Babydoll Dress Trend 2026 — Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Hunter Schafer and How to Wear It

Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, and I all love the babydoll dress trend. Marie Claire confirmed it — and the celebrity evidence is everywhere in Summer 2026. The babydoll dress trend 2026 is one of the most widely worn and most consistently photographed individual celebrity fashion moments of the season — a dress silhouette that simultaneously references 1960s mod fashion, Y2K nostalgia, and the romantically feminine aesthetic that has been building across celebrity style throughout the year.

Here is the complete guide to the babydoll dress trend 2026 — what it is, which celebrities are wearing it, and exactly how to style it for every occasion.

What Is a Babydoll Dress?

The babydoll dress is defined by one specific silhouette principle: the empire waist. The dress cinches or gathers immediately below the bust — at the highest possible waistline — and then falls away from the body in a loose, flowing, or slightly flared skirt that sits above the knee. The result is a silhouette that is simultaneously feminine, playful, and completely distinctive from either a fitted mini dress or a casual shirt dress.

The babydoll silhouette has its origins in 1960s mod fashion — Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, and the entire Swinging London aesthetic were built on this specific silhouette — but its 2026 revival has updated it significantly through contemporary fabrics, construction techniques, and styling approaches that make it feel genuinely modern rather than nostalgic.

Celebrity References — Who Is Wearing the Babydoll Dress in 2026

Rihanna: Rihanna loves the babydoll dress trend. Rihanna’s 2026 fashion choices have consistently referenced the Y2K and early 2000s aesthetic that the babydoll dress connects to — making her one of the most naturally aligned individual celebrity references for the trend. Her approach to the babydoll silhouette tends toward the more constructed, slightly corseted version that gives the empire waist structure while maintaining the flowing skirt.

Sabrina Carpenter: Sabrina Carpenter loves the babydoll dress trend. Sabrina Carpenter’s personal style in 2026 has leaned heavily into the feminine, slightly vintage-referencing aesthetic that the babydoll dress embodies perfectly — making her the celebrity reference that most directly connects the trend to its current cultural moment in pop music. Her approach favors the smocked or gathered empire waist with a playful flared skirt.

Hunter Schafer: Hunter Schafer loves the babydoll dress trend. Hunter Schafer’s approach to the babydoll dress is the most fashion-forward and most editorial individual interpretation of the trend — pushing the silhouette toward more architectural, unexpected constructions that reference the babydoll’s empire waist principle while feeling genuinely contemporary.

Jennifer Lopez — Stéphane Rolland Birthday Babydoll: Jennifer Lopez’s Stéphane Rolland white turtleneck babydoll gown at her Paris 57th birthday celebrations — the “flouncy skirt” that showed off her white shoes — is the most directly couture individual expression of the babydoll trend in 2026. Rolland’s version applied haute couture construction to the babydoll silhouette, creating a piece that references the trend’s playful femininity while elevating it to formal occasion territory.

Ariana Grande — Givenchy Tour Babydoll: Ariana Grande’s Givenchy Sarah Burton tour finale gown — with its Bridgerton-esque empire waistline — connects directly to the babydoll trend in its most theatrical and most fashion-historically rich expression.

The Babydoll Dress Trend 2026 — Three Distinct Versions

Version 1 — The Romantic Babydoll: Soft, flowing fabric — silk, chiffon, or lightweight cotton voile. Gathered empire waist with gentle gathering rather than structured boning. Skirt falls to mid-thigh in a slightly fuller, more romantic silhouette. Color: white, blush, antique rose, pale blue. This is the Emma Roberts wedding bridal-adjacent version — infinitely wearable for occasions ranging from garden parties to date nights.

Version 2 — The Playful Y2K Babydoll: Satin, velvet, or printed fabric. Smocked empire waist creating a tighter, more structured upper bodice. Skirt is shorter and more dramatically flared — mid-thigh to upper-thigh. Color: bold, bright, or printed — the Sabrina Carpenter version. Best for casual occasions, concerts, and the kind of confident, fun dressing that does not take itself too seriously.

Version 3 — The Editorial Babydoll: Architectural fabric — structured organza, deconstructed silk, innovative technical materials. Empire waist achieved through structural rather than gathered means. Skirt may be asymmetric, pleated, or deliberately unusual in its fall. Color: monochromatic, white, or unexpected. The Hunter Schafer version — for anyone who wants to push the trend into genuinely fashion-forward territory.

How to Style a Babydoll Dress — Complete Guide

Footwear — The Most Important Individual Choice: The babydoll dress’s silhouette is so specific and so complete that it does the styling work — meaning the shoe choice becomes the primary vehicle for communicating the overall aesthetic of the look.

• Ballet flats or Mary Janes: Create the most directly mod, 1960s-referencing interpretation. The It Girl formula.
• Platform boots: Create the most deliberately Y2K interpretation — the Sabrina Carpenter approach. Adds edge and attitude.
• Strappy heeled sandals: Create the most romantic and most occasion-appropriate interpretation — appropriate for events where the playfulness of the babydoll silhouette needs a formal anchor.
• Chunky sneakers: Create the most contemporary, streetwear-influenced interpretation — the deliberate high-low mix that characterizes current celebrity casual dressing.

Accessories — Less Is Always More: The babydoll dress’s playful silhouette means accessories should be minimal. One piece of jewelry — either a delicate necklace at the collarbone or small hoops — is sufficient. A small bag in a complementary or contrasting color. No layered jewelry, no statement accessories — the dress is the statement.

The Layering Option: For cooler weather or more conservative occasions, the babydoll dress layers beautifully under an oversized blazer or a fitted denim jacket. The blazer should be significantly more structured than the dress — creating a deliberate tension between the dress’s softness and the blazer’s architecture.

Where to Shop the Babydoll Dress in 2026

Luxury: Stéphane Rolland, Givenchy, Valentino, and Cecilie Bahnsen all produce babydoll-silhouette pieces in their current collections.

Mid-Range: & Other Stories, Reformation, Sandro, and Maje all carry quality babydoll dresses in the romantic version. RIXO and Realisation Par for the Y2K printed version.

Accessible: ASOS has the widest selection of babydoll dress options at accessible prices, across all three versions. ZARA’s current range includes both the romantic and the Y2K interpretations. H&M’s conscious line has several quality babydoll options in sustainable fabrics.

Amazon: For the fastest shipping and incredibly accurate designer dupes, Amazon Fashion currently has a massive selection of both romantic cotton babydolls and Y2K smocked variations.