Taylor Swift fans are sharing their disappointment with the singer’s Eras tour merchandise after finding the clothes fade after washing.
To coincide with her highly anticipated Eras tour, which began last month, the “Anti-Hero” singer released a range of branded merch, including $45 T-shirts and $75 hoodies emblazoned with various photos of Swift.
However, the merchandise, which some fans have waited in line for hours for, has proven to be a disappointment for many due to its inability to retain its colour after a cycle in the washing machine.
The alleged design flaw, which appears to be mainly affecting the shirts emblazoned with 10 multi-coloured photos of the singer in her various eras, has become a topic of concern on TikTok, where fans have shared videos of their ruined merchandise.
In one video shared by a fan who goes by the username @daphneorta, she urged fellow Swifties not to wash their Eras merch, while showing off her own extremely faded T-shirt.
“Don’t wash y’all’s Eras merch. Literally wtf,” the TikToker captioned the video, which has since been viewed more than 316,000 times.
The TikToker was not the only one whose Eras merchandise was allegedly ruined during a cycle in the washing machine, as a fan by the username @swiftienyc also shared a close-up video of the faded Swift graphic art on their grey Eras hoodie.
“Pissed is an understatement,” they wrote in a text caption on the video, before noting in the caption that the fading had allegedly happened after “one wash on delicate, cold, AND inside out”.
“Here to confirm the merch is trash,” they added. “Don’t waste your money, yours won’t be magically different.”
In another video posted by a fan named Kylie, she said that she was making the TikTok as a “PSA” after her own Eras merch was ruined in the wash.
“Okay, so I have something to share with you all, it’s just a little PSA because I had this happen to me and I texted the people that I went with and they all had this happen to them,” Kylie began the video. “For everybody that is standing in those long lines for Taylor merch, here’s what happened to my Taylor merch when I washed it.”
Kylie, who said that she’d stood in line for a “very long time” to purchase the shirt in question, then proceeded to show how the images on the T-shirt had become “super faded” after just one wash.
The TikToker also showed the back of the T-shirt, where she said the ink from the words had run in the wash.
“So, just a little PSA, when you wash your shirt like you would normally wash your shirt, it’s going to get faded,” Kylie said, after noting that she was “super disappointed” in the merchandise quality.
In the caption of the video, which has been viewed more than 180,000 times, Kylie tagged Swift and added: “I’m so disappointed in the merch girl! One wash and it’s ruined.”
In the comments under the viral videos, additional fans have also expressed their disappointment after finding their own merchandise ruined after it was washed.
“Mine is ruined too! Like faded and parts of the black got on the white parts! I only washed mine once, on cold, inside out,” one person commented, while another said: “Nooo, this is the third video I’ve seen of this happening!”
Someone else added: “I am seeing this all over the place! It is so wrong that the shirts are fading, especially for $45!”
On the official Swift merchandise website, it notes that “due to the particular ink curing process,” some fading is possible.
“Due to the particular ink curing process used on certain Tour Collection products, after washing your merchandise you may see a faint fade on the product print. This slight fade is related to the product’s distressed, vintage look. Please also note it is important to follow product care instructions as listed on the product label when washing and drying your items, to best protect and maintain the product’s look and feel,” the website states.
The website also notes that if customers notice a “dramatic loss of pigment or ink bleeding,” they can contact taylorswift@umgstores.com and may be eligible for a replacement.
“However, if after washing your product you notice a dramatic loss of pigment or ink bleeding on your product, please contact taylorswift@umgstores.com so we can help address the concern, and provide a replacement if necessary under our Exchange Policy,” the website reads.
The Independent has contacted a representative for Swift and the official merchandiser for comment.
