Taylor Swift gets drawn into Olivia Rodrigo's babydoll dress debate as fans criticise comparisons
Photo: Backgrid/X
Olivia Rodrigo’s recent fashion choices have sparked widespread online debate after the singer adopted babydoll dress silhouettes throughout the rollout of her upcoming third album, with the discussion later drawing in fans of Taylor Swift following a Vogue social media post.
The conversation started after Rodrigo released the music video for her single “drop dead”, which featured the singer wearing a short Chloé pre-fall 2026 babydoll dress styled with bloomer shorts and knee-high socks while moving through the Palace of Versailles. She later continued the aesthetic during appearances including her Spotify Billions Club concert in Barcelona.
While some fans praised the singer’s grunge-inspired styling, others criticised the look as overly infantilising and questioned the wider implications of the aesthetic.
Maybe I’m too woke pic.twitter.com/wM0dQkLUhL
The debate intensified after a Vogue social media post linking Taylor Swift to the ongoing discussion surrounding Rodrigo’s aesthetic triggered backlash online, with Swift fans accusing both the publication and Rodrigo’s team of attempting to redirect criticism.
Discussion escalated after Vogue reportedly shared — and later deleted — an Instagram caption that read, “The babydoll dress is so back. Taylor Swift is the latest pop star to offer a glitzy take on the dress silhouette that’s taking Hollywood by storm while out for dinner in New York City.”
glad to see people are immediately clocking whats happening pic.twitter.com/jXjg1ix0zj
The post quickly drew criticism from Swift fans, many of whom argued that Swift’s outfit was not a babydoll dress and accused the publication of unnecessarily connecting her to controversy surrounding Rodrigo’s recent fashion choices.
Several commenters suggested Rodrigo’s team was attempting to soften criticism by broadening the conversation to include other artists. “Lmaoooo a certain person’s PR team is working overboard and riding coattails per usual,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Stop trying to take what Olivia is doing and apply it to Taylor.”
A separate comment read, “How much did Olivia Rodrigo’s team pay you for this caption?”
Others directly criticised the article’s writer and Vogue’s editorial decision-making. “Did a certain someone’s team arrange this because this isn’t a babydoll dress and Vogue would know that,” one commenter posted.
Commenters rejected comparisons between the two singers’ outfits, arguing Swift’s look did not resemble a traditional babydoll dress. Others claimed the article risked fuelling unnecessary fan tensions between the artists online.
While Rodrigo’s fans insist that her style reflects both vintage rock influences and modern fashion trends rather than attempting to provoke controversy, the criticism online continues.