattern, and three-button closure. Swift's initials, also in rust orange, were embroidered onto the bust, instead of the stars from Midnights or 1989's title. As always, its only available via limited-edition drop—there's already a cardigan countdown at the top of Swift's site. (At pub time, there were 21 hours remaining.)
Sarah Chapelle, the fashion journalist and best-selling author of Taylor Swift Style believes the cardigan's title, "The Cardigan: On the Job," is a pre-album Easter egg. "It feels like a verbal reference to Taylor’s repeated role as director and perhaps even a nod to the 'peek behind the curtain' that she’s positioned the album to be," Chapelle wrote on Instagram.
What's more, Swift wore the cardigan while directing a secret project for The Life of a Showgirl. She was quite literally "on the job" during the design's grand reveal.
Wearing her own merch has become a Swift staple over the years. Most recently, on July 1, she wore her "1989 (Taylor’s Version) Seagull Blue Stripe Poplin Shirt" on a date with Travis Kelce. Luckily for fans, there's no countdown for the cotton top. It's still available for $50 on her official website.
While the Life of a Showgirl cardigan won't be available for long, this certainly won't be Swift's only merch drop. During The Tortured Poets Department era, she released dozens of sweatshirts, bags, diaries, and even jewelry in the album's dark academia aesthetic. Expect more where that came from on October 3.
