Hello! Style Director Sara Holzman here. Senior fashion news editor Halie LeSavage handed me The A-List Edit keys this week, and I couldn’t think of a more fitting topic for the middle of a July heat wave than the one dress I’ve been reaching for on repeat.
Summer strips fashion down to its essentials. Once the temps climb into the 90s, there’s nowhere to hide behind clever layering or a great coat. The clothes either work—or they don’t. Even celebrities start making practical decisions.
Yes, summer celebrity style means Birkins swinging through the Hamptons, vintage jewelry sparkling on the Italian Riviera, and yacht wardrobes photographed from every possible angle. But beneath all the high-impact looks, I’ve noticed that the best-dressed rely on remarkably simple clothes. Lately, that means the babydoll dress.
It’s airy, unfussy, and far easier to wear than its overly sweet reputation suggests. You throw one on, add a great pair of shoes, and never regret the decision. Maybe that's why celebrities can't stop wearing them. It's certainly why I've been living in mine.
The Baby Doll Dress, Without the Baby Talk
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a jeans person. Stiff denim and a 100-degree subway platform are simply not a combination I’m interested in exploring, which is why dresses make up most of my warm-weather wardrobe.
The babydoll, though, is not a one-look-fits-all proposition. Olivia Rodrigo leans into its youthful edge in Sandy Liang and Chloé, while Elle Fanning makes it feel refined in Chanel. It can channel Courtney Love's '90s grunge just as easily as it can feel clean, minimal, or romantic. Few trends have appealed to women with such wildly different personal styles—which may be why the babydoll dress survives every fashion cycle.
The difference usually comes down to the shoes. Celebrities are grounding theirs with slim flip-flops, Mary Jane pumps, and even combat boots—anything that adds a little friction to the dress’s more innocent reputation. The silhouette may look specific, but it gives you plenty of room to make it your own.
How I Style It
I almost never wear this white Merlette dress without someone stopping me to ask where it's from. The tiered cotton creates beautiful movement, while the knee-length hem keeps it from feeling overly precious. I styled it with leather fisherman sandals to ground all that volume, plus an easy summer tote, gold jewelry, sunglasses, and a striped knit thrown over my shoulders for overzealous air conditioning.
That's what I love about the babydoll dress: Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, and I couldn't style it more differently, yet the silhouette somehow works for all of us.
This Bernadette dress is my case for investing in one really beautiful babydoll dress. I wore it to a daytime garden party with Roger Vivier kitten heels, but I'd pack it just as quickly for a cocktail wedding with a chic black blazer thrown over the shoulders and an embellished clutch. Personally, I love it with a delicate shoe, but it could just as easily go in another direction with a mesh flat, a penny loafer, or—even if you're feeling bold—a combat boot.
