Taylor Swift’s “cardigan” represents Betty’s perspective in the love triangle connected to “august.”
The three Folklore songs “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty” describe the same fictional relationship from different viewpoints. “cardigan” is associated with Betty, “betty” with James, and “august” with an unnamed girl involved in a summer romance with James.
The arrangement is one of Folklore’s defining storytelling devices. Instead of presenting one complete narrative in a single song, Swift distributes details across three tracks, allowing listeners to compare memory, regret, hope, and misunderstanding.
A common mistake is identifying the narrator of “august” as Betty because the songs are often discussed together. Betty is the person James ultimately returns toward, while the unnamed narrator experiences the temporary summer relationship described in “august.”