The babydoll dress is back in fashion, and with it comes a familiar wave of moral panic. Pop star Olivia Rodrigo has faced online backlash for wearing babydoll outfits in her music video for Drop Dead and during a live performance in Barcelona. Critics accused her of infantilising herself and promoting a 'Lolita' aesthetic, but defenders argue the style has a rich history of rebellion and self-expression.
The Latest Controversy
In the music video for Drop Dead, Rodrigo wears a pastel blue babydoll top from Chloé's pre-fall 2026 collection, paired with silky bloomers and white knee socks. The video, shot at the Palace of Versailles, was criticised online for its 'sexy baby' look. Similarly, on stage in Barcelona, she wore a pink and white floral babydoll top with ruffled bloomers from Génération78, accessorised with chunky Dr Marten boots.
Ertay Deger, co-founder of Génération78, defended the look, stating that the babydoll silhouette was never meant to infantilise. Instead, it sits within a long history of fashion tied to rebellion, performance, romance, and girlhood culture. 'The look felt knowingly performative rather than regressive,' he said.
A History of Subversion
The babydoll dress first emerged in the 1960s, developing alongside the mini dress. Dr Liza Betts, a researcher at London College of Fashion, explains that it represents the tension between societal propriety and empowered sexual freedom during the second-wave feminism era. The style was worn both as daywear and nightwear, blurring boundaries.
In the 1990s, the babydoll experienced a resurgence in alternative culture, particularly through the 'kinderwhore' aesthetic of grunge icons like Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland. They used the style to ironically subvert docile femininity. Love recently defended Rodrigo, saying, 'If y’all are sexualising this, then maybe you’re the problem ... you can pry my babydoll dress from my cold dead hands.'
Why the Fuss?
Gen Z is often characterised as puritanical, and the backlash against Rodrigo's outfits may reflect a broader societal anxiety about child sexual exploitation. However, critics argue that this outrage is a projection that polices young women's fashion rather than expressing genuine concern. Rodrigo herself wants her fashion to be 'fun and laid back,' a sentiment that seems lost on online audiences.
While Rodrigo's style is more polished than the grunge pioneers of the 1990s, even tame choices can spark controversy. The babydoll dress remains a symbol of tension between innocence and sexuality, rebellion and conformity.
