Oh Taylor, look what you made them do.
The Swifties have taken to social media to voice concerns about the pricing and quality of their idol’s new branded merchandise collection.
The pop star’s website featured a variety of products, from apparel like the $120 Cowboy Like Me jacket and the $85 Speak Now koi fish hoodie to collectibles, festive decorations and home décor, including a $50 soy candle in a glass jar.
Despite the online backlash, many items from the collection sold out quickly.
The most controversial item among fans is the $50 oud-and-amber scented candle branded with Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, and packaged in a similarly branded box.
I appreciate Taylor’s merch, but $50 for a 8 ounce candle is crazy pic.twitter.com/6RVs64Spfs
— Alison DiLaurentis’ Yellow Top (@cortana8295) November 18, 2024
Taylor swift has been caught by her fan after slapping a TTPD sticker on a humble $11 dollar Amazon candle and reselling for $50. pic.twitter.com/fwf3xpAEdl
— Pop Stellar (@pop_stellar) November 22, 2024
Fans voiced their displeasure, with some writing on X:
- “$50 for a candle? Taylor herself better come and light it for me.”
- “This candle better smell like Taylor herself.”
- “Come on @taylorswift13. I love you, girl, but this candle is f****** ridiculous. Your fans should not be taken advantage of like this.”
The Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) Koi Fish Zip-Up Hoodie also disappointed fans, with some noting that the fabric didn’t match promotional images. One commenter posted: “Is anyone else’s fabric cut really weird on their koi fish fleece… it looks so strange with that little black part on the zip?”
Other customers were upset that some received hoodies with just a few fish on the fabric instead of an all-over koi print. One fan wrote: “Girl, what happened to the fish?”
LOL at my koi fish sherpa jacket… come on now this is ridiculous. I got one full fish on the front and an awkward piece of fin by the zipper 😑😭 pic.twitter.com/aZR33znUEi
— B 🫶🏼 (Taylor’s Version) (@SassySwiftie_) November 21, 2024
i hope taylor’s team refund everyone for the cowboy like me jacket, it’s insane that they changed the listing AFTER it sold out and are charging £120 a cheap jacket which is printed not embroidered, it’s actually very embarassing!!!
— emily🫧 (@jaemriana) November 16, 2024
The $120 Cowboy Like Me jacket, now no longer listed on the site, also received backlash. Advertised to have embroidered song lyrics, fans pointed out the coat was actually printed and described the material as “thin” and “cheap.” Some even compared it to “wearing a tote bag.”
Complaints about the quality of Swift’s merchandise are nothing new; Swifties have been voicing concerns about subpar merch drops for years.
Despite the online grumbling, the ongoing demand for Swift’s merch shows that her influence and connection with fans continue to drive sales, even when the quality doesn’t meet expectations.
