Taylor Swift has given us iconic red carpet style for decades at this point. She's always guaranteed to show up looking extremely polished and sparkly—one of the things I love about her is how she's always giving 110 percent on the red carpet both in styling and posing—and Swift has evolved the original "princess ballgown" style she loved as a teenager into something more mature but still sparkly and feminine. She loves to communicate with her fans through her clothing, and she's constantly calling back to outfits she's worn in the past, color schemes she's favoring in a particular "era," or reference to a song or album. (There are probably some Easter eggs I'm missing here—hardcore fans will be picking up all of them!) Either way, it's always fun to watch, and it's given us some seriously gorgeous red carpet looks to ogle.
Below, 32 of Taylor Swift's best red carpet gowns of all time.
At the 2016 Met Gala
I love this for the sheer audacity of it (and because it's quite unusual for her overall aesthetic). Her custom Louis Vuitton for the year she co-chaired (the theme was “Manus x Machina”), plus the platinum hair and black(!) lipstick, is just so edgy.
At the CMA Awards, 2007
I mean...this is a modernized version of Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast, am I right?? She's not even 17 in this photo, so it absolutely tracks with something a teen would love (and might pick for a prom dress). I also love how it matches her hair.
At the CMA Awards in 2009
Swift loves gold, and has for a while (this is Reem Acra, and the tulle-and-sequins look and old-Hollywood hair is a classic choice). The fact that the much-awarded singer likes to match her dress to her awards so that it's all thematic is...a real pro move.
At the CMAs in 2006
While Swift doesn't always lean into "va va voom" when she's on the red carpet, this over-the-top Elvira dress is a fun one (it's her first CMA Awards, so it makes sense she hadn't perfected her style yet). The posing really takes it over the top, for me.
At the 2013 Met Gala
The theme this year was "PUNK: Chaos To Couture," and I totally see it. This J. Mendel gown is edgier than Swift often likes, but it's still got her trademark love of sparkles and simple but effective makeup styling. (Actually, I wish she did a smokier eye more often.)
At the 2019 Time 100 Gala
This yellow and pink J. Mendel gown is très romantique, and reminded a lot of fans of previous outfits she's worn in music videos (and was part of an overall pastel theme she was digging at the time—which always gets fans talking about potential Easter eggs!).
At the Grammys, 2021
This floral mini Oscar de la Renta is a statement, and Swift pulls it off with panache—for the year she made history by winning album of the year for the third time as a female artist. (NBD, People reports the dress cost $8,990 if you wanted to buy it at the time.)
At the MTV VMAs in 2022
You might not expect this silver-encrusted, open back Oscar de la Renta dress from the singer (who opts for classic and classy more often than not), but I love that she went for it. This was a surprise appearance, so why not be surprising?? From the back it looks even cooler.
At the 2008 Met Gala
Swift's first Met Gala (the theme was “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy”), and she chose this golden mermaid Badgley Mischka gown. Is it thematic? Eh! But I love the ombre effect from shoulder to hem, and the whole thing matches her (at the time) tightly curled blonde hair.
At the CMAs in 2008
The tiny mirrors on this custom Kaufmanfranco are truly stunning (insert joke about how she looks like a disco ball come to life), and the contrasting black accents really elevate this sleek gown. Swift was also changing up her hair style by this point, to great effect.
At the 2018 American Music Awards
This Balmain gives off serious "don't mess with me" vibes that I really appreciate, and it's the most adult version of some of the sparkly gowns she's worn in the past. It stood in stark contrast to her girly steet style at the time (think: sun dresses and heels), so she's always capable of surprising us.
At the 2014 Grammys
This feminized chain mail dress (it's gold Gucci) was a deliberate choice by Swift: "It's like a suit of armor," she told Ryan Seacrest. "I think it's bulletproof." It looked like molten metal in motion, and with matching jewelry and eye makeup, the look is one enormous sparkle.
At the 2022 American Music Awards
Since Swift loves a callback, fans were fast to call out that this gold jumpsuit strongly resembled a golden Reem Acra dress she wore to the same event 11 years prior. We don't always see her in pants, but somehow this feels completely of a piece with her overall style.
At the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival
In the middle of promoting her All Too Well: The Short Film, Swift stopped off at TIFF in a golden Louis Vuitton with head-to-toe glittery sequins. (Manifesting an Oscar through your clothing = classic T Swift.) For my money, these are some of the most fun sparkles she's ever deployed.
At the 2019 American Music Awards
Swift always makes the AMAs a sparkly affair, but I love this twist on a classic: The green color, the asymmetry of the Julien Macdonald dress, the matching black thigh-high boots, it's all very fun but still similar to past looks. There was some Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta drama at the time, and Swift (probably deliberately) looks every inch the superstar here.
At the CMA Awards, 2012
This Jenny Packham gown (very beloved of royals like Kate Middleton) is sweet and romantic and still sparkly in all the right places. It's a fun evolution of the "love of sparkles" aesthetic that Swift often channels, with a nice tie-in with her signature red lip.
At the Golden Globes in 2020
Florals!! Swift doesn't always choose a big, over-the-top pattern, so when she does I have to applaud her. Even though it was January, Swift looked like spring was exploding out of her in this Etro gown, and she fully matched the green Golden Globe background. Epic.
At the 2013 Grammys
This J.Mendel gown is quite Grecian—not the first time Swift would channel those vibes, but one of the more successful iterations of it, in my opinion—and the braided messy updo feels appropriately vintage-but-still-modern in a way I can appreciate.
At the 2014 Met Gala
Even though sometimes Swift uses the Met Gala as a way to experiment with her style, this year she was all classic ballgown (which makes sense, since the theme was “Charles James: Beyond Fashion.”) Swift tweeted hilariously beforehand, "That moment when your cat casually walks up, then abruptly ATTACKS your custom satin Oscar de la Renta gown during your fitting for Met Ball."
At the Billboard Music Awards in 2018
This is a departure from Swift's normal sparkly red carpet choices—and I love it, frankly. According to Donatella Versace, this pretty pink and silver dress took 800 hours to create. It was the right moment for what the singer deemed "my first award show in a few years."
At the 2014 Golden Globes
Instead of matching with her awards, Swift instead matched with the red carpet in this black and red Carolina Herrera gown (it looks more pink in photos). There was a bow and cascading train in the back, and that plus the contrast at the bust made the gown major in every way.
At the 2015 Grammys
This soft cropped cut was a nice departure from the longer hair Swift had been sporting at the time, and this Elie Saab is an equally fun and surprising "moment," particularly with the ombre effect of the fabric, the high-low design, and the contrasting shoes.
At the 2010 Grammys
Swift loves blue, and it loves her right back. This bardot-style blue Kaufman Franco gown (worn a few months after Kanye interrupted her on stage) gives me "unbothered but fabulous" vibes. (It was also the same designer she used for the event in 2009, that time in a simple black dress.)
At the 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' World Premiere, 2023
Debuting a fabulous bob haircut, Swift celebrated her extremely successful concert film in a gorge blue Oscar de la Renta gown with cutouts. She's used blue thematically to celebrate her romantic side, and this dress was absolutely in keeping with that vibe.
At the Premiere of 'Cats' in 2019
Real talk: Cats was not good. But Swift promoted the heck out of it and was clearly delighted to be a part of it. This $17,990(!) red Oscar de la Renta was gorgeous and I love that she went for a color she doesn't always choose. (Also, the premiere was close to Christmas, so it's extra-thematic!)
At the Nashville Songwriter Awards in 2022
When Swift opts for black, it's often in favor of "I'm serious and cool and kind of sexy" energy—and in this case, with a sequined cut-out Michael Kors, it absolutely delivers. Swift received the Songwriter-Artist of the Decade Award at the ceremony, so it absolutely tracks.
At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
When Swift gives us her classic style with a twist, what comes out of it is usually a delight. This Versace halter-neck gown with gold buttons and layered gold jewelry is just really, really enjoyable, but surprising enough that it gives us a standout style moment on a night when Swift tied for most awards won at the event ever.
At the 2014 Vanity Fair Post-Oscar Party
Swift loves black for the Oscars afterparty (makes sense, since it can be a more serious affair), and this Julien Macdonald gown is a perfect match to the event. The gown has sheer panels at the arms and is open at the back—so it's both formal and fun.
At the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2016
Say it with me now: Va va voom!! This is probably one of the most sexiest, most revealing outfits Swift has ever worn on the red carpet, and matching her Alexandre Vauthier gown with gold Giuseppe Zanotti shoes and a new blunt bob haircut was a brilliant styling choice.
At the Grammy Awards in 2016
Walking the red carpet with date Selena Gomez (aww), fans noted that this dress had the same color scheme as Bianca's prom dress in 10 Things I Hate About You. It's Atelier Versace, and it's a beautiful, complementary color scheme I wish she wore even more.
At the 2023 Grammys
This midnight blue Roberto Cavalli two piece (did you catch the Easter egg? Her album Midnights?) is one of the best things she's ever worn, in my opinion, not least of which because she wore $3 million worth of Lorraine Schwartz jewels as reported by People.
At the London Premiere of 'RENAISSANCE: A Film By Beyoncé,' 2023
Going for a silver Balmain for the premiere of Beyoncé's film (not long after Beyoncé appeared to support Swift's film—we love to see them supporting each other!), Swift was apparently referencing Beyoncé's request that her fans wear silver during Virgo season. We love a subtle Easter egg!!
