On The New York Times’ Popcast, 23-year-old Olivia Rodrigo said women are not responsible when men sexualize their clothing, pushing back on criticism of her babydoll dresses.
The backlash followed a run of looks tied to her third LP — a pink dress on the album cover, a blue one in the “Drop Dead” video and a floral babydoll outfit at Barcelona’s Teatro Greco.
Rodrigo said the reaction was more disturbing because she has worn more revealing stage outfits without similar outrage, while a fully covered dress judged “childlike” was labeled inappropriate.
Citing punk influences including Courtney Love, Kathleen Hanna and Kat Bjelland, she framed the styling as part of a lineage that challenges expectations that women remain docile objects.
Is Olivia Rodrigo’s dress a feminist statement or simply a controversial fashion choice?
How will the dress controversy impact the reception of her album, out June 12th?