In honor of Taylor Swift releasing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (July 7), let’s take a walk down memory lane.
Twelve years ago, Swift was touring that album on the 2011-2012 Speak Now Tour, and as any Swiftie knows, she wore some pretty epic outfits on stage.
They’ve since become iconic.
See, that’s what the singer has mastered so well over the years: Her tours are not just shows — they are portals into Swift’s world. For a few hours fans enter a new environment that is sparkling and glimmering in Swift’s vision.
The Speak Now World Tour was one of romance and whimsy. In addition to creating a real-life fairytale for fans, Swift dressed the part in dazzling ballgowns. She also incorporated party dresses that showed childlike wonder, while also showcasing her growth as both an artist and woman.
Swift’s Speak Now project was entirely self-written, and it was a turning point: She has said that album was cut — and signifies — a time of growth and transition.
“I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it,” Swift notes in announcing its new version, a re-recording that allows her to re-obtain the masters of her songs.
The Speak Now World Tour launched on February 9, 2011, and concluded on March 18, 2012.
Look Back at Taylor Swift’s Iconic ‘Speak Now’ World Tour Outfits
One thing you can always count on with Taylor Swift is a theme. She’s the queen of reinvention, as evident throughout her 10 studio albums. Each offering is a treasured chapter in the singer’s storied career — an era, if you will — from the lyrics she wrote, all the way down to the outfits she has worn onstage in touring those albums.
Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour has found fans dressing up like their favorite eras, and the looks those albums brought out. Let’s take a look at the iconic outfits Swift wore on her Speak Now World Tour.
All 17 Songs on Taylor Swift’s ‘Speak Now’ Album, Ranked
In 2010, Taylor Swift documented her transition from teens into adulthood with the reflective-but-still-romantic Speak Now, an album that she wrote entirely by herself. Here are all the songs on the project ranked, including three songs that arrived via a deluxe version.