From the Runway
Sandy Liang Hugo Floral Eyelet Puff Sleeve Cotton Babydoll Dress
From the Runway
Sandy Liang Hugo Floral Eyelet Puff Sleeve Cotton Babydoll Dress
Credit: NordstromFrom Sandy Liang's spring 2022 collection to your closet. Eyelet lace is always a spring mood—but as Cohen and Read agree, it takes on an edgier persona with lug-sole footwear or chunky sneakers.
Cult Favorite
Cecilie Bahnsen Tilde Cutout Bow-detailed Gathered Matelassé Mini Dress
Cult Favorite
Cecilie Bahnsen Tilde Cutout Bow-detailed Gathered Matelassé Mini Dress
Now 50% Off
Credit: Net-a-PorterEverything inch of this dress deserves a little commotion: The puff sleeve! The slight high-low hem! The tonal floral fabric! It's the sort of piece that makes you want a party on your calendar if you don't have one to attend already.
Matteau Shirred Organic Cotton-poplin Mini Dress
Matteau Shirred Organic Cotton-poplin Mini Dress
Now 50% Off
Credit: Net-a-PorterTiers of ruched cotton poplin give this little black babydoll some intriguing texture. The GOTS-certified cotton behind this dress's crisp look will also keep you cool on the hottest July days.
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Tanya Taylor Serena Dress
Tanya Taylor Serena Dress
Now 60% Off
Credit: Tanya TaylorThe Serena Dress is a Tanya Taylor signature, from the square neckline to the seasonal, but always punchy, floral print. It comes with a matching belt cinched shape, and you can shop it in sizes XS–3X.
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Sister Jane Pebble Gingham Mini Dress
Nice Save
Sister Jane Pebble Gingham Mini Dress
Credit: Sister JanePlayful, patterned, and nearly always under $200, the dresses from this British label are some of our favorites for getting reacquainted with babydoll shapes. This gingham mini has all the volume you could want, plus a delightful bow detail on the back.
Eco-Friendly
Míe Mini Gozo Dress
Eco-Friendly
Míe Mini Gozo Dress
Credit: ShopbopLagos, Nigeria-based Míe made its relaxed babydoll dress from a breathable natural linen, begging for a spotlight moment in your summer wardrobe. The simple front gives way to an open back accentuated with sleek, stringy ties. But our favorite detail is the inclusive sizing: This dress is currently available in sizes XS–3X.
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Self-Portrait Floral-print Tiered Chiffon Mini Dress
Self-Portrait Floral-print Tiered Chiffon Mini Dress
Now 70% Off
Credit: Net-a-PorterSelf-Portrait dresses prioritize elegance above all, even through the filter of a micro babydoll mini. Still, you can toughen it up with a chunky combat boot. (Our favorite is Prada's Monolith boot, by the way.)
Cult Favorite
Molly Goddard Ruched Flared Mini Dress
Cult Favorite
Molly Goddard Ruched Flared Mini Dress
Credit: FarfetchDevoted Molly Goddard followers know her dresses are walking confections: They're for taking up space, with as many ruffled layers and frills as possible. If you're just getting acquainted, this maximalist babydoll dress with splashes of eyelet lace is one of her best.
Investment Piece
Oscar de la Renta Painted Puff-Sleeve Cotton Mini Dress
Investment Piece
Oscar de la Renta Painted Puff-Sleeve Cotton Mini Dress
Credit: Moda OperandiThe empire waist and puff sleeves here are pure babydoll; the illustration turns it into a fashion insider's keepsake. A still life of Oscar de la Renta co-creator Laura Kim's kitchen table decorates the dress's bodice and skirt. With the fabric's gentle folds, it has the appearance of a resort floral print—but it's far more personal.
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Editor Tested
Aje Casabianca Puff-sleeve Cotton Mini Dress
Editor Tested
Aje Casabianca Puff-sleeve Cotton Mini Dress
Credit: MatchesFashionI have six weddings in various warm locales this spring and summer; I may wear Aje's babydoll dress to all of them. The skirt moves beautifully, but doesn't flare out too far away from my body as to be overwhelming or showy. Then there's that statement puff sleeve: I'm in love with the volume and the little ruched detail along the shoulder. If you like the silhouette but would prefer another shade, its white, pink, and ice blue dresses are just as well-proportioned.
LoveShackFancy Bennington Mini Dress
LoveShackFancy Bennington Mini Dress
Credit: LoveShackFancyA print and puff sleeves that are a little Marie Antoinette (Sophia Coppola's version) and an ultra-mini hem that's very Y2K. Together, a babydoll dress that's just sweet enough.
Merlette Eemnes Printed Dress
Merlette Eemnes Printed Dress
Now 75% Off
Credit: Hampden ClothingMerlette specializes in dresses with lightweight, billowing forms—but you'll never catch the Australian label washing its pieces in a pastoral motif. Instead, it tempers a babydoll's girlishness with graphic prints like this, or in-season solids like white and peach.
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Marc Jacobs Heaven Blue Cloud Love Mini Dress
Marc Jacobs Heaven Blue Cloud Love Mini Dress
Credit: SSENSEThis dress has all the flounces and ruffles you could want from a babydoll dress for spring, plus a semi-sheer crepe that will look so good layered with a longer top in the fall. Chunky boots offset the sweetness whenever you decide to wear it.
Zimmermann Rosa Cutout Mini Dress
Zimmermann Rosa Cutout Mini Dress
Credit: ShopbopOn a babydoll silhouette, strategic cutouts can balance a saccharine print and exaggerated proportions with something a little seductive. Zimmermann's peekaboo moment on the front gives way to a fully open back with a bow accent: the best of both looks.
New Arrival
O PIONEERS Jemima Patchwork Floral-print Cotton Mini Dress
New Arrival
O PIONEERS Jemima Patchwork Floral-print Cotton Mini Dress
Now 40% Off
Credit: Net-a-PorterO Pioneers makes dresses as nostalgic as its Willa Cather-referential name implies, and it's newly available to shop on Net-a-Porter. With working moms Clara Francis and Tania Hindmarch at the helm, babydoll dresses like this one are also made to be lived in. Every piece is machine washable with roomy side pockets. And those quilt-like floral patterns? They're cut from Liberty fabrics.
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Editor Tested
Reformation Zula Linen Dress
Editor Tested
Reformation Zula Linen Dress
Credit: ReformationThis babydoll dress has been my favorite way to dip into spring's tangerine color trend. The color is even more vibrant in person and gives the ultra-feminine look of the dress an extra kick. As for the fit, smocking along the back of the bodice adds a little stretch I look for in all-day dresses. (If I can't breathe in it, I don't want to wear it.) I'd also buy the white version for a bridal shower or outdoor rehearsal dinner—if my wedding wasn't already a year behind me.
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J.Crew Broken-in Jersey Smocked Babydoll Dress
Nice Save
J.Crew Broken-in Jersey Smocked Babydoll Dress
Now 29% Off
Credit: J.CrewBeach cover-up? Lounge dress? Nightgown? All of the above? This babydoll dress from J.Crew features a smocked bodice and relaxed skirt for easygoing activities. Right now, it's 29 percent off in three colors (black, sky blue, and canary yellow), in sizes XXS–3X.
Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.
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