Here’s how to do Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour like a pro, according to Philly Swifties

Philadelphia, are you ready for it?

For local Swifties, you don’t even have to ask.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is taking over Lincoln Financial Field May 12 through May 14, and superfans have been preparing for the mini-residency for months.

That’s kind of the point: The fun of the Eras Tour is (partially) in the preparation.

Teresa Kelly, a 28-year-old merchandise planner from South Philly who has seen Swift perform at four previous stops in Philly, made a Google Doc in January where she planned outfits — down to the accessory — for herself, her sister, boyfriend, brother, and parents, assigning them each an era (re: album) to work with.

“I said, ‘Guys, we need to get serious about this,’” Kelly said.

Kelly is clearly an Eras Tour aficionado, but what if you’re still deciding whether your outfit should give folklore or 1989 vibes? Or if it’s worth it to skip “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” to go to the bathroom? Or, what if both those questions sound like gibberish?

We talked to three expert Swifties about how to prepare for a night at the Linc (Taylor’s Version), down to how to time your potty breaks.

Dressing for the Eras Tour hinges on four words: committing to the bit.

Swift’s 16-year career of planting Easter eggs for fans has trained them to look for lore in everything down to the background of Instagram posts, so concertgoers have been stacking references on references to build looks. Some are exact recreations of iconic outfits from Swift’s previous tours, music videos, and red carpet appearances, while others are capitalizing on lyric references or the general vibe of an album, like rocking shades of purple to evoke Speak Now.

Rachel Durrwachter — a Fishtown Swiftie who canceled the last day of her bachelorette weekend to attend the Sunday show — was able to recreate an outfit from Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” video for just $40 using a black sweatshirt she already owned, thigh-high boots from Amazon, and an iron-on tiger patch she purchased on Etsy.

Durrwachter, 29, also found several Etsy shops making custom replicas of Swift’s outfits for upward of $100, but said it’s “equally easy to turn everyday items you already have into one of Taylor’s looks.”

Amanda Grant, of West Chester, saw her first Eras Tour show in Tampa while seven months pregnant, pulling from the pink hues and kitschy hearts of the Lover era to create an outfit that was both baby-bump-proof and stylish. Her hack: wear bike shorts underneath a dress to sneak in contraband.

“I wore shorts with pockets underneath so I could bring in some of things I knew I needed but wouldn’t fit into my bag,” like granola bars or extra Tums, said Grant, 37.

Now eight months along for the May 14 concert, Grant is going for “full Rihanna, who-cares-if-I’m-pregnant vibes” by wearing a crop top and bejeweling her belly to look like a mirrorball in reference to a song of the same name from folklore.

First up: a translucent, stadium-safe bag.

Per Lincoln Financial Field’s bag policy, Swifties in attendance can bring in one, large clear bag up to 12″ by 6″ by 6″ made of transparent vinyl or plastic or a clutch. In other words, no fanny packs, backpacks, or large purses, but a gallon Ziplock bag is apparently fair game.

Durrwachter and Kelly recommend sticking with concert essentials — phone, keys, wallet, earplugs, and some miscellaneous items for makeup touch-ups — plus cough drops and Liquid IV to keep their energy up and voices going strong.

» READ MORE: Are you ready for it? Everything you need to know about Taylor Swift at the Linc

Some Swifties have spent weeks masterminding when to use the bathroom to maximize their TWT: time watching Taylor.

Some venues, such as Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium converted their men’s restrooms into women’s restrooms during earlier Eras Tour stops to keep up with bladders of Swift’s majority non-male fan base. Lincoln Financial Field did not respond to a request for comment when asked if they would do the same.

Durrwachter said the hot tip in the Swiftie subreddits was to break for the bathroom during something popular, like “Shake it Off,” or the 10 minute version of “All Too Well” because “well, it’s 10 minutes long, so odds are you’ll get back and it’ll still be playing.”

“I won’t be utilizing that tip, though,” Durrwachter said. “It’s my favorite song.”

You can start by breaking out some twine and beads. Two of our Swiftie authorities have been spending the weeks leading up to the Philadelphia shows making handmade friendship bracelets.

Thanks to a string of viral TikToks, the craft has become the official accessory of the Eras Tour. It’s a reference to a lyric in the Midnights’ song “You’re on Your Own, Kid” that asks listeners to “make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.”

Grant said exchanging bracelets at the Eras Tour stop in Tampa was a great way to make concert buddies.

“I thought, there was no way I’m going to actually pass bracelets around as a 37-year-old,” Grant said with a laugh. Now, she’s weaving 20 to pass out at the Linc.

The most notable bracelet in Grant’s collection from Tampa says “F— Jake” a reference to actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who famously stiffed Swift at her twenty-first birthday party while they were dating in 2010.

“He’s actually my number one crush,” Grant said.

Kelly and her sister hope to make 50 bracelets to pass out at the Sunday show, each adorned with colorful letters that spell out inside jokes among the fandom, like “Karma is real.”

“Everyone is so warm,” Grant said. “Being a Swiftie during this tour has been so fun.”