Taylor Swift Makes History (Again) In an Autumnal Red Carpet Look

Taylor Swift is often at her best in autumn shades, and her signature combination of boots, mini skirt and a turtleneck has always struck me as the wardrobe of someone with a soft spot for pumpkin spice season. Case in point: Last night, the singer was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame—the youngest artist in its history to be granted the honor—wearing an almost Hocus Pocus-worthy Raisa Vanessa velvet minidress in a very seasonal shade of burgundy.

Swift first shot to fame as a teenage country singer before transitioning to pop with the release of her album 1989 in 2014. Making history as the youngest-ever inductee at 36 (in September, she also became the most-awarded artist in MTV VMA history), the singer gave trad country and western styling a rest, skipping the Dolly Parton curls and bedazzled flares for something a little more contemporary. Her velvet minidress and Jimmy Choo heels were, however, paired with a little backcombing of the hair, a subtle nod to her Nashville past.

Lately, Taylor has been leaning into a slightly edgier wardrobe, via leather jackets and slip dresses (perhaps thanks to new bestie Dakota Johnson’s influence). But her look for last week’s Academy Museum Gala was textbook Swift: an ultra-romantic Dior gown, diamonds and Old Hollywood waves. Similarly, her appearance on the red carpet in Nashville was a return to more traditional Taylor territory: feminine florals, spindly heels, and a liberal helping of sparkle.