One certified Swiftie wore a 13-pound dress made of friendship bracelets to the Eras tour, and according to her, the extravagant garment wasn’t too noisy for other concertgoers, even though some fans confessed concern.
Laura Petty documented her lengthy outfit-making process on TikTok before the Wednesday show in Los Angeles, California, at SoFi stadium. The 27-year-old carefully glued handmade friendship bracelets onto a gold fringe dress to create the heavy piece. Millions of users tuned in to follow along while Petty completed her custom-made look like so many other Swift fans attending the concerts have done.
In an interview with Insider, the mortgage processor from Charlotte admitted she spent about three months piecing together her dress. “It was done in little spurts at night and on weekends but the first bead to last was right at three months,” she proclaimed.
While Petty’s innovative design impressed some followers on her page, others pointed to the pitfalls of wearing the hefty dress. A few noted the bulky material could be uncomfortable, while some thought it would generate too much noise with the plastic beads clashing together all night.
“So fun but also RIP to the people beside you that won’t be able to hear the concert LOL,” one critic commented on her final video, which has now attracted more than 8.5 million views.
“Just imagine if one bead gets loose and the rest follow,” another person warned.
Another TikToker wrote: “I feel for the person beside you.”
Despite the flood of judgment, Petty assured her followers the dress was no issue when she wore it to the concert.
“People were so, so sweet and I got nothing but nice reactions,” she said to Insider of the reactions from fellow concert-goers. “And no, you could not hear the beads at ALL once the music started.”
The creative fan admitted she was nervous about wearing the outfit after seeing all the hate surrounding it, but nevertheless, she decided to wear it with the “help and reassurance” of her supportive friend.
Just as sound wasn’t an issue, Petty didn’t notice the weight of the dress due to the careful inseam she crafted. “I had added so much internal support that I didn’t feel any added weight or discomfort,” she said.
As her Eras Tour experience ends, the TikToker said she is ready to hang up her outfit and archive it in her closet. As for requests to purchase the dress, she only plans to sell the detailed piece to one special buyer if they’d ever want it.
“The only way I would part with it is to give it to Ms Tay herself,” Petty proclaimed.
The Independent has reached out to Petty for comment.
Among the Swifties who were quick enough to secure seats at the “Better Than Revenge” singer’s stadium shows were celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, Miles Teller, and Mark Zuckerberg.
