Taylor Swift attends NFL game wearing vintage sweatshirt from local Kansas City business
Pop star Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday, sporting a vintage sweatshirt from a small business in Missouri. The vintage garment came from Westside Storey, a local boutique in Kansas City, according to Business Insider.
The owner of Westside Storey, Chris Harrington, initially thought the large online order for vintage items, including five vintage Kansas City Chiefs sweatshirts priced over $100 each, was fraudulent due to its unusually high dollar amount and “medium risk” fraud alert. However, after doing some digging, Harrington’s team felt confident that the order was “tied to Swift somehow.”
Despite doubts arising when Swift attended a previous game wearing designer clothing instead of the vintage Chiefs gear, Harrington was thrilled when the pop star arrived at Arrowhead Stadium wearing the purchased vintage sweatshirt.
“We’ve had hundreds of orders over the last 48 hours. Sometimes our online store lights up after a Chiefs game when we win, but this is 100 times more than that and we lost the game. It was the Taylor effect,” Harrington told Business Insider.
Harrington’s journey with Westside Storey began over 10 years ago, and the boutique has leaned into selling artisan products made in Missouri and Kansas City-themed merchandise alongside secondhand clothes. The rising popularity of the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as Swift sporting the vintage sweatshirt, has increased interest in Harrington’s vintage collection.
“I’ve always been an advocate for vintage — not just for coolness, but for our economy and the environment — so I think she’s very thoughtful about her purchases, and I appreciate that as a vintage lover,” Harrington said of Swift.
The unexpected endorsement from Swift has undoubtedly boosted the profile of Westside Storey, showing how a celebrity’s support can positively impact small businesses.