To the surprise of Taylor Swift fans everywhere, the singer announced her eighth studio album earlier today (July 23), titled folklore and set to drop at midnight Eastern Time (or 4am on July 24, for fans based in the UK). Also premiering tonight is the video for Swift’s single from the album, “Cardigan”, and what better way to promote the new track than… an actual cardigan?
Specifically, a cream cable knit cardigan with star embroidery, and a patch bearing the album title, is now available to order alongside a digital version of the record, tapping into the cottagecore vibe that’s currently sweeping social media. (See: TikTokers donning similarly cosy knitwear and harking back to a time when technology and environmental woes weren’t a source of everyday anxiety.)
Swift herself models the new, $49 cardigan in images on her website (above), as well as styling herself for the forthcoming “Cardigan” video – which she wrote and directed – filmed under strict coronavirus guidelines.
What, exactly, the knitwear’s cottagecore vibes mean for the trend itself remains to be seen. Could its entry into the mainstream – even David Beckham is getting in on it, according to the Guardian – spell the end of cottagecore as we know it?
Honestly? Who knows. What we do know is that cardigans are having a moment right now, as also proven earlier this year by none other than Harry Styles’ chunky, patchwork look that shot to TikTok fame.
View Taylor Swift’s surprise folklore announcement below.