A new Vogue article meant to celebrate the return of the babydoll dress has instead invited criticism from Taylor Swift’s fans, and the argument boils down to a simple question of fashion vocabulary. The magazine described Swift’s dinner outfit in New York this week as a “breezy black crepe Michele-designed Valentino babydoll dress with a silver-sequined bust.”
The singer paired the look with rhinestone Louboutin heels and red lipstick for the evening look. However, Swifties took one look at the photos and declared Vogue had made a basic mistake, prompting reproval in the fandom.
Taylor Swift fans criticize Vogue article calling Taylor Swift’s minidress a ‘babydoll dress’
A babydoll dress traditionally has a high empire waist and a loose skirt that is often gathered and falls away from the body. Contrary to Vogue’s description, Swifties believed that Taylor Swift’s minidress did not fall into that category. The pop icon’s Valentino piece was a body-conscious mini with a fitted silhouette and a sequin bust, which is cocktail dressing instead of a babydoll.
And fans reacted rather swiftly. On Instagram, one wrote, “This is not a baby doll dress,” while another commenter posted the same in all caps to emphasize the fact that “THAT’S NOT A BABYDOLL DRESS.” On X (formerly Twitter), a fan reiterated, “That’s not even remotely baby doll style????” Just like that, dozens of similar corrections piled up in the comment section, with many asking how a legacy fashion publication could get such a distinct silhouette wrong.
Notably, Olivia Rodrigo’s “drop dead” music video has already sparked a heated discussion about the babydoll dress. Besides, just a few days earlier, Rodrigo wore a ruffled babydoll mini in Barcelona while teasing new music, with some online critics deeming the look infantilizing, and Vogue’s article pointed to the singer’s punk-inspired styling.
Moreover, Vogue referenced ‘90s riot grrrl figures such as Courtney Love, which then looped Taylor Swift into the same babydoll dress trend with a very different garment. And Swift’s fans did not tolerate the conflation, noting that it felt careless on the part of the publication.
