Considered a nostalgic trend, the friendship bracelet fever has truly returned thanks to Taylor Swift and The Eras Tour . Fans have been creating dozens to hundreds of bracelets to buy, sell, and interact with Swifties at their idols’ live performances.

Not only does it cover the entire Swifties community, friendship bracelets also appear in the romance between Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce, according to The Guardian.

At first, Travis made a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, hoping to capture that moment during Taylor’s concert. Although he did not have the opportunity to give the bracelet to his current girlfriend, Travis sees the bracelet as a token of their historic love.

This makes fans even more “excited” because of the friendship embrace.

Origin of friendship bracelets

No one knows the exact origin of friendship bracelets, but some believe they first appeared in Central and South America. They gradually became popular among hippies (people associated with the protest culture of the 1960s – PV) in the 1970s, 1990s and early 2000s.

Although Swifties have made friendship bracelets a hit again, the practice of selling signature bracelets at popular music events dates back several decades before Taylor Swift debuted.

For example, Kandi bracelets (pronounced like “candy” – “candy”) appeared in the 1990s, especially popular with people attending EDM concerts and immersing themselves in rave culture (concept ” “quai” to talk about partying and having fun – PV). Like Taylor Swift’s friendship bracelets, they are often made with colorful beads and lettering.

Raver will also exchange homemade Kandi bracelets after performing a “PLUR” handshake symbolizing peace, love, unity and respect. respect).

A group of friends holds a friendship bracelet party in Culver City when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stops in Los Angeles in 2023. Photo: Los Angeles Times.

As the name suggests, friendship bracelets symbolize close friendships. They are often handmade using embroidery thread, beads, and plastic cord.

In fact, the way to make friendship bracelets does not follow certain standards, so Swifties can be creative. For example, some people use ribbon in their designs.

The time it takes to complete the bracelet will depend on the complexity of the design as well as the experience of the maker. Several Swifties told CNA Lifestyle that each bracelet can take from under 5 minutes to more than 30 minutes.

The message of each bracelet will be associated with the title, song lyrics or jokes passed around by the Taylor Swift fan community. The special thing is that the color and style of the bracelet will match the song’s message to create personalization.

Sarah Tan, a Swiftie since the singer debuted in 2006, said the rise of friendship bracelets is closely related to the lyrics of the song You’re On Your Own, Kid (2022): “ So make the friendship bracelets/Take the moment and taste it” (roughly translated: So make the friendship bracelets/Take this moment and enjoy it).

The attraction of friendship bracelets

Thanks to The Eras Tour effect, social networking sites are filled with images of fans’ friendship bracelets. While some people post tutorials on how to do it, others proactively sell a variety of bracelet designs to help Swifties who don’t have time to make them.

One of them, Zoe Yan (29 years old), has made more than 700 bracelets since August 2023. “My bracelet making speed has improved significantly after 7 months of practicing my skills. Now, it only takes me about 4-5 minutes for a bracelet. Due to the large number of orders, I try to complete them. 60 pieces/day,” Zoe said.

Whenever she sees someone in public wearing a friendship bracelet, Zoe always feels familiar. It can be said that that bracelet model represents the entire Swifties community – regardless of gender, ethnicity or age. People like Zoe consider themselves responsible for spreading love for Taylor.

In early February, The Guardian Australia noted a serious shortage of beads in craft stores in Brisbane city (Queensland state). Stores that have not yet been sold out have seen unusual growth in sales since The Eras Tour in Melbourne was announced in June 2023.

Fans can make friendship bracelets at home. Photo: Darryl G, The New York Times.

Paul Georgiou, manager of Bead, Trimming and Craft Co, had previously seen a strong demand for beads for dance concerts and cinema costumes but said The Eras Tour was a real treat. difference.

“Taylor Swift has her own position in the economy,” he said, confirming that he has sold more than 20,000 bracelets since the announcement of The Eras Tour in Melbourne.

Klarna Financial Services also recorded a 915% increase in purchases of friendship bracelet sets in September 2023. At the same time, new data from eBay shows a 15,200% increase in sales of friendship bracelets.

Thus, the industry of producing Taylor Swift-themed bracelets not only has the presence of handmade goods sellers on Instagram but also has the participation of many related business units.

Spiritual bond

The dizzying speed of the friendship bracelets’ spread prompted Layne Lee (21 years old, a Taylor fan since she was 10 years old) to join this trend even though she was not very interested at first.

She realized that the friendship bracelet and The Eras Tour had become one. “I believe that bracelets will make the concert experience more interesting, and even help bond Swifties together,” Layne expressed.

Similarly, Sarah Tan said: “This trend has become popular among Swifties worldwide, and motivated show-goers to prepare well for the big event.”

For Sarah, exchanging bracelets was a special and thoughtful gesture. Before joining The Eras Tour , she exchanged 3 Fearless bracelets with her friends.

Friendship bracelets are also the link that connects Darryl (17 years old), who has made more than 250 bracelets, with his sister and friends. Darryl recalls the memory of everyone making bracelets together for hours and continuously swaying to Taylor’s songs. Sometimes, they challenge each other to a speed bracelet-making contest with identical designs.

“The bracelets are something I can keep for the rest of my life, so even after the concert ends, I will display them in a special way somewhere in the house, so that I can always remember that wonderful experience.” “, Darryl expressed.

There are no rules for creating friendship bracelets. Everyone can choose their own style. Photo: Zoe Yan/@helloimaginations, The New York Times, The Boston Globe.

Swifties also set some rules for themselves when exchanging friendship bracelets to make it a more precious ritual, such as: avoid exchanging the same bracelet multiple times, distinguish the bracelets they made from the bracelets they received. from others by wearing it on two different hands, avoid refusing transactions so as not to hurt other Swifties…

In addition, Gabrielle Teo, who has been a Swiftie for about 15 years, affirmed that people can freely exchange bracelets at their idol’s concert because most Swifties are very friendly.

In general, the popularity of friendship bracelets is influenced by the nostalgic trend of young people. Additionally, the bracelets foster a sense of Swifites community beyond the online world. For Swifties who have embraced the hoop-making trend from day one, it helps them pass on the hobby to their children, bond with the craft, and share their love of music.