With a string of broken romances behind her at the relatively tender age of 22, anyone would be forgiven for thinking that the sheer scale of Taylor Swift’s celebrity is the problem.

She’s accomplished much in her young life – and has the awards to prove it – so it’s easy to see how she could intimidate a partner; and also understandable if she has an off-putting need to be in control.

Wearing the trousers: Taylor Swift wears pants in this stunning shoot for Harper’s Bazaar but admits in the accompanying article that she prefers not to, literally and figuratively… in relationships

But Taylor, who recently split with Conor Kennedy, 18, has revealed to Harper’s Bazaar that it’s when a man fails to take the reins – or at least his share of them – that problems set in.

The frock loving country singer, who has also dated Taylor Lautner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas and John Mayer, also admitted that she loves feeling like a ’50s housewife in her beloved vintage finds.

She explained: ‘It needs to be equal. If I feel too much like I’m wearing the pants, I start to feel uncomfortable and then we break up.’

6siren: Taylor was styled to swing in this stunning shoot, but the ’50s is the era she leans towards when given free reign

New look: It’s a different Taylor we see in this shoot for Harper’s Bazaar’s December/January issue

She added: ‘Relationships are the ultimate collaboration but It’s wonderful to hand over the reins to your boyfriend when you control so much of these big, high-pressure decisions, you know?

‘That is a huge defining factor in who you choose to be with.’

She also talked about how she doesn’t like to wear the trousers, quite literally and said of her dress collection: ‘Whether it’s a summertime dress that makes me feel carefree, an evening cocktail dress that makes me feel fancy or a vintage dress that makes me feel like a ’50s housewife – which I enjoy feeling like, for some reason – I just really like dresses.’

Girl on the go: Taylor arriving at LAX airport on Monday following a promotional trip to Europe

Read my lips: The star wore red lipstick in a nod to her album coverShe also explained that although failed relationships are a source of pain to her, they also create a well of creativity.

She said: ‘Some combinations of people are toxic, you know? You have to find the right one that isn’t just going to explode into fiery ash and destruction.’

‘Despite all of that and how unpleasant it is, as a writer you get a lot from it. It’s a crazy justification system. You know that guy you really wish you could erase from your memory? But then the answer is track six, eight, 12, and 13.’

The day job: Taylor’s been so successful and focused in her career that she wants a man to take the reigns in her love life; she appeared at last night’s MTV Europe Awards in Frankfurt

And all the drama gives her something to discuss with her celebrity BFFs Selena Gomez and Emma Stone.

She revealed: ‘We never talk about fashion, about career, about our ambitions or our projects,” she says of her pals. “We just talk about relationships, feelings, love, and boys.’