Fans Are Convinced Taylor Swift's AFC Championship Necklace Is a 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' Clue

Are those...snakes?

Taylor Swift wears a Louis Vuitton logo print jacket, black beanie, and a necklace possibly teasing Reputation Taylor's Version
(Image credit: Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images/David Eulitt)

Swifties have come to expect seeing Taylor Swift's Chiefs game outfits, whenever she rocks up to support boyfriend Travis Kelce. On Jan. 26, 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship, and Swift's outfit was on form, as usual. But fans focused in on one particular detail—a necklace, which many believe to be a hint at the forthcoming release of Reputation (Taylor's Version).

Fans of the "Look What You Made Me Do" singer have been patiently awaiting the re-release of 2017's Reputation. A plethora of fan theories have wrongfully predicted the release date of the much-anticipated re-recording. However, eagle-eyed Swifties are convinced that the performer's Louis Vuitton outfit at Kelce's AFC Championship on Jan. 26 contained a subtle Reputation-coded clue.

Sarah Chapelle, who has blogged about Swift's style for more than a decade, identified the singer's "Ancient Coin Necklace" as being a design created by Steven Battelle. In her Instagram post regarding the item, Chapelle noted that Battelle "uses real ancient coins in their work so every single piece is unique and different."

"Taylor has worn a number of vintage coin necklaces recently, including at a few Chiefs games," Chapelle wrote on Instagram. "What immediately came to my mind was her season opener outfit which was also styled with a vintage, ancient bronze coin necklace. I imagine that something about it feels like embodying a fighting / warrior mindset to fit in with the 'go fight win' of sports."

Taylor Swift has dark blonde hair, and is wearing a Louis Vuitton black and gold logo print jacket, a black beanie, and a Reputation necklace

Taylor Swift wore a Reputation-coded coin necklace on Jan. 26.

(Image credit: David Eulitt/Brooke Sutton/Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

Some of Swift's fans discussed the necklace on X, with several suggesting that the coin in question featured snakes, which were key to the Reputation era. A Steven Battelle item on 1st Dibs that "depicts two intertwined serpents" seemingly added weight to the theory.

"It's the year of the snake so it's very likely rep TV will be released sometime this year," one fan wrote on X. Another Swiftie wasn't so quick to believe or dismiss the potential clue, writing, "i can't clown over her fashion choices anymore she's worn so many snakes this past year."

However, another X user noted that Swift's necklace was actually a Roman coin, which tragically disproved the snake theory.

Taylor Swift wearing Louis Vuitton

Was Swift's AFC Championship outfit a Reputation (Taylor's Version) clue?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For now, at least, fans will just have to continue waiting patiently to find out if Reputation (Taylor's Version) is finally on the way. Sadly, this latest "clue" is probably just another in a long list of red herrings.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.