The rebellious femininity of the babydoll From Versace to Loewe, the babydoll dress takes centre stage in the SS23 collections

Ever since Paul Poiret abolished the corset in the early 1900s and introduced the bra, freeing women from the rigid dress constraints of the past and paving the way for new forms of lingerie and nightwear, the babydoll has endured through the decades, taking on ever new meanings. With its distinctive trapeze silhouette, it has evolved from a childish garment to a uniform for the modern Lolita, from a symbol of sexual emancipation to a punk rock banner, to dominating the catwalks of Spring 2023 and dressing M3GAN, the most famous robotic doll of recent months, who kills thugs with a machete in a prissy pink silk minidress. Indeed, it is no coincidence that at a time when many governments are working to restrict women's rights, more and more costume makers and designers are re-appropriating this piece to affirm the desire for a free and joyful femininity that has no intention of submitting to those who want to dictate the law to the female body. Thus, the babydoll has returned as an accomplice of coquettecore and balletcore, in the creativity of famous brands such as Versace, Loewe, Coach, but also in the more recent realities of Cecilie Bahnsen, Selkie and LoveShackFancy. 

The balanced interpretation between naïve allure, Lolita sentiment and punk-rock rebellious attitude of the babydoll inspired Anna Sui's Spring/Summer 1994 and more recently Meadham Kirchhoff's SS12 collection with her clones of Courtney Love in silk dresses paired with Mary Janes and pastel tights, as well as Miu Miu's SS16 with her young ladies wearing sheer negligees over other dresses. Spring 2023 saw the return of the silhouette described by Avery Abbott, reworked in a variety of shades, from flamboyant and frou-frou to preppy. Cecilie Bahnsen opted for a bouffant, sugary sweet styles in pastel shades, with puffed sleeves and asymmetric shoulders, not too different from Selkie's very popular creations. Giambattista Valli and Del Core favored more minimal, dry and essential shapes; Ludovic de Saint Sernin SS23 used them to subvert gender norms. Rick Owens traded them in for the usual dystopian, conceptual garments, while at Coach the babydolls were inspired by the sixties and, with their Vichy patterns and delicate colors, recalled Mia Farrow's look in Rosemary's Baby. Loewe made them a kind of evolution of the classic polo shirt, creating delightful striped and plain designs that look just as good with and legs or tights as they do with 90s-style trousers or jeans underneath. And finally, Versace has transformed polo shirts into a sexy version by combining crinkle-effect silk and lace bodices. "I have always loved rebellious women," Donatella said in her notes for the SS23 fashion show, and what speaks more to subversive femininity than a babydoll?