Welcome to yet another album cycle for Taylor Swift. The artist is poised to unveil her eagerly awaited twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, this Friday, Oct. 3 at 12 a.m. ET.
As the promotional efforts for TS12 intensify, being a devoted Swiftie involves endless detective work for hints about her yet-to-be-released tracks, as is customary. I won’t pretend to fully grasp the intricacies of the Easter eggs and lyrical enigmas surfacing this week. However, let me fill you in on all of the limited-time TLOAS merchandise releases, sparkling orange product launches, exclusive offers, and debut events related to Showgirl’s release — both official and otherwise — that you may have overlooked.
Whoever claimed orange is the new pink had remarkable foresight. Swift assigns a distinct color theme to symbolize each of her album eras as a means of setting the mood and clever marketing. For TLOAS, she chose a bright shade of glittery tangerine with mint green highlights.
Swift illuminated her color choice on the Aug. 13 episode of her fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, when she announced TLOAS and showcased its main vinyl variant — a Portofino Orange Glitter pressing. “[Orange] feels like kind of energetically how my life has felt,” she shared. “And this album is about what was happening behind the scenes in my inner life during this [Eras] Tour, which was incredibly vibrant and electric.”
Swift first hinted at her orange era during the final stop of her record-breaking Eras Tour in December 2024, when she left the stage through a pumpkin-colored door instead of using the usual elevator lift. This exemplifies the careful consideration Swift applies to every marketing move she makes.
On the subject of vinyl: Being a physical media collector is not a cheap or easy endeavor. Swift has released 23 distinct hard copies of TLOAS thus far, featuring eight vinyl variants, 14 CDs (including box sets and signed editions), and one cassette tape. Many were produced in limited runs and sold out swiftly.
As of now, the primary Portofino Orange Glitter vinyl, a CD/poster bundle, a CD box set with a crewneck sweatshirt, and the cassette tape were still available for preorder through Swift’s official online store. The orange vinyl and CD/poster bundle can also be found on Amazon and Target at slight price increases.
Target is offering a couple of exclusive TLOAS variations, including three CD/poster bundles with alternate artwork and a “The Crowd is Your King” edition vinyl variant pressed in Summertime Spritz Pink Shimmer. The CDs were still available online at my last check, but the preorders for the vinyl are sold out. You might have the chance to get it in person on Friday: Approximately 500 Target locations nationwide will host midnight release parties (while supplies last). Check Target’s website to locate a participating store near you.
The only official TLOAS merchandise currently available for purchase is a crewneck sweatshirt featuring the album’s cover art, included in the previously mentioned CD box set. Swift’s online store previously offered another box set with a sparkly orange cardigan for $70 in mid-September, but it is no longer on the market.
Swift’s earlier merchandise collections have included clothing, jewelry, drinkware, blankets, pins, guitars, guitar picks, candles, stickers, phone cases, and journals, so a much larger TLOAS release is virtually certain. Some fans believe that Spotify’s TLOAS pop-up event in New York City this week hinted at future items: A TS-branded vinyl case, robe, duffle bag, slippers, and a megaphone ornament were spotted during the activation.
If you’re searching for more TLOAS clothing and gifts in the meantime, there are numerous unofficial options available on Etsy — and on various brands’ social media platforms.
Brands have “trendjacked” Swift’s TLOAS rollout with orange-infused memes, orange-themed promotions, and limited-edition orange product releases over the last month. (Trendjacking refers to a marketing strategy that effectively means “interpolating a viral trend.”) None of the drops I’ve noticed are licensed collaborations, but they playfully suggest a Showgirl connection in their titles and product descriptions.
KitchenAid revealed a mockup of a glittery orange stand mixer on its Instagram account on the day of the TLOAS announcement. The post resonated so well with fans that the company opted to bring it to life. Only 12 of them are available, and you can win one by entering KitchenAid’s “Showbiz Sweepstakes” by Oct. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
OtterBox refers to the Symmetry Series Encore as “the case of the year to match the album of the