Nothing surprises me anymore. Maybe, at almost fifty, I have seen a thing or two, or maybe, daily, the news reports something so shocking yet most of us hardly raise an eyebrow. But, honestly it shocked me to see the return of the babydoll dress. The history of this mildly named dress, is rooted in women’s lib and freedom of expression. So, I guess it is no surprise the trend has gained popularity now as our nation reckons with the “me too” era and our government seeks to impose more and more restrictions on a women’s body.
I pretty much skipped the babydoll trend in the 90’s. I was a mid-20’s, career girl and the last thing I wanted was to be considered young and immature. The 90’s version was decidedly more “little girlish” with ruffles and floral prints than today’s sleeker styles consisting mainly of single colors or stripes. Today’s version has ventured farther away from the babydoll’s lingerie inspired roots.
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What is a Babydoll Dress?
A baby doll dress is defined as an empire waist dress that ends above the knee but it includes any dress of volume that is short. Fashion girls this summer embraced a tiered version in white that had no waist at all. Most were similar to this Anine Bing Babydoll. It inspired me but unless by some magic when donning the dress, I transformed into a waif-like model with no breasts, the dress would definitely not work for me. With most babydoll dresses featuring billowy sleeves, I would look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow man.
J.Crew Tiered Popover Dress
I wasn’t really looking for another black dress. Actually, after years of drought in the LBD arena, my closet runneth over. But I spend a lot of time shopping, as you can imagine and online I saw this darling dress on @thefancyashley. She had on the J.Crew Tiered Popover Dress in Stripe. She inspired me to try it because the dress looks so cute on her. Of course, the stripes felt too much on my 5’9″ frame but the black was just right.
I ordered both a Medium and a Large because I wasn’t sure if the dress would be too fitted across the bust in my usual Medium. I am a 34DD and fitting across the chest can be tricky. The Medium turned out to be perfect. The regular length fit me exactly as I hoped. I wear tall in most J.Crew pants. The online reviews state that the dress runs slightly large but I think it fits more TTS.
As with all J.Crew clothing, this dress is so well made. They create the volume by an attached slip in the same cotton fabric. The dress has perfectly angled pockets. I love a dress with good pockets! I haven’t washed my dress yet but it is machine washable and I will likely hang dry to prevent the black from fading.
How to Wear a Babydoll
A babydoll dress is incredibly versatile. You can easily dress it up or wear one for everyday. Shoes and accessories make the look. A babydoll dress goes with all your favorite shoes from sneakers to the season’s biggest trend, the slouchy boot. I wouldn’t wear pumps but if you are interesting in adding a heel opt for a heeled boot or bootie or sandal boot.
Another way to wear this dress is to add a pair of bright colored tights for winter. I am eyeing these Hansel from Basel tights from Anthropologie. Of course, I love sneakers with dresses and this one looks great with all your favorite kicks.
Proportion is Key
The key to wearing a babydoll dress is proportion. Make sure the dress is hemmed well above your knee. I prefer 2-3 inches above the knee. BTW – This dress comes in petite and I recommended to my BFF who is 5’2″. I think she will look great in it. A good babydoll dress will have some volume but make sure it doesn’t overwhelm your frame. The J.Crew dress has just enough volume to flatter but not overpower. If you are tall, stick to dresses with conservative sleeves. Bell sleeves or overly puffy sleeves can look costumey. Is “costumey” a word? I don’t think so but it should be. I hate any clothes that end up feeling like you are wearing a costume.
I love the idea that the babydoll dress is associated with female liberation. Mrs. Prada described the babydoll as, “armor against conservatism” during her Mui Mui S16 show.* I am all for empowering women. Be who you are! Wear what you want! Love all!
Another wildly popular dress right now, is the Zara Polka Dot Dress. Check out my review here. Fall is a great time for transitional maxi dresses. You can check out my picks here.
I would love it if you followed me on Instagram for my everyday outfits or on Pinterest for my fashion inspiration. StyleDahlia is for fashion-minded women in the prime of their life. We delight in the beauty of everyday and we hope you will join us on our journey. Happy Shopping Dahlias.
* From The Political History of the Babydoll Dress
