Kaia Gerber Puts a Hard-Edged Spin on the Babydoll Trend

The babydoll dress, you may have noticed, is everywhere as of late. Defined by its itty-bitty silhouette, cutesy cut and flowy fabrication, the retro design has recently evolved into a fixture of hot-button fashion discourse. While it was once associated with playful girlishness, it’s now being embraced as a sexy night-out slip. For this, we have Kaia Gerber to thank.

Earlier this week, the star celebrated the FIFA World Cup Finals at Justin Bieber’s New York City Skylark party wearing a slinky, all-black iteration of the design. The ultra-short dress was made up of a lightweight material, micro-mini straps, and a gauzy sheer trim at the neckline. Entering the party with her boyfriend Lewis Pullman, Gerber dressed up the garment with a chic shoulder bag and added some playful romance with her bow-adorned ballet flats. While it technically fit the babydoll silhouette brief, Gerber’s all-black take gave it a decidedly more mature and hard-edged spin.

Gerber is but the latest in a long line of It girls embracing the dainty dress. Olivia Rodrigo brought it into the zeitgeist earlier this spring, when she performed in an empire-waist floral number that sparked debate about age appropriateness. Since then, however, it’s been embraced as a reclamation of hyper-femininity, whimsical dressing and, practically speaking, an airy option in a heatwave. In recent weeks, the dress has been seen on Alix Earle, Hailey Bieber and Monica Barbaro. Leave it to Gerber—who has supermodel chicness in her blood—to give it a ’90s eveningwear twist.

The model-turned-actor is a longtime fan and connoisseur of the all-black silhouette. Earlier that same day, she was spotted in a longer, form-fitting version of the LBD. While her flats and bag remained the same for both looks, they served two different purposes and distinct aesthetics. One was simple and no-frills; the other was romantic and full of cultural lore. Herein lies the power of the babydoll dress.