The babydoll is back and so is the moral panic

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead” music video shows her moving through ornate rooms at the Palace of Versailles in a soft, hazy teenage aesthetic. The backlash that followed focused on her pastel blue babydoll outfit, including an off-the-shoulder top, silky bloomers, and white pointelle knee socks. Similar styling appeared later during a Barcelona performance, pairing a pink-and-white floral babydoll top and ruffled bloomers with chunky black knee-high boots. Online reactions split between accusations of “sexy baby” and “pedo core” aesthetics and defenses that she can wear what she wants. Generation78 co-founder Ertay Deger said the babydoll silhouette was not intended to infantilize and instead connects to fashion traditions of rebellion, romance, and girlhood culture.

"The outfit—a floaty off-the-shoulder Chloe pre-fall 2026 babydoll top, styled with silky bloomers peeking out underneath and white pointelle knee socks—did not impress the keyboard warriors (likely, bots), who accused the singer of infantilising herself and invoking a Lolita' aesthetic. A few weeks later, Rodrigo donned a similar look (pictured top) on stage in Barcelona for Spotify's Billions Club Live concert: a pink and white floral puff-sleeve babydoll top with matching ruffled bloomers from the small brand Generation78, offset by chunky black knee-high Dr Marten boots, equal parts soft and severe."

"Online discourse immediately exploded, with many lodging accusations that she was dressing like a sexy baby and promoting pedo core, while others defended the singer, stating that she can wear whatever she wants. Among those defenders was Ertay Deger, co-founder of brand Generation78, who told the Guardian: the babydoll silhouette was never conceived as infantilising. For us, it sits within a long history of fashion references tied to rebellion, performance, romance, and girlhood culture."

"It is an all round soft-girl production, shot by Petra Collins who captures a hazy teenage aesthetic close to a carbon copy of Sofia Coppola's 2006 film, Marie Antoinette. But when the video aired last month, it was met with instant backlash online—not for her halting tourists from visiting the world heritage site for the day, but for Rodrigo's Pinterest-inspired, pastel blue, babydoll ensemble. Her eyes are fixed on the camera as she saunters through the ornate rooms of the Palace of Versailles."

"The look felt knowingly performative rather than regressive. Sheerly does it—Sabrina Carpenter rocking her babydoll on stage. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AEG Rodrigo is a 23-year-old, critically acclaimed pop sensation who has long championed her creative independence, in both her sound and he"

Read at www.theguardian.com