Chiefs vs Bills in Kansas City
Worn On: 1/26/25 // Kansas city, MO
the commentary
More monogram. Taylor appeared at the AFC Championship game wearing a literal head to toe look (mostly) by Louis Vuitton. Proving that sometimes it does have to be Louis V up in KC.
More Is Monogram: At this point, we’ve gotten so deep into game day fashion that we have a visual record to demonstrate seasonal narrative changes in dress. Intentional styling for heavily photographed moments, particularly situations with reliable constants and constraints, makes for a fascinating outfit case study that evolves week over week but that also “speak” to one another to create a storyline. So I had wondered if last year’s championship outfit (cozy top, tights, pleated mini) might be a playbook (pun intended) for this year. But it is in silhouette only that I see some of last year’s elements at play.
The style story of the 23/24 season was driven by an approachably packaged aesthetic. It was an authentic spinoff of Taylor’s accessible yet aspirational style. One that also savvily bypassed the official NFL merch machine thanks to vintage pieces that supported the Chiefs franchise, thoughtfully styled with locally-sourced or women-founded accessories. This image has been usurped for the 24/25 season with designer labels. I don’t mind a monogram or an obviously adversartorial (my new verbiage blending ‘advertisement’ + ‘sartorial’) moment. If leaning into all luxury looks is the style approach to symbolize Taylor’s growing confidence in self and in the space she is occupying - I’m for it being reflected in the clothes. Especially because labels and logos have history within NFL dress. But I know it can (and has been) done more elegantly and creatively than this. The previous week’s winterized Chanel and the Clueless Versace ‘fit are great examples of that. Even LV’s recent FW25 menswear collection sent preppy varsity jackets down the runway which would work great in this context and also be high fashion.
What I Learned From Those Two Years: Knowing that comparisons were bound to happen between Taylor’s two AFC Championship game outfits. On the skirt, I’ve been told this is not the same skirt as last year, with thanks to the LV team for the confirmation, and is a slightly older one within the LV catalogue. However, it feels like a close enough of a callback to make the choice seem intentional. Perhaps a way of nodding to superstitions in sport with repeating “lucky” items to bring forth an optimal outcome. Whatever the reason, let’s say that it worked because the Chiefs defeated the Bills 32-29 and are - once again - headed to the Super Bowl.
When We First Met (Gala): Even without the other LV elements of this look, I clocked these boots right away. Why? Because Taylor has a pair of Star Trail boots that she has worn on two other occasions. The first was the night before the 2016 Met Gala. The second was while out to dinner with Travis in October 2023. After a lot of staring, I can confirm this pair of ‘Star Trails’ are an updated version - discernible by the slightly different finish and the cap toe detail being absent. One of Taylor’s style pillars has always been repetition, so I’ll give half points here given it’s a style we know she has in her closet and has repeated in the past. I can imagine this fresh pair from a later collection was meant to coordinate with the rest of the recent LV pulls.
Louis V up in KC: To keep the brand spotlighting consistent, Taylor’s accessories were also coordinated LV pieces. A cozy beanie (toque for me /waves from Canada) felt appropriate given the weather. The black and gold theme felt like a nod to keeping a Chiefs-forward palette (gold is their secondary team colour) and was kept consistent through the LV hardware on her trunk bag, boots, and beanie. However, knowing that Taylor has a LV watch in her collection that would have coordinated well with her head to toe (literal) branded ensemble feels noteworthy to me. The accessory that felt like it had the most story behind it was her necklace. Taylor has worn a number of vintage coin necklaces recently, including at a few Chiefs games. What immediately came to my mind was her 2024 season opener outfit which was also styled with a vintage, ancient bronze coin necklace. I imagine that something about it feels like embodying a fighting / warrior mindset to fit in with the “go fight win” of sports and the Gladiator ethos. Or else perhaps even a chic reference to a game day coin toss. I spoke with the designer, Steven, who confirmed that the face depicted on the coin, struck in 109-108BC during the Roman Republic, is the goddess Roma. Steven said, “[Roma] was believed to watch over the city’s citizens and protect them from harm, as well as being a fierce defender of Rome in war.” Steven said the necklace took approximately 1.5 days to create by Balinese goldsmith artisans with traditional handmaking techniqes. “The pendant was designed to highlight the coin and accent it in a classical manner,” he said. From an intentional styling perspective, there’s a lot of thought that goes into creating a cohesive and consistent storyline where every look “speaks” to one another to create a progression, but is distinct enough to stand as its own moment. Small callbacks like this (and the skirt - more on that later) demonstrate that thought well. I look forward to doing a full breakdown of this season’s looks (particularly in comparison to 2023-24’s season) when the final whistle blows. This artist uses real ancient coins in their work so every single piece is unique and different. Pictured above is what appears, to my eye, to be a close match to Taylor’s.
the clothes
Feature Photo by Jamie Squire via Getty Images