Taylor Swift Has Made Me Want To Wear Friendship Bracelets Again – And I’m OK With That

Picture this: it's Saturday morning, and you're inside Claire's Accessories with your friends. You choose a couple of friendship bracelets, a pair of fingerless gloves and a tooth gem and head to the tills. The year? 2024, obviously. While we were certain we'd left these accessories firmly in 2001 with our blue eyeliner and wafer-thin eyebrows, the huge Y2K accessory resurgence seems like it's here to stay, brought back to life by Gen Z, of course. Friendship bracelets, in particular, have grown in popularity over the last 12 months thanks to the woman who's in her 'everywhere-all-at-once era', Taylor Swift.

Although friendship bracelets have long been a feature of Taylor Swift's fandom (one Redditor recalls them making an appearance as early as her Fearless meet and greets), since the release of Midnights and coinciding with her record-breaking Eras Tour, they've been spreading like wildfire.

Fans of all ages in attendance at her shows have been making, selling, wearing and swapping friendship bracelets emblazoned with her lyrics, concert chants, and inside jokes. As Swift prepares to come to the UK later this year, you might be tempted to get in on the trend, and you'd be forgiven for wanting to be a part of the millions already taking part. But if you're over the age of 18 (read: 30), is it acceptable to want to wear something we coveted during our pre-teen years? In Taylor Swift's world, anything is possible.

If you've seen any clips from the Eras Tour on social media or have had the chance to attend yourself already, you'll know that the mammoth three-and-a-half-hour performance pays homage to unbridled emotion – most notably, joy. While the naysayers will try to deny her impact, millions cannot be wrong. So I say: lean in. Wear the bracelet. Buy the T-shirt. Jump up and down and sing your heart out because life is too short to deny yourself such a simple delight. There's no such thing as a guilty pleasure if it sparks joy.

While there are hundreds - no - thousands of friendship bracelets on Etsy and friendship bracelet craft kits on Amazon that will satisfy your nostalgia (and can happily be swapped with fellow Swifties), if you're looking for something a bit more 'grown-up', we've found a selection of friendship bracelet-inspired pieces that you can cherish forever. Like Miss Americana herself said, 'So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. You've got no reason to be afraid.' It's time to head back to 2001.

Shop: Taylor Swift-Inspired Friendship Bracelets

Jade Moscrop is the Commercial Content Editor for Grazia, specialising in lifestyle topics. When she’s not writing about beauty products, gym leggings and chic homeware items, she can usually be found on a hot girl walk, buying houseplants or listening to female-fronted rock bands.