The babydoll dress (loosely defined as a garment with an empire waist and a skirt ending above the knee) has a storied history, and one somehow always rooted in gender politics. From its appearance at the turn of the 20th century and later revival by Balenciaga couture, through to Courtney Love's kinderwhore styling and Meadham Kirchhoff's homage to her, it has designated everything from the formal to the salacious, the irreverent to the chic. But, whether employed as 40s…
read more »