Why Taylor Swift’s New Haircut Could Signal a New Era | E! News

Taylor Swift is a newlywed with a new do, and if there's one thing Swifties know all too well, it's that her look often evolves right along with her music. So with a fresh cut and a whole new chapter ahead, let's look back at why fans think this could be the beginning of another era. Are you ready for it? To start, the 36-year-old debuted this shorter do while on a girls' night out at private members' club Annabelle's in London August 12, her first public appearance since marrying Travis Kelce at New York City's Madison Square Garden July 3. Taylor's sporting a straightened cut just past her shoulders, paired with her signature bangs and a lilac floral dress. And while a haircut can, of course, just be a haircut, remember, this is Taylor Swift we're talking about. Because over nearly two decades in the spotlight, the superstar has often changed up her hair and fashion right alongside her music, giving each chapter a look all its own. And it started with those curls. When a teenage Taylor burst onto the country music scene in the mid-2000s, her long, tight, long curls quickly became part of her signature look. Pair them with cowboy boots, flowy dresses, and a guitar, an early Taylor was born. As she moved into her fearless years, the curls stayed, but the glam got bigger. Sparkling gowns, shimmering stage looks, and that long golden hair helped define the fairytale aesthetic of one of the biggest breakthrough periods of her career. She carried some of that romantic style into 2010's Speak Now. But by the time Red rolled around in 2012, Taylor was ready to switch things up. Enter the bangs. Her hair became straighter, her fringe bolder, and her wardrobe took on a more retro feel, complete with high-waisted shorts, stripes, and naturally plenty of cherry red lipstick. It was a transitional moment both musically and visually as Taylor moved further from her country roots toward the full-on pop takeover coming next. Then came 1989, and with it, the bob. Taylor chopping her once-signature long locks as she embraced a move to New York and a sleeker style, with crop tops, matching sets, and that now-iconic shorter cut becoming synonymous with her first old-pop era. And safe to say, that look never really went out of style. Of course, Taylor was far from finished reinventing her look. In 2016, she went even bolder, debuting a platinum blonde cut that fans dubbed Sleechella. And when reputation arrived the following year, so did a darker aesthetic with black, metallic, snake imagery, and edgier looks, helping set the tone for her most defiant era yet. Then, in true Taylor fashion, she swung the pendulum in the complete opposite direction. For 2019's lover, the dark colors gave way to rainbows, pastels, glitter, and even pink-tipped hair, marking a brighter, more romantic chapter. But 2020 brought another dramatic shift. With folklore and evermore, Taylor traded high-glam pop star looks for a softer, more natural aesthetic. Think undone hair, cozy knits, plaids, and woodland-inspired style, serving less polished pop princess and more cardigan-cottagecore queen. Then came the after-hours glam of midnights, followed by the eras tour, where Taylor turned her entire fashion history into part of the show. Night after night, she moved through the visual worlds of her career, from fearless sparkle and red romance to reputation rebellion and folklore fantasy. And more recently, Taylor embraced the spangles, plaids, and bold colors associated with her life of a showgirl chapter. But through those most recent eras, her longer locks mostly stayed the course. A look she seemingly kept through her star-studded July wedding. Which brings us back to London, and a new look that has Swifties asking if Taylor could be about to begin again. The newlywed's current cut is a lot longer than the bob she rocked during her 1989 years. But the similarity is enough to have fans looking back while wondering what could be ahead. And then there's the location. Swifties were leaving the same club in a plaid look that fans have since connected to her life of a showgirl era. Throw in the lilac dress, the fresh haircut, and a fanbase trained to search for easter eggs, and naturally, theories about a possible 13th album were quick to follow. But for now, that's exactly what they are. Theories. Taylor hasn't announced a new album or said her haircut has any connection to what comes next. Still, after years of watching her curls, bobs, bangs, and bleach jobs become part of some of the biggest chapters of her career, you can't really blame Swifties for keeping a close eye on every last strand. So, is this new haircut the start of Taylor's next era? For now, there's still a blank space where TS13 would be, and you know Swifties are ready to write its name.