"Critical kindness" developed out of a desire to write commentary that analyzed Taylor’s style in a way that equaled the amount of effort that she put into curating it, written by someone who cared and who knew the ins and outs of her oeuvre as only a real fan could and that was void of resorting to catty or petty or "casually cruel" (as some might put it) roasting that is common in the fashion space. 

Informed by my journalistic background, I wanted to write captions that were thorough and based on research. But I wanted to embellish them with the kind of affection and intimately specific knowledge that can only come from being so deeply and sincerely in a fandom for as long as I had. 

As its name implies, it's an accessorising / styling tactic to keep an outfit feeling cohesive and the eye moving uniformly through the entire ensemble. It's meant to create symmetry or a pleasant "mirroring" effect throughout an outfit to use similar colours, fabrics, or textures 2+ times to "anchor" pieces together - often between opposing or contrasting items. Like a sandwich! 

Taylor has had a dedicated, close-knit glam squad since approximately the Fearless Era. Her team includes stylist Joseph Cassell, makeup artist Lorrie Turk, and hair stylist Jemma Muradian. Taylor, of course, is the ultimate arbiter of her image — her team are experts at helping her execute on that vision.

Styling is an art form in itself, with every piece carefully thought through for the occasion called for and the visual message desired to send. Especially for someone as methodical, thoughtful, and highly aware of her image as Taylor. Planned media appearances (award shows, TV, events) are always styled by her team. Often, her candid style is also styled by her team. Particularly for outfits that are planned and intended to be photographed.

Her wardrobe is a combination of pulled pieces by her stylist (paid for), loaned or gifted pieces from brands (for exposure), and personal pieces that Taylor herself buys (she has been spotted shopping alone in her favourite stores over the years).

As evidenced by the “LWYMMD” music video and her rewearing pieces over a span of many years, Taylor does keep and/or archive her clothes for later purposes.

Yes! Feel free to scroll the  Get The Look tag for all similar items found.

One of Taylor’s beauty signatures is her red lip classic lip. Over the years, certain lipsticks have been identified by Taylor herself or her makeup artist as ones used and I’ve dedicated an entire shopping page to confirmed, favourite lipsticks here.

Photos featured on TSS are paid for and licensed via Getty Images or Shutterstock.

I use a Photoshop template to make all my posts.

Just one. It’s me, hi! You can learn more about me and TSS here.

While the goal of TSS Predictions is always to incite conversation, inspiration, and fun - it is always a bit satisfying to be proven right. And I’ve come pretty close a number of times over the years!

• Saint Laurent (correct collection) for the 2016 iHeart Radio Awards (Prediction | Reality)

• Ashish (correct item, wrong moment) in Rep Room (Prediction | Reality)

• Ralph & Russo (correct item, wrong moment) at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscars Party (Prediction | Reality)

• Stella McCartney (correct item, wrong moment) in the folklore: Long Pond Sessions (Prediction | Reality)

• Oscar de la Renta (right brand) at the 2021 Grammys (Prediction | Reality)

• Oscar de la Renta (right brand) at the Eras Tour Movie premiere (Prediction | Reality)