How old is James in Taylor Swift's Folklore love-triangle storyline?

James is 17 years old in Taylor Swift's Folklore love-triangle storyline.

The age appears in the background of the three connected songs “Cardigan,” “Betty,” and “august.” James is portrayed as a teenager whose actions affect Betty and the unnamed narrator during a summer relationship and its aftermath.

His age helps establish the songs' setting as a teenage coming-of-age story rather than an adult romance. The narrator of “august” remembers a brief summer connection with James, while James later seeks to repair his relationship with Betty.

The songs do not form a literal chronological account of Swift's life. They are part of Folklore's fictional storytelling framework, in which Swift imagined characters, relationships, and events. The name “Augustine” or “Augusta,” sometimes attached to the narrator by fans, should not be mistaken for James's name or for an officially stated name in the song.