How to Style the Polarizing Dress Trend the Internet Is Losing It Over

See the way It girls wear it here.

By
Published In Features
women wearing babydoll dresses
(Image credit: @cocoschiffer; @aishafarida; @marina_torres)
Jump to category:

I’ll just come out and say it. The baby-doll dress is a bit polarizing. Due to its whimsical nature, it isn’t always considered chic. However, it is gaining popularity among the fashion set, especially Gen Z. We can thank Olivia Rodrigo for bringing the trend to light after she was spotted on stage wearing one. It’s also become mainstream because of Bohemian aesthetics coming back into the trend cycle and the fashion world’s affinity for nostalgia. Either way, when styled the right way, a baby-doll dress can, in fact, look quite chic.

The outfit formula most It girls are turning to is a baby-doll dress with a pair of flats or flip-flops and a summer bag. Think bold and colorful bags or raffia bags. This outfit formula makes the baby-doll dress look less like a sleep dress and more like one you can wear on a day or night out. If you’re still on the fence and need more convincing, keep scrolling to see how fashion connoisseurs wear the baby-doll dress and shop similar items.

a woman wearing a yellow babydoll dress and white flats

(Image credit: @aishafarida)

a woman wearing a white babydoll dress, black flip flops, and a plaid bag

(Image credit: @rubylyn_)

a woman wearing a white babydoll dress with black flip flops and a woven bag

(Image credit: @cocoschiffer)

a woman wearing a white babydoll dress with flats

(Image credit: @_imanirandolph)

a woman wearing a babydoll dress with silver flats

(Image credit: @hannahallen00)

a woman wearing a babydoll dress with brown flats

(Image credit: @marina_torres)

a woman wearing a babydoll dress, blue flats, and a raffia bag

(Image credit: @hoskelsa)

Shop Baby-Doll Dresses

Shop Ballet Flats and Flip-Flops

Shop Summery Bags

Kerane Marcellus
Associate Fashion Editor

Kerane Marcellus is a New York-based writer. She joined the Who What Wear team in 2025 after writing for Essence Magazine and freelancing for a number of other arts and culture publications. Fashion is a form of expression that she encourages everyone to take part in. There is no right or wrong in getting dressed! When she's not writing, she's reading in the park or gallery hopping in the city.