Olivia Rodrigo Wore Baby-Doll Dress at Barcelona Concert

Olivia Rodrigo wore a floral baby-doll dress, pink bloomers, and knee-high leather boots during an intimate concert in Barcelona earlier this month. The performance marked a Spotify-streaming milestone for the singer. " Others defended her right to choose her own clothing.

Rodrigo stated in a recent interview that she drew inspiration from 1990s artists Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love. Those artists paired baby-doll dresses with punk rock to challenge the fetishization of girlhood. A boy's garment from 1855 resembles the silhouette later worn by adult performers.

Adults began wearing similar short, loose dresses around the 1860s. Women adopted the style partly for bicycle commuting after shifting from sidesaddle riding. The garments drew criticism at the time for appearing to show underwear. Later in the 19th century, similar bottoms became known as bloomers after suffragist Amelia Bloomer.

In the 1940s, designer Sylvia Pedlar created short nightgowns due to World War II fabric shortages. The style gained its modern name after the 1956 film Baby Doll. By the 1950s and 1960s, the silhouette shifted toward lingerie associations. Fashion historians note that distinctions between children's and adult clothing have shifted repeatedly over centuries.