We know fashion works in pendulum swings — as soon as everyone came around to wide-leg jeans, it looks like skinny styles will be in before we know it — so the two major fashion trends swirling around in our consciousness are naturally an exercise in opposites. Halfway into the sportiest, sweatiest summer on record, shorts are long and dresses are short.
The arrival of long shorts onto the scene is nothing new: For Spring/Summer 2026, designers like Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga, and Maison Margiela made the case for Bermuda shorts whether in denim or twill fabrics. The streets have responded in kind. See: Jennifer Lawrence in Still Here white denim paired with a vintage T-shirt and massive sunnies, Rihanna in Alfalo satin cargo shorts with a knee-high boot to watch the World Cup final, and the “Wink Wink” queen herself Charli xcx in London last week with a surprising pair of Paloma Wool Bermuda shorts that were a new silhouette for her. That feeling of freshness is perhaps what is causing the hemline of the usually tried-and-true cutoff shorts to extend this summer.
A new take on summer dressing that comes with built-in comfort is always a win, which explains why as shorts grow longer, celebrities’ dresses are getting shorter. The now-infamous conversation around Olivia Rodrigo’s itty-bitty Miu Miu babydoll number was an eye-roll for ladies around the world who are tired of misogynistic policing of their bodies, and unknowingly or not, Rodrigo set off a course for extra-short dresses to take over. Maybe it’s a bold proclamation of alliance with Rodrigo and women everywhere, or maybe it just feels right for the moment. Either way, after the World Cup final ended, many stars piled into an afterparty in tiny dresses, like Hailey Bieber’s vintage John Galliano slip. Monica Barbaro also freed her legs in the cutest black Lein dress that is easy, breezy, and not fussy at all during a New York heat wave.
Indeed, the simplicity of a babydoll dress is what keeps ladies coming back to the style, naysayers be damned. It also rounds out the short-dress-long-short summer trend handily — and why not try layering both together when the mood strikes? Whatever style suits your fancy, the key is to keep the pieces generally loose-fitting and relaxed (tight mini dresses are still a go-to, don’t you worry). It aligns with the sporty board-short craze we’re feeling as we hit the beach this summer, and also makes for no-nonsense dressing without compromising the feeling of turning a look even when it’s 95 degrees out. Shop our favorite babydoll dresses and knee-length shorts below.
