Taylor Swift Skips a Billboard Music Awards Gown for a Plain Black Sweater and $10,995 Gold Necklace
She didn't need couture to make history.


At the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, Taylor Swift took home ten fresh trophies—bringing her total count to 49 and making her the winningest artist at the annual ceremony. Did she accept her golden microphone in a custom Gucci dress or an off-the-runway Dior tartan corset and cape? Did she and stylist Joseph Cassell Falconer go loud luxury in Louis Vuitton or even more Gucci? Quite the opposite, actually.
Taylor Swift instead chose a plain black sweater and a $10,995 gold chain necklace from Effy Jewelry to accept all ten awards in a pre-taped video that aired during the Dec. 12 awards broadcast. While her cozy knit hadn't been ID'd yet, it's a dead-ringer for a cashmere style from one of her favorite affordable brands, Reformation. The singer paired her low-key awards outfit with her signature red lipstick by Pat McGrath and sharped liquid winged eyeliner.
"This is like the nicest early birthday present you could've given me, so thank you very much, I love it. It's exactly what I wanted," said Swift, who turns 35 on Dec. 13.
Taylor Swift set the record for the winningest Billboard Music Awards artist in a black crewneck sweater and gold necklace.
Fans only found out last night that Swift had clinched the top artist and top female artist award. But, there are signs that the Eras Tour mastermind had known herself for several weeks. She last wore her distinctive leopard-chain Effy Jewelry necklace with a similar black sweater and plaid Carolina Herrera set for a trip to Chez Margaux in November. Maybe that girls' night out was actually an early toast to Swift's new trophies.
Swift's necklace and sweater resembled the black knit she wore for an outing to Chez Margaux in late November.
Taylor Swift actually spent the day of the 2024 Billboard Music Awards broadcast giving back to the Kansas City community (where she now lives part-time with her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce). She visited Children's Mercy Hospital to meet with fans in treatment for various illnesses, signing copies of her Eras Tour book and sweetly fielding questions about Kelce. Her outfit for the occasion embodied holiday cheer in the form of a tartan Miu Miu set and winter boots by Christian Louboutin.
Skipping the red carpet wasn't all that surprising in the grand scheme of Swift's packed schedule. She hasn't attended the Billboard Music Awards in-person since 2019, when she walked the red carpet in a dusty lavender Raisa & Vanessa mini before performing the Lover single "ME!" in a one-shoulder sequin dress.
Taylor Swift last attended the Billboard Music Awards in 2019.
Her previous appearance coincided with a performance of "ME!" featuring Brandon Urie.
In prior years, Swift attended in everything from blush-pink Versace gowns (in 2018) to white cut-out jumpsuits by Balmain (in 2015). All past appearances came with heaps of awards, bringing her to her 2024 total of 49 overall wins.
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“Everything that’s happened with the Eras Tour and The Tortured Poets Department, I just have to say thank you," Swift said in her latest acceptance speech. "It means the world to me that you guys have embraced the things I’ve made and the fact that you've cared so much about my music."
Swift wore a pink Versace gown for the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, where she made a surprise appearance.
Swift attended with her disbanded squad, including Zendaya and Hailee Steinfeld, in 2015.
Taylor Swift is finishing 2024 on a high note, between her best-selling album, her record-breaking tour, and her latest slate of awards. I can't help but applaud the way she's dressing to celebrate: like a woman who knows she's on top of the world and doesn't need more than a timeless knit (and some megawatt jewelry) to prove it.
Shop Black Sweaters and Gold Necklaces Inspired by Taylor Swift
Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”
Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
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