Item of the week: the babydoll dress

What it is:

This popular dress silhouette has made waves in recent years and has
continued to do so in the collections of coming seasons, making it a
recurring style that particularly comes into favour for the spring/summer
event periods. While the dress used to solely be an item of nightwear for
women, it has become another culmination of the lingerie-as-outerwear
trend, bringing it into daywear and eveningwear. The dress itself typically
consists of a bralette with an attached, loose-fitting skirt that falls at
the upper thigh. Common iterations displayed by brands include features
like puffed sleeves, layered skirts or ruffled hems.

Why you’ll want it:

The babydoll dress garnered popularity on social media after many
iterations of the silhouette went viral thanks to eye-catching, high street
designs and influencer favouritism. Since its viral moment, the style has
continued to maintain its acclaim among the eveningwear category as a mini
alternative to gowns and maxi dresses. The dress particularly appeals to
young, trend-led consumers who are looking for a more daring substitute to
the standard eveningwear options. The piece is a fun addition to
collections in this category, often appearing in pastel colours and prints
in keeping with its refreshing shape.

Where we’ve seen it:

Despite being largely favoured for spring/summer seasons, the babydoll
dress still made a regular appearance among AW23 collections in iterations
that varied mostly in terms of material. Zimmermann, for example, opted for
a pastel green check for its own version, which also came complete with a
bubble hem skirt and oversized sleeving. Carolina Herrera, on the other
hand, presented its take on the babydoll using gold metallic fabric that
was highly textured and helped to form the exaggerated skirt. Harris Reed’s
Nina Ricci debut also featured the silhouette, presented with a large tulle
skirt in a polka dot fabric that extended across the entirety of the
model’s body.

How to style it:

The babydoll dress is in itself a statement outfit and does well as a
standalone piece in an outfit. It’s the use of accessories that can really
bring this item to life, with the best option being to experiment with
similarly fun, playful pieces. For the daytime, pair the dress with
colourful sneakers or printed sandals, making it a comfortable alternative
for summery days. Add a little leather shoulder bag and simple accessories
to finish the look off. Alternatively, for the evening, add a pair of
retro, platform heels in a contrasting hue or polished loafers to continue
the vintage-inspired attire throughout.

While not exactly considered a practical style, the babydoll dress is still
a fun alternative to the typical eveningwear, bringing a playfulness to the
category in a vintage-inspired way. For AW23 season, designers largely
played with volume and materials to show their own takes on the dress,
suggesting that it could stay in vogue for future seasons.