When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are pictured together, three things happen:
- The paparazzi and the public swarm.
- Photos are circulated across the internet in a matter of seconds.
- Their outfits are ~assessed~.
For Swift, a decoding process is immediately initiated. What subtle clues can be gleaned from her outfit? What does her choice of bag say about her relationship? Could her nail polish be a sign of new music?
Watch Taylor Swift announces new music at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Post continues below.
There is a whole fashion economy built around what Taylor Swift wears. In fact, we're pretty sure she's responsible for the cardigan market exploding around 2020.
And through their shared spotlight, Kelce has himself become a style icon too. Before every Kansas Chiefs game, the athlete enters the stadium in an eye-catching, head-to-toe designer look.
With a penchant for luxury logos and flashier statement pieces, he's definitely the more extroverted of the pair — and his look couldn't be further from Swift's more subtle wardrobe choices.
One thing's for sure. For the world's most photographed sports star and musician, it's clear they have no interest in overt "couple dressing". Instead, they dress to complement each other. To respect the other's personal brand and aesthetic.
And while their appearances are well documented, this "you do you" approach feels… somehow new.
There is a well-known phenomenon where celebrity pairs start morphing into each other. From outfit choices to hair and grooming, they end up as a kind of fashion double act. Nineties It Couple Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder became the blueprint for his-and-hers grunge style, and in their heyday, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee came to embody brash LA glamour.
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were known for their matching red carpet appearances, so much so their iconic double denim look from the 2001 American Music Awards remains a go-to Halloween costume.
Meanwhile, history won't let Brad Pitt forget about all the times he channelled his then-partners — from twinning pixie cuts with Gwyneth Paltrow to adopting Angelina Jolie's sleek-chic style.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when celebrity couple dressing started giving us the ick. But we suspect it's a kick-back from the era that brought us Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly tongue-kissing in a bathroom in matching leather outfits and wet hair.
It was peak matchy-matchy, and it was all downhill from there.
When Zoe Kravitz and Channing Tatum started dating, he famously received a fashion makeover. This was largely credited to Kravitz, who let slip in an interview that she felt the need to intervene when she saw the actor wearing Crocs.
During the press run for their movie Blink Twice, which Kravitz directed, they enlisted Andrew Mukamal, the press tour stylist for Barbie, to curate their appearances.
Although the pair looked chic in black-on-black outfits by Saint Laurent and The Row, there was something jarring about seeing Tatum dressed as a minimal fashion person with resting bitch face when we'd become accustomed to his baggy jeans and hoodies.
Unfortunately, we're in an age where the internet will sniff out inauthenticity like a rat.
Hailey and Justin Bieber have been burnt by this before, which might be why they've given couple dressing the flick, too. Who could forget the 2022 Grammys, when Justin looked like he'd borrowed Hailey's stylist for the day with his oversized Balenciaga suit? The memes were savage.
In the years since, the musician seems to have found his groove with a California surfer vibe, and he's leaving the high fashion looks to his wife.
The new guard of famous couples don't want to dress alike — they prefer to stand apart. Take Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter: she's the pint-sized superstar in sequins and sweetheart necklines, he's the dapper fashion boy in custom Alexander McQueen and Burberry suits.
It's a visual reminder that they're not just famous for being an "us", no matter how obsessed our culture is with seeing them together.
And we reckon that might be exactly what Taylor and Travis' outfits are saying… without needing to say it.
Feature image: Instagram/@justinbieber.
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