13 Times Taylor Swift Proved She Was A Revenge-Dress Queen

Allow us to introduce you to Taylor Swift, the revenge-dress queen. For those unfamiliar with the "revenge dress" or revenge outfit, it was a term originally coined after the late Princess Diana wore her iconic Christina Stambolian little black dress back in 1994. The royal donned the slinky, off-the-shoulder number the very same day her former husband, then-Prince Charles, opened up about his infidelity during their marriage in a bombshell ITV documentary. 

Since then, the term's been used to reference any head-to-toe fabulous outfit someone wears after a breakup, to show their ex exactly what they're missing. And, boy, as an on-trend style icon, our gorgeous Miss Americana is a total pro at that.

To prove it, we're taking a look back at 13 times the hitmaker has given us serious revenge-dress inspo. Because, unlike the lyrics she sings in "Vigilante S**t," it's not just lately she's been dressing for revenge.

Back in 2013, Taylor Swift showed her former boyfriend Harry Styles exactly what he was missing when she stepped out for the People's Choice Awards. The date was January 10, 2013, just three days after People confirmed Swift and Styles' short-lived romance was over. But she clearly wasn't at home crying over the split with a tub of ice cream. The singer stepped out in serious style, rocking a white floor-length gown by Ralph Lauren with a deep plunge down the chest. Swift's makeup was also super sultry, with a brown smoky eye and a nude lip. Talk about expert revenge-dressing!

Swift and Styles had quite the whirlwind romance back in the day, and were even spotted kissing on New Year's Eve in Times Square, right after they had jetted off on vacation together. But this romance fizzled just as quickly as it began. Still, after seeing Swift in that hot white gown, we're guessing the former boybander might have regretted letting her go so quickly.

Taylor Swift's plunging People's Choice Awards dress wasn't the only time she might have dressed for revenge after her breakup with Harry Styles. Just three days after sizzling on that red carpet, the star made another breathtaking awards show appearance on January 13, 2013.And she brought out one of her most sophisticated revenge dresses ever. 

This time, she was out and about for the Golden Globes in a custom Donna Karan dress – and she looked every inch the superstar. Her dark purple gown hugged her stunning figure before flaring out into a mermaid skirt. It was also totally backless for a super sexy silhouette with a sheer panel up her thigh. Swift even ditched her signature red lipstick for a light pink and pulled her hair back into a glam and polished up-do.

Her elegant dress may even have contained a classic Swift Easter egg. This gown was so grown-up that we can't help but speculate it may have been a dig at Styles. In 2014, Seventeen reported that Swift allegedly went on to like (and then promptly unlike) a post on Tumblr that claimed Styles "had no maturity at all." Arguably unlike Swift in this super mature revenge-gown.

Sorry, Harry Styles. Your revenge-dress era isn't quite over yet. Taylor Swift donned one of her sexiest stage outfits ever during the the 2013 Brit Awards in London, to send a message on the singer's home turf. The awards show (the British equivalent of the Grammys) took place in March, around three months after the two broke up. Knowing she might very well see Styles there, Swift opted for a sassy revenge-outfit, rocking a sheer black lace jumpsuit featuring skimpy high-waisted satin shorts. She also added glam to the look with black and gold knee-high boots for a little extra sex appeal.

Swift performed her hit song "I Knew You Were Trouble" during the show, and admitted afterward that she was well aware Styles would be watching her on stage. Speaking to The Times in 2013 about the performance, she explained, "It's not hard to access that emotion when the person the song is directed at is standing by the side of the stage watching." Despite all the revenge dressing though, these two are still on good terms. Styles has even shared some sweet words about his ex post-breakup.

Another year, another revenge-dress for Taylor Swift! You may remember that after Swift split with Jake Gyllenhaal in December 2010, she stepped out in a super sexy LBD less than a month later. People confirmed in January 2011 that Swift and the "Brokeback Mountain" actor had ended their relationship in December. 

Swift would later go on to suggest in the song "All Too Well" (largely speculated to be about their romance) that their age gap was the reason behind their breakup. "You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine," she croons in the 10-minute version of the song, seemingly referencing her age of 20 and his age of 29 during their relationship.

But Swift certainly showed Gyllenhaal that age is just a number in her strapless black gown at Covergirl Cosmetics' 50th Anniversary Party in Hollywood. The "Style" singer hit the red carpet in a plunging sparkly number with black peep toe heels and her signature red lip, looking totally sexy and, again, so grown-up. Seeing those sizzling red carpet photos couldn't have been fun for Gyllenhaal. 

In 2012, Taylor Swift got her revenge on Conor Kennedy when she walked the red carpet at the American Music Awards in a gold mini dress. She opted for a super glamorous Zuhair Murad mini with sky-high strappy gold heels. The stunning dress had ornate embellishments across the bodice and sheer sleeves, while she also made sure to show off the sexy backless look with plenty of over the shoulder shots. And we haven't even touched on how gorgeous her long, tanned legs looked! We're certain her ex's jaw was on the floor over this look.

Swift's November 18, 2012, appearance at the Los Angeles music event happened less than a month after the world found out that she and Kennedy had called it quits. Us Weekly confirmed their breakup on October 25, but a source claimed that they'd actually been over for more than a month before the news broke. Still, Swift was clearly getting her revenge fashion on even after a few weeks had passed. And we don't blame her.

It's no secret that Taylor Swift and John Mayer dated between 2009 and 2010, with Us Weekly reporting that the two split in February 2010. And she knew she'd run into her ex in person at the 41st annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony in New York City that June. The "Shake It Off" hitmaker pulled out all the stops with her look, putting a sweet twist on the revenge-dress to match her style at the time. 

Swift looked absolutely gorgeous in a lilac ensemble with a sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps, showing a little leg in the fitted bodice gown. She paired the pastel ensemble with sky-high heels. We love that this look shows how you don't have to adopt a different style for revenge dressing. Swift proved you should wear whatever it is that makes you feel the most confident after a breakup, as that will exude authentic beauty.

Swift's sweeter take on the revenge-dress seemed to work, as Mayer had nothing but sweet things to say about his ex when he presented her with the Hal David Starlight award. He recalled his initial doubt that Swift wrote her own music when he first heard her material, because her lyrics and melodies were so good, noting, "We started playing guitars together one day and, son of b***h, she writes her own songs." Double revenge!

Taylor Swift also knew she might run into an ex at the 2008 American Music awards, the same awards show Joe Jonas attended with his brothers and bandmates Kevin Jonas and Nick Jonas. To get her revenge (or something "Better Than Revenge," you could say), the "Tim McGraw" singer went super glam in a one shoulder silver sequin mini dress. She wore her stunning, naturally voluminous curls and matched her metallic look with super shiny stilettos. Swift was throwing out some sultry poses on the red carpet too, and we have a feeling all those shiny glam sequins definitely caught her ex's attention.

The event took place in November 2008, the same month Swift shared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that Jonas had broken up with her the month prior in a short phone call. So we really can't blame her for bringing out the glam.

Swift's sultry, no-holds-barred hit "Vigilante S**t" (featured on our Swiftie hookup playlist) includes the ruthless lyrics, "picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife." Only, Joe Jonas didn't have to picture it. 

In November 2023, Swift rocked thigh-high black leather boots while while stepping out with Jonas' estranged wife Sophie Turner in New York City, two months after Jonas filed for divorce. Swift paired the fierce Stella McCartney boots with a checked mini skirt and skin-tight black top, as well as a sexy red lip. She flashed just a little thigh as the paparazzi shot photos of the evening.

Swift and Turner enjoyed a night out with the likes of Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid, and the candid paparazzi snaps were literally everywhere. So we imagine it was probably pretty hard for Jonas not to catch a glimpse of two of his exes spending time together during the girls-only gathering we wish we'd been invited to.

Almost one month before Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris' breakup was confirmed to the world, the star co-chaired the Met Gala in a custom Louis Vuitton gown. The dark look featured a metallic silver snakeskin print with leather accents across the chest. Swift also wore sassy black heels with criss-cross ribbon that stretched as far up as her knees.

Even though this appearance was before the couple split, People confirmed she and Harris had been having trouble for a while before officially breaking up. Not to mention, Swift making a big splash on the red carpet and grabbing all the attention may have alluded to the fact that the Scottish DJ never walked a red carpet with her. 

Another reason we're classing this as a revenge-dress? Because Swift may well have been dressing to let Harris know what he was about to lose. It was at this event that Swift famously danced with Tom Hiddleston before they dated. The evening may also have been the inspiration for her song "Bejeweled," in which she sings about getting dressed up to remind a lousy partner she can easily find herself a new man.

When Taylor Swift started "The Eras Tour" in 2023, she hadn't released "The Tortured Poets Department" yet, nor had she indulged in her brief romance with The 1975 singer Matty Healy. But by the time May 2024 rolled around, she'd added a whole new set to her tour inspired by "The Tortured Poets Department" — and seemingly Healy, too. 

Even though the relationship was brief, Swift may have incorporated a revenge outfit into her setlist. While performing "TTPD" songs widely speculated to be about Healy, Swift donned a super sexy sparkly bra top and high-waisted bottoms with a long coat. On May 11, 2024, in Paris, France, she sported a black version with a gunmetal metallic coat. The following night, she opted for a white version with black lapels. And, with this being one of Swift's sexiest and skimpiest looks ever, we can't help but feel she was sending a message of revenge while singing about her ex — especially knowing the whole world (and likely her ex) would be watching.

Us Weekly confirmed Swift and Healy had previously dated a few years earlier before reigniting their romance around May 2023. By June 2023 though, Entertainment Tonight confirmed it was all over. A source shared, "Taylor's friends want what's best for her and aren't shocked that their relationship fizzled out since she recently got out of a long-term relationship."

The late Princess Diana is the one who really invented the revenge dress, and some Swifties think Taylor Swift may have channeled that look as a way to get back at controversial music manager Scooter Braun. Swift, of course, had to re-record her albums after Braun would not sell her the rights to her songs. That brings us to November 2021, when the star appeared on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" to promote "Red (Taylor's Version)," the second of her re-recordings. 

Swift was becoming more daring with her outfits around this time, which she proved with a sexy off-the-shoulder black dress on "Late Night." And some fans were convinced the look was a revenge dress aimed at Braun. Even "Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Stause pedalled the theory, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Peep the Revenge dress," along with a side-by-side photo of Swift and Princess Diana in their black dresses.

But Swift later denied that she'd planned the outfit to get back at Braun royal style. Speaking to "Access Hollywood" later that month, she teased, "I just liked the dress. It was a black dress I liked." Planned or otherwise, she looked fierce, sophisticated, totally breathtaking. We don't doubt Braun saw all the chatter about how incredible she looked.

It's hard to forget the time Kanye West stormed the stage at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to claim he didn't think Swift was deserving of her Best Female Video award for "You Belong With Me." But, 13 years later (her lucky number!), this star got her sweet revenge. In 2022, Swift attended the annual award show in a very sultry Oscar de la Renta mini-dress. It used nude lining that matched Swift's skin tone to create the illusion she was only wearing strings of silver beading. She paired the glam and seductive look with shiny silver Christian Louboutin heels, which were also dripping with embellishments.

We like to think this look may have been a little bit about getting her revenge on West, as plenty of fans noticed the similarities between this look and the one she'd sported to the same awards show in 2009. That year, Swift wore a one-shoulder Grecian style gown with silver sequin detailing all the way down, which had some fans thinking her 2022 mini was a more sophisticated nod to those days. 

"13 years later... This is Taylor Swift's revenge dress," one person wrote on X alongside an image of the two dresses. Making things even better than revenge? She took home the biggest award of the night, Video of the Year, for the 10-minute version of "All Too Well." 

Another famous face Taylor Swift added to the revenge-dress hit list? Kim Kardashian. Swift and Kardashian (and Kardashian's ex-husband Kanye West) have been locked in a feud for years now, but the "Fortnight" singer has proven how to take a bad situation and turn it into revenge fashion (and look incredible doing it). 

Kardashian famously used snake emojis on X amid their feud, which Swift used to her advantage. The star has rocked a number of snake-themed outfits since, but one of her ultimate revenge outfits came during "The Eras Tour." Swift donned a skin-tight red and black sequin bodysuit, exposing her toned arm and leg to perform some of her most empowering hits. It also featured a snake motif, which seemed to be a reference to (and a dig at) Kardashian. 

What's more revenge-dress-esque than wearing an outfit that reclaims a once derogatory term aimed at you? Wearing said outfit night after night on one of the most successful tours of all time, of course. Revenge-dress queen!