Olivia Rodrigo has twirled through the lead-up to her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, with one dress style at the front of her styling rack. "I really love the idea of a babydoll dress," she told Vogue in early May, referencing pieces she's worn by Chloé, Sandy Liang, Betsey Johnson, and more. "I just remember being younger and having pictures of Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland from all these riot grrrl punk bands in their babydoll dresses, just owning it."
Some social media users are willfully confusing babydoll dresses with "dressing like a baby", but they seem unversed in the fashion history Rodrigo's referencing. Much like her music—which stacks Taylor Swift-level lyrics over '90s grunge melodies—babydoll dresses aren't as inherently hyper-feminine as they seem. Circa-1950s Balenciaga, Courtney Love, and even present-day designers prove there's always been tension between a babydoll's sweet sleeves and the skirts' rebellious length. Rodrigo isn't the first fashion plate to tap into its lineage, and she won't be the last.
