When Taylor Swift hit the stage in Paris last month to kick off the European leg of her Eras Tour, fans noticed a few changes in the set. She introduced new outfits, songs, and set pieces — which, unsurprisingly, set the internet into a tizzy.
Over the weekend, fans started buzzing again when they noticed Swift had added a pair of black gloves during The Tortured Poets Department portion of the show — and they were there for good reason.
The Meaning Behind Taylor Swift’s Black Gloves
During Swift’s show in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Saturday night, the “But Daddy I Love Him” singer showed up on stage with a pair of black leather gloves, which accessorized the white Vivienne Westwood gown she typically wears to perform the songs from TTPD.
While the look was a chic nod to the black-and-white aesthetic of the album, fans suspect the addition was for practical purposes.
Apparently, during Swift’s first show in Scotland on Friday night, she paused during the acoustic version of “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” (which she played on the guitar as part of her surprise song set) to tell the audience her hand was cramping.
“Oh God! Hand cramp!” she reportedly said. “I’m so sorry, everyone. This has never happened before, but my hand is frozen. I’m just going to warm it. I’m so embarrassed. My hand’s like a claw!”
With that in mind, fans on X (formerly Twitter) are speculating that the gloves were less a stylistic choice, and were likely added for the sake of avoiding the same interruption at future shows.
“NEW BLACK GLOVES?!? Here’s my not-exciting theory: they’re for practical purposes,” one concert attendee wrote. “It’s chilly in Edinburgh. TTPD is long and she dances very little until Broken Heart. Her hands need to be warm to avoid another acoustic-set hand cramp. So, gloves. But fashionable ones!”
Taylor’s TTPD Outfit
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Though the meaning behind the gloves may be purely functional, Swift’s full look from TTPD section of her show still contains a hidden message.
Her custom Vivienne Westwood gown, which made its debut in Paris on May 9, is decorated with the words “I love you, it’s running my life” in cursive handwriting. The line is a lyric from her song “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, and its repetition all over her dress is a nod to just how intense the lyric’s sentiment can be.
