There's a New Taylor Swift Era in Town for 'Toy Story 5'—It's a Sign of Her "Return to Country"
That's the end of her 'Showgirl' style as we know it.
After weeks of mysterious billboards and countdowns, it's time to give yourself a pat on the back, Swifties. On June 1, Taylor Swift officially confirmed her new original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You," will have a starring role in Toy Story 5. Days before the single drops, Swift got the (Pixar) ball rolling in a country-chic patchwork jacket and jeans. Swifties, we aren't in Life of a Showgirl land anymore.
"You knew it," Swift revealed in her June 1 Instagram caption. "I’ve always dreamed of getting to write for these characters who I’ve adored since I was a 5 year old kid watching the first Toy Story movie." That said, it's no surprise Swift went all out in the Easter egg and era-building departments. Her longtime stylist, Joseph Cassell Falconer, traded Showgirl-worthy corsets and feather boas for something way more stripped back: a return to her country roots.
Taylor Swift confirmed the start of her Toy Story 5 era in a patchwork jacket and jeans.
Swift layered a gingham corset top underneath a patchwork jacket, both of which looked fresh from Jessie's grown-up closet. That was her goal, given the song is "inspired by the rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl Jessie’s ongoing journey," according to a press release.
No two sections of the Western-looking jacket were the same. Pinstripes, polka-dots, and checkered prints popped against the slightly-oversize ivory style. Scalloped, strawberry red trim decorated one side. Then, rose motifs resumed the whimsy on the other. It's unclear where Swift and Falconer found the jacket at press time, but it felt as charming as a homemade vintage find.
From there, Swift surprised her fashion girl fans again in chocolate brown bottoms. Her jeans looked as wide-leg as the Stella McCartney pair she wore at the Knicks vs. Cavaliers basketball game last week. But the pop star rarely skips sky-blue denim. On the off chance she does, black jeans are usually as bold as her personal style gets.
Swift's shoes were unfortunately hidden beneath the pre-order link for her new single. Using context clues from eras as minimalist as stripped-back (see Folklore and Evermore), Swifties can assume she accessorized her outfit with some sort of lace-up boot.
It seems Swift is going back even further than the aforementioned albums, all the way to her self-titled country album's girl-next-door style. Pixar revealed the song "also marks a return to Taylor Swift’s country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist.” Could her presumed boots be of the cowboy variety?
Swifties could sense a shift in the singer's style toward the end of April, when a countdown set against the Toy Story clouds appeared on her website. That same week, the Grammy winner channeled method dressing in the Disney Pixar film's signature color story.
First, her striped Staud dress checked off the cool-blue and white color combination seen on Andy's cloud wallpaper. Next, she carried a Lady Dior Bag sculpted from the same lemon yellow trend as the original Toy Story logo. Finally, Swift completed her Easter egg-ridden outfit with a bold red lip and matching Christian Louboutin sandals.
A few weeks ago, Swift tapped Toy Story styling in the film's signature color palette.
Pixar producers pitched fans a curveball just last week, when they shared Swift's song didn't make the final cut. Turns out, they were just trying to throw eagle-eyed Swifties off their scent. Yes, Swift's devoted fandom predicted her Toy Story 5 song, but no one could've seen a style shift this drastic coming.
Shop Patchwork Jackets and Jeans Inspired by Taylor Swift
