5 things we’ve learned from Olivia Rodrigo’s babydoll dress moments

There’s been a lot of chatter about babydoll dresses lately. Mostly, that’s thanks to Olivia Rodrigo – the sweet, retro, hyper-girly dress style has become her thing. Lately, she’s ditched the hot pants and slogan tees from the Guts tour for florals and empire waistlines. It’s a fitting vibe for her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which captures the dizzying highs and heartbreaks of being a full-time romantic. But it’s also full of Livy’s classic pop-punk rage – and that’s exactly why the babydoll is such a perfect fit.

Worn by riot grrrl icons from Courtney Love to Babes in Toyland’s Kat Bjelland, the babydoll has long been used as a subversive symbol of femininity in punk. “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,” explained Rodrigo in a recent interview. But when she stepped out in a micro baby doll for a May performance in Barcelona for Spotify Billions Club Live, the references went over some people’s heads and the internet’s outrage machine instantly went into overdrive, sparking a mini moral panic about whether the look was appropriate for an adult woman. (ICYMI, you can read more about that here.) It all got… a bit much.

Especially given the fact that Rodrigo isn’t the only person embracing the babydoll comeback. From Sabrina Carpenter to Chloé’s pre-fall 2026 collection (which Rodrigo wears in the “Drop Dead” music video), it’s one of the most worn and talked about styles of the season. Dare to give it a try? Here are five styling takeaways we’ve learned from Liv’s best babydoll dress moments.