The secret life of SWIFTIES

From Beatlemania to Directioners, fan girls have long been dismissed as hysterical and trivial teens. Now, with the Swiftie fandom floating the economy, Harriet Sim explains why female interests are worth their weight in gold

Sarah Chapelle is stressed. It’s Christmas Eve and the buzzing notifications from her phone are sending the 31-year-old Vancouver resident into a panic-fuelled dilemma. NFL Kansas Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is scheduled to play on Christmas Day in Missouri, igniting a mass of tweets, posts, stitches and DMs over the possibility of a sighting of Taylor Swift, whom he is dating. For Chapelle, the game-day timing means making the choice between marking the holidays with her family or scouring the internet for images and references to update her 240k Instagram followers on the fan account @taylorswiftstyled.

Not wanting to disappoint anyone, Chapelle consulted her dedicated community for advice. “Family time is more important, fashion can wait,” wrote one user. With the weight of the fandom behind her, Chapelle turned off her phone, letting her Swiftie universe temporarily fall silent.

“It can be hard to balance it at times. During a busy week I could spend up to 15-20 hours [on research and updates],” says Chapelle, a marketing professional who has been running the Taylor Swift Style website and socials for more than a decade. “It’s definitely a balance making sure I’m on top of things. The level of thought and care that goes into it takes time. I’m not just posting where Taylor’s purse is from but also how that designer contributes to her fashion lexicon.”