BABY GOT BACK
We break down the return of a saccharine style
Q: I’ve been seeing babydoll dresses making a comeback on the racks of local boutiques like Karen Walker. I love the idea of them, but how on earth do I wear one without looking like a child?
A: The frilly lines and often pastel shades of babydoll dresses can ring alarm bells for many, going well beyond our black, tailored comfort zones. But this frou-frou style can be surprisingly wearable when paired with clean lines and sharp accessories. The babydoll dress dates back to 1942 and American lingerie designer Sylvia Pedlar — the style’s cropped hemline owing to fabric shortages during World War II. Gaining popularity when worn by actress Carroll Baker in the 1956 film Baby Doll, the dress made the transition into daywear during the ’60s and ’70s — think Twiggy bouncing around in a barely-there Mary Quant number. Fashion houses such as Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton have since devised somewhat more subversive versions — taking the dress far beyond its sleepwear origins. Here’s how to style a babydoll in any setting... Got a style question or burning fashion dilemma? Send it to fq@bauermedia.co.nz