A Cultural History of Taylor Swift’s Aran Sweater (RTE)

Textile Society of America, 2018

Textile Society of America paper, 2018, Vancouver, BC. Published online at Nebraska Digital Commons, under Joan Hart, Deep Origins (original title of paper). Regarding a mystery shawl out of Mesa, Arizona that has a long and curious history.

This dissertation strives to explore the curation of stories and character in Taylor Swift’s 2020 albums folklore and evermore. Swift’s albums, created from “dreams” throughout the pandemic, explore individual characters and their stories in ways that previous albums released by Swift do not – through self-contained tracks, storylines running throughout an album that merge to create an overarching narrative, exploration of the negative aspect of celebrity and Swift’s own personal life. I will seek to thoroughly examine the stories presented and how they serve to establish both isolated characters with their own stories and also characters shared throughout several tracks. This will begin with the examination of structure on the two albums, with Swift using both linear and non-linear structures to portray the stories of the characters. Following this, I will analyse the converging storylines that feature across both albums in songs such as betty, august, cardigan, gold rush, dorothea and ‘tis the damn season. I will then move to focus on the use of character in stories, both fictional and non-fictional. The fictional characters examined will be nameless and their stories are self-contained, excluding similar themes, with all stories involved with tales of heartbreak and lost love. Finally, I will draw upon the idea of Taylor Swift herself as a character in the albums. Although Swift has previously used her personal life within her discography, she claims that the two albums were all about approaching music and storytelling differently, thus the way Swift appears across the albums and presents her personal stories contrasts to her previous work.

Taylor Swift’s songs about youthful romance made her an immediate musical success, and her winsome, wholesome image instantly captured the media spotlight. But by the time she released 1989 in late 2014, Swift had changed her image from the ground up: gone were her long, blonde curls, replaced with a sleek bob; her ruffled and glittering red carpet dresses were closeted in favor of midriff-baring separates. This paper analyzes “Bad Blood” as an allegorical representation of Swift’s shifting star image, and how she has used both fashion and social media to change that image. It references Foucault’s discussion of self-writing to discuss Swift’s activity on social media, and articulate how celebrity is fashioned online. Finally, it positions “Bad Blood” as a transmedia text that simultaneously works to refashion Taylor Swift as a pop star, and establish her prominence in popular culture. Presented at the 2016 Popular Culture Association Conference.

The Funambulist, 2018

This chapter explores Taylor Swift's branding strategy through the lens of authenticity, offering insights into the economics of branding in the entertainment industry. The analysis delves into Swift's approach, highlighting the economic significance of authenticity, genuine storytelling, and fan engagement. It discusses Swift's innovative revenue streams while maintaining artistic integrity. The chapter underscores authenticity's enduring relevance in fostering trust, loyalty, and emotional resonance among consumers. Swift's impact on branding economics and authenticity in entertainment is profound, setting new standards for artist-brand partnerships and fan engagement. Future research avenues include exploring authenticity's influence on consumer behavior and brand loyalty across cultural contexts. In conclusion, Swift's branding strategy serves as a compelling case study, offering lessons for building sustainable brands and meaningful consumer relationships in the digital age.

1991

Arachne versus Athena T>o' and 'Do not' says the law of genre. (Derrida)

Citeseer

The precise construction of 16 th century dress in the British Isles remains something of a conundrum although there are clues to be found in contemporary evidence. Primary sources for the period fall into three main categories: pictorial (art works of the appropriate period), documentary (written works of the period such as wardrobe warrants, personal inventories, personal letters and financial accounts), and archaeological (extant garments in museum collections). Each has their limitations. These three sources provide a fragmentary picture of the garments worn by men and women in the 16 th century. There is a need for further sources of evidence to add to the partial record of dress currently available to scholars and, increasingly, those who wish to reconstruct dress for display or wear, particularly for educational purposes. The need for accessible and accurate information on Tudor dress is therefore urgent. Sources which shed new light on the construction of historic dress and provide a comparison or contrast with extant research are invaluable. This paper reports a pilot project which attempted to link the dead, their dress and their documents to create a visual research resource for 16th century costume.

The precise construction of 16 th century dress in the British Isles remains something of a conundrum although there are clues to be found in contemporary evidence. Primary sources for the period fall into three main categories: pictorial (art works of the appropriate period), documentary (written works of the period such as wardrobe warrants, personal inventories, personal letters and financial accounts), and archaeological (extant garments in museum collections). Each has their limitations. These three sources provide a fragmentary picture of the garments worn by men and women in the 16 th century. There is a need for further sources of evidence to add to the partial record of dress currently available to scholars and, increasingly, those who wish to reconstruct dress for display or wear, particularly for educational purposes. The need for accessible and accurate information on Tudor dress is therefore urgent. Sources which shed new light on the construction of historic dress and ...

Books in this provocative series seek to articulate the connections between culture and dress which is defined here in its broadest possible sense as any modification or supplement to the body. Interdisciplinary in approach, the series highlights the dialogue between identity and dress, cosmetics, coiffure and body alternations as manifested in practices as varied as plastic surgery, tattooing, and ritual scarification. The series aims, in particular, to analyze the meaning of dress in relation to popular culture and gender issues and will included works grounded in anthropology, sociology, history, art history, literature, and folklore.