In the music video for “Drop Dead,” the first single off her forthcoming third album, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo hangs out in bed in the palace of Versailles, staring at her flashing computer screen. As she plays guitar and frolics through the halls singing along to the sweeping song, we see that she’s wearing a short, off-the-shoulder minidress-slash-tunic with a pair of matching bloomer shorts and knee-high socks—something Marie Antoinette would have worn, perhaps, if she’d been a pop star in 2026 and not a queen in the 1770s.

Rodrigo’s music video outfit—a look from Chloé’s pre-fall 2026 collection—has sparked some conversation, with some saying the babydoll silhouette is infantilizing, inappropriate, too Lolita. But the babydoll look plays a very significant role in both music and fashion history, not to mention in Rodrigo’s own wardrobe, and her choice to wear the garment makes a lot of sense.

Ahead, learn more about the babydoll dress: what it looks like, when it became popular, and why it likely resonates with Rodrigo.

What is a babydoll dress?

A babydoll dress is a mini-length dress with a loose, body-skimming fit. Many babydoll styles have a high empire waist from which the skirt descends, but the empire waist isn’t technically required to be considered a babydoll dress. Babydolls are typically sleeveless or have short cap sleeves, and are short in length, generally hitting the mid-thigh or slightly higher.

Babydoll dresses have been popular since the 1940s and were first designed to be worn as lingerie and sleepwear, often in chiffon and paired with with an accompanying set of bloomer shorts like Rodrigo wears in the “Drop Dead” video, or maybe a matching peignoir robe. (Or both!)

Babydoll dresses were more frequently worn as casualwear in the ‘60s, especially as the miniskirt became the ultimate silhouette for young women. Today, babydoll dresses come in all sorts of prints, patterns, colors, and styles, like the fluffy, full-skirted minidresses popularized by the brand Selkie to more faithful, vintage-inspired recreations. They’re just a popular now as they were more than 50 years ago!

What is the babydoll dress’s connection to rock music?

Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth

David Corio