Taylor Swift, WAGS, Feminization of Sports
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce aren’t the only power couple in sports — especially now that sports are for the girls.
By now, you’ve seen the photos of Taylor Swift smashing away breakup rumors as she walked into the first Chiefs game of the season. You’ve also seen the photos of Swift and Travis Kelce — our very own American Royal Family — at the US Open with Travis’s $450 Gucci bucket hat that wouldn’t stay still. Swift is not the first but the latest and most famous star who has transformed sports stadiums into her runway.
In the midst of fashion week, it’s notable that Swift’s most public appearances aren’t a front row seat at exclusive shows or attendance at the hottest parties. But in her new arena: literal arenas. And now that she’s back to being besties with the controversial Brittany Mahomes, one thing is clear: WAGs are back.
The term WAG reached peak popularity back in the days of 2000s magazines. The acronym — which stands for “Wives and Girlfriends” — refers to the significant others of high-profile athletes. And, since it was coined during that toxic era, it was belittling at best and derogatory at worst. But now, a WAG renaissance is in full swing. And helmed by one of the most influential women in the world, WAGs are as powerful and popular (if not more so) as their sporty SOs.
The WAG Comeback
The 2024 Super Bowl drew a record number of viewers — and many of them can be chalked up to Taylor Swift. All season, fans tuned in to see her at the KC Arrowhead Stadium and ticket sales for the Chiefs home games skyrocketed. So when the Super Bowl came around, as many eyes were on Swift as they were on Kelce. Some have even called him the first nepo boyfriend.
But Swift wasn’t the only WAG at this year’s Super Bowl. Swift’s aforementioned bestie Brittany Mahomes — wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — was also in attendance. And on the 49ers side of the stands, Miss Universe Olivia Culpo was supporting her now-husband (though this was before she went Bridezilla) running back Christian McCaffrey alongside TikToker Allison Kucharczyk, the wife of defensive end Isaac Rochell.
Other football WAGs are proof that sometimes, the partner in the stands is the more famous one — no matter what these sports guys might say on a podcast. Take Olympic gymnast and mightiest to ever compete in the sport, Simone Biles. Biles’ husband Jonathan Owens is on the Green Bay Packers, yet she’s America’s sweetheart. Watch out Owens, one wrong move and Zac Efron is famously waiting in the wings to treat Simone right. Another prominent face in the football stands is one we’re used to seeing on TikTok, Alix Earle. Earle is dating Dolphins receiver Braxton Berrios but there’s no doubt who the breadwinner is in that relationship.
Across the pond in the UK, England’s football team were one penalty kick away from winning the Euros — ouch. And though they didn’t end up bringing it home, the true victory was the WAG style we got along the way. I mean, the image of Tolami Benson — girlfriend of Bukayo Saka — wearing a custom Three Lions branded motorcycle jacket with her boyfriend’s number on it will be on my moodboard forever.
This is the epitome of WAG-dom. It gives the same energy that Victoria Beckham gave in the peak of David Beckha’s career. On the nose, supportive, but also eye-catching enough to remind us that she’s a star too. And as we’ve seen with the Beckhams — although David’s career is mostly over — Victoria’s fashion and beauty line are staples in the industry. Sports careers are fleeting, WAGs are forever.
The Euros WAGs all understood the assignment. Their social media posts were the most engaged of the entire season. Other UK football WAGs include Love Island alum Dani Dyer (dating right winger Jarrod Bowen), entrepreneur Katie Bio (longtime girlfriend of centre-forward Ivan Toney and mother of their two kids) and content creator Aine May Kennedy (dating midfielder Conor Gallagher). It takes us back to the old days seeing Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham in the stands wearing custom graphic tanks.
The US Open and Wimbledom have also been WAG city. Tennis is indeed fueling the WAG renaissance. Content creators are often seen at tennis matches. But recently some of the biggest names on TikTok and Instagram are taking tenniscore to the next level by dating the athletes who are at the top of their game. Morgan Riddle is dating top-ranked American male Taylor Fritz, aka the hearttrob of tennis. Ayan Broomfield is giving Zendaya’s Tashi Duncan a run for her money as a former collegiate player and girlfriend to fan favorite Francis Tiafoe. And Paige Lorenze is living her country club dream as Tommy Paul’s girlfriend.
We can’t forget the ultimate WAG movie of the year: Challengers. In Challengers, most people focused on the tennis, the tension, and the almost-threesome. I focused on how Zendaya’s character girlbossed her way from tennis prodigy to the ultimate WAG. And it wouldn’t be a Zendaya film if the fashion wasn’t a character all in itself. From her cashmere sweater ot her Chanel espadrilles, her WAG era reeked of quiet luxury. Perhaps that’s part of the appeal of the WAG. They’ve built their brands on their aspirational lifestyles and have adopted quiet luxury personas to elevate their status.
That’s why WAG boxes have become a playground for brands in the same way that the NBA tunnel is its own runway. It’s no surprise spectators at games have become the stars. We should have seen this coming since the Kardashian-Jenner clan love dating athletes and are often spotted showing off the latest trends as they perch courtside ready for their closeups. Brands have finally clued in, partnering with WAGs for sports coverage and styling them in their logos.
The feminization of sports culture
Thanks to prominent WAGs, many women have found an accessible entry point into sports culture. Game night is no longer simply boys night. From the fashion to the hopes fans will catch a glimpse of their favorite stars in the stands, I say it doesn’t matter what gets you to watch the game, it just matters that the culture feels inclusive.
And we’re getting there. According to NBC Sports, the NFL has seen its highest levels of female viewership since it started tracking data — with a 53% spike in teenage female viewers. In her 2023 Time Person Of The Year Interview, Taylor Swift said, “Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life.”
People on social media joked that Taylor Swift was helping teenage girls connect with their dads again — but the sentiment is so true it even became the basis for a Super Bowl ad.
Another reason women are participating in sports culture more is the attention that female athletes are getting. Female athletes and women’s sports have been overlooked for far too long. The lie that “no one cares about women’s sports” has devalued them so much that female athletes are paid way worse and watched way less — despite the fact that female teams in the US and UK have higher success rates internationally than their male counterparts.
When England’s Lioness team competed in the Women's Euros in 2022, their match brought in a record 17.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched women's football game on UK television at the time. This record has since been surpassed by the men’s 2024 Euro final … which they lost. The Lioness team bringing home the cup put a major spotlight on women’s football and boosted viewership of their regular season games.
Earlier this year, the same occurred with women’s basketball in the states. Who can forget the mania that surrounded Caitlin Clark’s final season? The 2024 Paris Olympics also underscored the viewership and power of women’s sports. From the US women’s gymnastics team and the US women’s rugby team, stars like Simone Biles and Ilona Maher won matches and the people’s hearts with their prowess and their ability to make pretty much anything go viral.
Girls just wanna have fun — and fashion
As we are known to do, girls have taken the popularity of women’s sports and transformed it into fashion fodder and — frankly — pop culture itself. Sportswear has taken a turn for the fashionable thanks to stylish sports fans noticing that much of the merch or apparel out there just isn’t that cute.
Despite the constantly shifting microtrends over the past few years, Blokecore is one trend that’s not going anywhere. The premise behind it: dressing like a real geezer. Its signature components are sneakers and jerseys — which can range from mini soccer jerseys to oversized football jerseys.
Either way, sports merch is the new concert merch. And the girlies are making it cute again. Fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk — wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk — went viral for making matching Chiefs jackets for Swift and Mahomes. Plus, savvy brands like Abercrombie have partnered with the NFL to make merch that caters to this fresh audience. Plus, new brands like Wear by Erin Andrews and Gameday Couture are emerging to make game day cute.
While misogyny is still rampant and some haters are accusing nascent female fans of being less legitimate, the truth is: there’s no stopping women in sports. Whether they’re WAGs, fans, or athletes themselves, the sports stands just got a whole lot cuter. You’re welcome.
(Photo credit: Shervin Lainez)
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