Could 2026 be the year of the babydoll bounce back? We hope so, and if Kaia Gerber’s latest onscreen looks are anything to go by, we could be in luck. The Chanel model has returned to the set of Apple TV's Palm Royale, stepping back into the shoes of her character Mitzi for the show, which takes place in 1969 Palm Springs.
Taking to Instagram to share a sneak peek inside episode four of new season, the 24-year-old slipped into an aqua blue babydoll frock, featuring a shapeless, mini design, a feather-light construction, pale pink satin bow detailing and gently puffed sleeves frosted with dainty ruffles that lined the neck. A matching headband, also topped with a sweet bow adornment, made for an on-theme Priscilla Presley-inspired accessory choice.
Another still from the series depicted Kaia in a similar number, another babydoll silhouette cut from an equally airy but paler-hued fabric, finished with lace capped sleeves for a romantic, vintage effect.
In both scenes, the Malibu native wore her silky brunette hair down loose, but meticulously styled in soft beehive - reminiscent of the iconic mod ‘do of Sixties icon Bridgette Bardot.
First conceived as practical nightwear in 1942, the babydoll was the brainchild of American designer Sylvia Pedlar, who leaned into wartime fabric rationing with a thigh-grazing silhouette that required less material.
Its now-iconic name arrived years later with the release of Tennessee Williams’ Babydoll, in which Carroll Baker appeared in a fluttering, short-sleeved, frilled version that instantly cemented the style in pop culture.
But the babydoll didn’t truly hit its stride until the 1960s. As post–World War II hemlines crept shorter, the demure, tightly structured silhouettes of the Forties and Fifties gave way to buoyant, free-moving shapes. The frock’s airy shift form became synonymous with the youthquake shaking up London’s streets, a sartorial rebellion against the era’s lingering conservatism.
© Getty ImagesTransatlantic muses, from Twiggy’s It-Brit edge to Sharon Tate’s Californian sweetness, propelled the style further into the fashion stratosphere. Today, modern day society sweethearts from Sabrina Carpenter to Emily Ratajkowski and, of course, Ms Gerber, continue that legacy, sporting the kittenish frocks and in turn paying homage to the power of vintage dress codes.
It could be that Kaia and her costume team are onto something - cue the babydoll renaissance.
