Taylor Swift: Who was Clara Bow? Why is a song on The Tortured Poets Department named after her?

I am sure all you Swifties out there know every single track name of Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ but perhaps some of you may have been wondering about the song Clara Bow? For those of you who are even more astute when it comes to the icon that is Taylor Swift, you may have noticed a nod to Clara Bow in the outfit she chose to wear to the GRAMMYs 2024. 

Taylor Swift wore a stunning Schiaparelli gown with a thigh-high slit that she accessorised with black opera style gloves to the GRAMMYs 2024 and it reminded me of the Princess of Wales’s look that she wore to the BAFTAs 2023. 

It wasn’t only Taylor Swift’s gown that drew attention, but her accessories too. As well as black opera style gloves, she  wore a Lorraine Schwartz vintage watch round her neck. There are always Easter Eggs where Taylor Swift is concerned and she made sure there were plenty others at the GRAMMYs. Reputation is Taylor’s sixth album, so she wore six chains on her necklace and the black-and-white colour scheme was a nod to the album’s black-and-white cover.

Page Six also reported that a Swiftie “posted a close-up shot of the songstress’ jewellery from the evening-which included several layered diamond necklaces in addition to the aforementioned timepiece-alongside a vintage photo of Bow (Clara Bow) draped in stands of pearl and a likeminded choker.”

So, who exactly was Clara Bow whom Taylor Swift named one of her tracks after on her new album? Clara Bow has been described as the ‘It Girl’ of the Roaring Twenties. Clara was born in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, USA, in 1905 and was brought up by a mother who was reportedly institutionalised after suffering with her mental health.

Clara Bow went on to secure a small role in the film Beyond the Rainbow in 1922 which was the result of her winning a magazine’s beauty contest when she was 16. During the silent film era, she starred in roles such as Mantrap and Wings, both in the 1920s.

What are the similarities between Taylor Swift and Clara Bow?

Just like the world is fascinated in Taylor Swift’s personal relationships (think Joe Alwyn and now Travis Kelce), the same could have been said for Clara Bow. The Guardian reported that “Her love life was far more thrilling and varied than the films she made, and there’s a reason why she negotiated not to have a morals clause in her Paramount contract. But she paid a price for being brazen.” The article goes on to say that “As fellow actor Lina Basquette said: ‘She wasn’t well liked amongst other women in the film colony.”

When Taylor Swift took a step back from the public eye, she was 28, Clara Bow retired from acting when she was the same age. We all know how partial Taylor Swift is to red lipstick, and Clara Bow was said to have been a fan of wearing it too. Page Six also reported that some fans have noted on X that “some of Swift's music video looks have mirrored the 1920’s superstar.”