Taylor Swift Brought Back Chainmail Trend, And The Story Behind The Look Is Way More Complicated Than I Expected

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Taylor Swift is known for her incredible fashion choices, and it’s been exciting to see her style change over the years. Whether it was the sparkly boots from her country beginnings or the chic, modern looks of her *1989* album, she always nails it. Now, with her current *Life of A Showgirl* era, she’s leaning into bold, glamorous looks – and that includes bringing back chainmail, which she’s admitted isn’t the most comfortable thing to wear!

Pop star Taylor Swift, age 35, is turning heads with her new music video for “The Fate of Ophelia.” The video is a large-scale production, featuring elaborate sets, a full dance crew, numerous wigs, and stunning costumes. Staying true to the song’s theme, Swift sports feathered outfits and glamorous looks inspired by 1920s showgirls, along with some striking chainmail pieces. Check out one of the chainmail outfits below!

Taylor Swift looks amazing, and the dress is a perfect fit for the song and overall album aesthetic. It flows beautifully with her dancing, adding energy and vibrancy to the performance.

Getting the dresses for the project turned out to be more challenging than expected. According to Page Six, the chainmail dresses featured in the music video and album artwork were designed by Kelsey Randall, a designer who had long hoped to work with Taylor Swift. When Swift’s team contacted Randall, they kept the details of the project secret – a common practice for upcoming Taylor Swift releases. This meant Randall didn’t receive much specific guidance for the custom designs. As Randall explained:

When designing clothes for celebrities, the stylist usually provides a general idea of the look they’re going for, like a mood board, but they often don’t reveal the overall style or feeling in detail.

I remember when Randall first saw the dress, a lot of us thought it might be connected to the unreleased songs from *Reputation (Taylor’s Version)*. But it turned out to be something way bigger! It was frustrating because Taylor’s team really wanted *that* specific dress, but it had been stolen during a photoshoot and wasn’t available. Thankfully, they were able to find another dress, one Taylor hadn’t worn before, hidden away in her archives, and it worked perfectly for the album artwork.

I was so amazed to hear that after the first dress, Taylor and her team immediately wanted another one! This time, they envisioned something completely unique and custom-made, with fringe – and it sounded like it was drawing inspiration from the incredible outfits she’s been wearing on the Eras Tour. Her stylist, Randall, and his team really went above and beyond, working non-stop to make it happen, even creating a second dress in a different color just in case. It’s clear how much thought and effort goes into everything she wears, and Randall’s dedication is incredible.

The deadline was incredibly tight, and it took a huge amount of work. We ordered thousands of yards of fringe and rhinestones, but by the time everything arrived, we only had 13 days to finish the dress.

Everything worked out beautifully, and Taylor Swift looked incredible. The dress was a perfect fit for both her performance and the album cover, and it’s amazing that Kelsey Randall and her team created something so stunning while keeping many of the details under wraps.

Randall praised Taylor Swift’s stylists for being great communicators and for supporting him, especially since he’s a relatively new designer. This project was a significant opportunity for him. It really highlights how much care and work goes into everything Taylor does, not only from her personally, but also from her talented team who help bring her ideas to fruition.

If you loved the chain mail outfits, you can find them in Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” music video on YouTube. Don’t forget to check out her newest album, *The Life of a Showgirl*, available on Spotify and Apple Music. And for more of Swift’s iconic style, you can stream the *Eras Tour* concert film on Disney+.

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2025-10-19 23:39