Taylor Swift's first appearance of 2025 didn't arrive at the venue (Arrowhead Stadium) or in the clothing (a Chiefs game outfit) anyone expected. Instead, she returned to the street style radar on Jan. 17 in New York City, taking her parents, Andrea and Scott Swift, as well as brother Austin Swift and pal Ashley Avignone, for a late-night bite at Manhattan's Nobu Downtown. Her little black Area suit and vintage Chanel earrings sourced by stylist Joseph Cassell Falconer still hinted she had boyfriend Travis Kelce's upcoming Jan. 18 showdown on her mind.
Swift walked into the restaurant in vigilante mode, her Area blazer's chain closures glinting in the light of the cameras. Its cropped cut and matching ultra-mini skirt left plenty of room for the singer to show off a pair of thigh-high Chloé boots. A ladylike clutch bag with a chain strap by Jimmy Choo dangled from the crook of her arm; her favorite Pat McGrath red lipstick shone next to a side-parted blowout and drop earrings featuring criss-cross diamond studs and double-C charms.
The two most recognizable designers in her all-black-everything outfit—Chanel and Area—have both played a major role in Swift's Chiefs game-day style this NFL season (and last). Area, an NYC label celebrating its tenth anniversary at New York Fashion Week last year, has provided diamond-studded cut-out denim for two of Swift's evenings in the stands. First, there were short-shorts for an early-season game in 2023, and then, ripped jeans for Swift's 2024 Super Bowl outfit. Like her mini Area suit on Jan. 17, those earlier pieces combined a dark palette with hints of shimmer—the clothing equivalent of still being "Bejeweled." And when she wore them, the Chiefs won.
Chanel, meanwhile, has manifested in the form of several vintage statement accessories—Taylor Swift's way of wearing a C for the Chiefs without an actual jersey. Take her final tunnel walk of 2024 for example: Swift arrived in a crimson Charlotte Simone coat and thigh-high boots, topped with a quilted Chanel bucket hat. An extra-wide, gold Chanel chain necklace she wore a few weeks prior with a Dior saddle bag and Louboutin riding boots had the same supportive effect. It was "fangirl, but make it fashion."
The rest of Swift's family dinner outfit picked up on silhouettes Swift has tended to wear while cheering on the Chiefs. Thigh-high boots have been a staple for the 2024-2025 season, from the first game she attended in a denim Versace corset and burgundy leather boots by Gianvito Rossi. Her Area suit's power shoulders and structured lapels also call the pop star's plaid Versace skirt suit to mind: a look that said she means business, even on a football Sunday.
Travis Kelce dropped hints in an interview that his Grammy-nominated girlfriend will appear at the Jan. 18 divisional round game against the Houston Texans. Her good-luck brands are going to be necessary if she makes the quick flight from New York to Kansas City. Winning this game takes the Chiefs one step closer to the 2025 Super Bowl; it takes Swift closer to another historic on-field outfit reveal.
