Taylor Swift's "Next Era" Aesthetic Is Destined to Start a Fall Sunset Color Trend

All those orange outfits on her tour weren't a coincidence.

Taylor Swift onstage at the eras tour wearing orange outfits indicative of her new eras
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift ended her official Eras Tour book note to readers last December with a cryptic invitation: "See you next era..." she wrote. All these months later, it's apparently time for Swifties to RSVP for the singer's twelfth studio album. Swift has even provided a dress code that's sure to start a fall color trend in the process.

On August 11, Swift's official fan account, Taylor Nation, posted twelve photos of the Grammy-winner on Instagram. Every single shot was taken during the Eras Tour. While the photos display Swift wearing a variety of custom costumes by Roberto Cavalli, Versace, and Etro, one thing is consistent: Each photo shared comes in a sorbet shade of orange-y pink, like an early September sunset.

Taylor Swift fans are known for making cryptic messages out of everyday outfit choices, but this look back at her tour wardrobe is definitely a sanctioned clue. Swift's team captioned the photos, "Thinking about when she said 'See you next era...'" alongside a flaming heart emoji.

Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter stand onstage at the Eras Tour, where Swift wears an orange dress

Taylor Swift performed with Sabrina Carpenter in a sunset-orange dress. It might be a sign of her "next era" color scheme.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift wearing a tiered Etro dress on the Eras Tour

Another of Swift's orange looks: a tiered dress for Evermore, designed by Etro.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift is known for pairing each of her albums with a matching wardrobe palette, onstage and off. During the Eras Tour, she tapped her favorite designers to translate those chapters into costumes (with 250 pairs of custom Christian Louboutin shoes to match). While some albums came with specific colors—Red was always red, of course—other had a palette allowing Swift to change her exact outfit from show to show. Several of her albums, including Lover, Evermore, and 1989, were accompanied by bright orange and orange-pink outfits. Swift also returned to her tour last fall with a high-low dress for her acoustic set cast in the same tones of nectarine orange and peach.

In between shows, Swift also laid the groundwork for album twelve's look. While out with Travis Kelce in London, she wore a crochet dress and Gucci heels in the same shades of light orange and dusty lavender. Fans associated it with the retro, '70s-inspired look of her Midnights album at the time. Paired with the costumes in this "next era" teaser post, it reads like a sign of what's to come.

Taylor Swift wears a matching set by Roberto Cavalli onstage at the Eras Tour

Swift also wore the shade of her "next era" in the 1989 set, courtesy of a Roberto Cavalli beaded two-piece.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift wears a sunset orange set by Versace on the eras tour

Opening the Eras Tour, she wore an ombré orange set by Versace.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Swift's wardrobing choices are just as influential as her all-around presence. Her tour sparked a bona fide beaded bracelet trend, and her Tortured Poets Department fashion is singlehandedly responsible for a corset top resurgence. Trust that when album twelve is made official, it will start a run on pieces in the same color family—even if runway color trends for fall are leaning more muted and minimalist.

All signs point to Taylor Swift announcing her twelfth album in the coming weeks (if not days). For now, I'll be thinking about what this "next era" could sound like—and adjusting my fall color palette accordingly. Who else can't wait to see her next era?

Shop Pieces Inspired by Taylor Swift's Next Era

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Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion news editor at Marie Claire, leading can't-miss coverage of runway trends, emerging brands, style-meets-culture analysis, and celebrity outfits (especially Taylor Swift's). Her features reporting ranges from profiles of beloved stylists, to breaking brand collaboration news, to exclusive red carpet interviews in her column, The Close-Up.

Previously, Halie held fashion editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, and more. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence in fashion journalism. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard College. For a behind-the-scenes look at her stories, subscribe to her newsletter, Reliable Narrator.