Taylor Swift's 2022 VMAs After-Party Outfit Would've Fit In Better At The Winter Olympics

Unlike the majority of artists, who choose their wardrobe based on looks alone, Taylor Swift makes sure that every outfit she wears is steeped in meaning. Just look at every little outfit detail from Taylor Swift's "New Heights" podcast appearance in 2025, which were all delivering a message. Her intentional dressing shtick might ensure that every look forms the piece of a larger puzzle, but style-wise, it doesn't always land as well as it could. Immediately, our minds jump to the Moschino romper she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards after-party on August 28, 2022. 

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For a fashionista like Swift, the '70s-inspired getup at first seemed out of place at a glamorous event. The blue skin-fitting jumpsuit featured a sweetheart neckline lined with diamantes and was embellished by dazzling silver stars. Together with the white fur jacket, sparkly eye makeup, and bold red lip, the world was left wondering whether the usually stylish "All Too Well" singer had gotten lost on the way to the ice skating rink. While not objectively terrible, this blue-and-white 'fit seemed to be coded for the Winter Olympics rather than an exclusive A-lister shindig at New York City's Fleur Room.

At first, we were disappointed in the superstar for this out-of-place outfit, but then we remembered her glaring admission to Entertainment Weekly back in 2019: "I love to communicate through Easter eggs." Intentional dressing is, after all, one of the best style secrets that Taylor Swift can teach us. So, in hindsight, it became clear that the midnight-colored romper was actually a strategic detail in the story that Swift was subtly trying to tell her fans that night.  

When Taylor Swift embarked on her history-making Eras Tour in 2023, the extent of the differences between each of her album aesthetics was clear. Back on August 28, 2022, Swift officially carved out a new image as she announced the release of her upcoming album "Midnights."

"I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out October 21," she told the crowd — and millions of fans watching at home — while accepting one the three VMA awards she received that night, per The Independent. "And I will tell you more at midnight." After the awards show, Swift slipped out of her silver Oscar de la Renta minidress and straight into the Winter Olympics-coded romper, which was actually full of clues about said upcoming album. 

"Midnights" was released that October, and kicked off a new period in Swift's styling that was reflected in the after-party look. Of course, the romper was dark blue with silver stars, literally alluding to midnight. But the blue-and-silver palette came to feature heavily in the "Midnights" era, along with sparkly, star-like embellishments and finishes, '70s silhouettes, and mini hemlines. We saw this not only in her disco-esque after-party romper, but also at the EMAs that November, when Swift wore a disco ball-inspired mini with a '70s collar. By the time the Eras Tour rolled around the following year, it was clear that her blue, blingy 'fits were an integral part of a bigger plan. So, while Swift's 2022 VMA after-party look was better suited to the ice rink, that's exactly how she wanted it. Taylor Swift's stunning style transformation would be nothing without outfits that are draped in meaning and intention, even if we don't see it at first.