Addressed: To Be or Not to Be: A Grown Woman in a Baby Tee
As simple as it is, the baby tee is a complicated garment. The snug-fitting t-shirt became popular in the 1990s, when many young women experimented with signifiers of traditional girlhood and femininity because they wanted to turn them on their head or simply because they felt sexy in them, which suited them just fine. Linda Meltzer, the woman credited with 'inventing' the baby tee, was a music video and film stylist who obsessively combed thrift stores for 1970s French children's tees until she just decided to make her own. Her tees were indeed worn by iconic '90s characters from Cher Horowitz to Brenda Walsh to Rachel Green.
Drew Barrymore in a long sleeve baby tee on the Late Show with David Letterman, 1995.
Photo: CBSFor some the baby tee never went out of style, but it seems to be having a resurgence on the runways, and on It-girls who start trends whenever they 'step out.' But it wasn't a model or an influencer who sealed its comeback; the unexpected sign-off came from Lorde.
In late June, the pop superstar released Virgin, a sweeping Saturn-return banger with raw and visceral lyrics that detail the emotional and metaphorical score her body has kept as she's grown up and into her power. Throughout the album's 11 songs, a singular garment takes center stage: the baby tee. On the chorus of 'GRWM,' which begins with her thoughts following a sexual dalliance, Lorde sings, 'Maybe you'll finally know who you wanna be/A Grown woman in a baby tee/A grown woman/Girl's a grown woman.' Pitchfork called it 'an objectively dumb lyric that she's just confident enough to pull off.' Of course, it's not really dumb at all but genius (sometimes it's easy to mistake one for the other).
I was a faithful baby tee devotee throughout my teens and early 20s, but like everybody in fashion I started favoring giant oversized t-shirts sometimes in the last 10 years. A few seasons ago, when The Row produced a ridiculous super-thin baby tee with a graphic print of fried eggs and bacon, my raised-in-the-'90s-self immediately declared it a necessity. But when I put it on it made no sense on my 40-something body. Sure, I'd just had a baby, and, yes, we were all generally wearing 'giant clothes,' but deep down there was the nagging question: Who would respect a grown woman in a baby tee?
When I heard Lorde sing 'GRWM' and everything made sense. Being a grown woman in a baby tee is about embracing your own contradictions, understanding that although sometimes you need to leave a part of yourself behind in order to grow into a new part of you, sometimes you simply have to bring those parts along with you—and if you don't know which event calls for which action that's just dandy too. On the album opener she sings 'I might've been born again/I'm ready to feel like I don't have all the answers/There's peace in the madness over our heads/Let me carry it up, up, up.'
Pamela Anderson in the iconic GIRL baby tee in 1996…
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage
… and modeling her jeweled remake for her collaboration with Re/Done in 2024.
Photo: Lea Colombo / Courtesy of Re/Done
Back in 1996, Pamela Anderson attended some event or other wearing a baby tee emblazoned with the GULF logo, except it said GIRL, the design stretching across her ample chest. I saw it in the pages of a teen magazine, which had captioned it with a kind of abrasive caption that said something along the lines of Thanks for the reminder, as if we would forget. Last year, the actress did a collaboration with Re/Done that included the iconic tee, this time with a bedazzled logo. Here was 57-year old Pamela, with no makeup and undone hair wearing her glittery GIRL tee like a '90s teen dream. A grown woman in a baby tee, infinitely cooler than the first time around.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
3 hours ago
- Eater
3 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: August 15
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For a Beijing duck feast that heals the soul: Ji Rong Peking Duck in Rosemead Since we haven't met yet, hi, I'm Kat Thompson, and I'm joining the Eater Southern California/Southwest team as an audience editor, a role I'm excited to tackle to highlight all the incredible restaurants in our vast region. Still, change can be hard, and when life feels in flux I often gravitate toward something familiar to ground me. The perfect grounding meal, in most cases, is Ji Rong's roast Beijing duck, a dish that has yet to disappoint me across dozens of visits. The duck is consistently great with lacquered crispy skin, accompanied by paper-thin crepes painted with sweet and savory hoisin sauce, fresh sliced cucumbers, and ribbons of green onion. Overall, the experience feels extravagant and comforting at once. Although duck is the restaurant's namesake, there are so many other hits on the menu too. Battered pumpkin sprinkled with salted egg yolk, tongue-tingling spicy cold chicken, and the sticky Shanghai-style spareribs are among my favorites. 8450 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA, 91770. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For dinner in Burbank that is not the Ikea food court: Tun Lahmajo Lahmajune at Tun Lahmajo in Burbank, California. Rebecca Roland Ever since reading Los Angeles Times critic Bill Addison's review of Burbank's Armenian restaurant Tun Lahmajo, I've looked for an excuse to find myself in the neighborhood that wasn't a trip to Ikea, since that always ends with Swedish meatballs. Recent plans (that didn't quite work out) finally brought me to Burbank and I jumped at the chance to make a detour. Even mid-week, Tun Lahmajo was bustling; in the dining room, a group combined a handful of tables into something that could accommodate at least 12, while there wasn't a single open seat on the patio. At the front of the restaurant, a fire licked the edges of a towering stone oven as plates of loosely wrapped dolmas emerged from the back kitchen. But I remained focused on the lahmajune (also spelled lahmajoon) topped with spiced ground meat, tomato sauce, and melted cheese. The lahmajune here is thinner and softer than at other shops like the Lahmajune Factory, more akin to the texture of a roti or flaky tortilla. The rest of the food arrived within minutes: shawarma cradled in a flatbread with sliced tomatoes, a still-steaming bowl of lentil soup, and meat and rice dolmas with a yogurt sauce. The service was casual and warm, an extension of the feeling that Tun Lahmajo is the staff's own expansive kitchen, where they welcome friends in. 2202 N. Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank, CA, 91504. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a breakfast of champions, at any time of day: New York's Chopped Cheese Chopped cheese sandwich at New York's Chopped Cheese in Los Angeles. Jakob N. Layman Weekend mornings are my time to shine. After I wake up and walk the dog, exploring Los Angeles during the early hours is pure joy, especially before the afternoon madness. But to traverse this vast city of ours and take in the sights and sounds, one needs sustenance — cue New York's Chopped Cheese. The Hollywood outlet is open until 2 a.m. (3 a.m. on weekends), while the Mid-City location operates from 10 a.m. to midnight. The restaurant comes from a group of former New Yorkers (including one from Linden Hollywood) who wanted to bring New York City's favorite corner bodega sandwich imports to Los Angeles: a chopped cheese and bacon, egg, and cheese. I admit to side-eyeing the prospect of another New York City import, but New York's Chopped Cheese got me with that classic and incredible chopped cheese. The grilled beef patties are evenly chopped and brightened, when, of course, sauteed onions, seasoning, and cheese come into the mix. It's one of those 'I'll be full until dinnertime' kind of meals. There's no mistaking how delicious this is, so please enjoy while it's hot off the griddle. 5109 Venice Boulevard, Mid-City, CA, 90019 or 1471 Tamarind Avenue, Hollywood, CA, 90028. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Related The 38 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
11 best finds from Lululemon's We Made Too Much section — score crazy good prices on backpacks, totes and more, starting at $29
Grab your favourites before they're gone for good. There's just something about a Lululemon bag — between the practicality, the trendiness and the versatility, they're unmatched. Each one I own has become a staple in my daily rotation. And with the retailer dropping new styles and colours every week, that's very bad news for my wallet. Since I'm always on the lookout for a new bag to add to my collection, it's best for me to stick to their We Made Too Much section. While browsing these special prices, I came across a few that are too good to pass up. If you're interested, I've rounded up my favourite styles this week, so you can have in on the fun. Keep scrolling to check 'em out. Prefer to shop by category? Dive in below: Shop the best Lululemon WMTM bags Shop the best Lululemon WMTM accessories Shop the best Lululemon WMTM leggings Shop the best Lululemon WMTM hoodies & sweatshirts Shop the best Lululemon WMTM shoes Shop the best Lululemon WMTM brasLululemon just dropped a brand new bag we predict will sell out — plus 11 other really good new arrivals to shop this week Best We Made Too Much bags to shop at Lululemon
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Paul Smith's Foundation, CFDA Program Supports American Fashion Design
In the Edith Wharton novel 'The Buccaneers' and the current Apple TV+ series, the premise is Gilded Age American heiresses aiding titled Brits with their pocketsful of money in exchange for social status. Today in fashion, the tables have turned, thanks to Sir Paul Smith—he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000—a Brit is offering an opportunity of financial support for an American fashion designer. In continuing to expand the reach of the Paul Smith Foundation, the British tailored clothing legend's philanthropic venture will expand support via its fashion program to Americans in partnership with the CFDA, as both entities share the mission to promote and support the education of fashion designers to grow their creativity and innovation. Starting on August 14th, the CFDA will invite designers to apply to the program, which will give one lucky applicant the chance to join Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield in London for its second-year cohort alongside six UK-based designers. Established in 2024, The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield, founded by The Mayor of London, Projekt, and Paul Smith's Foundation, was enabled with support from the City of London Corporation. Established in 2020 to coincide with Paul's 50th year of business, Paul Smith's Foundation was created to support early-career creative people working in fashion, visual arts, and design. The recipient of the inaugural Paul Smith's Foundation x CFDA Designer-in-Residence will receive a complimentary 400-sqft studio space for 12 months, supported by Projekt, mentoring from industry leaders, and business-planning training, visa, flights, as well as a significant contribution to their living. While up-and-coming British designers have especially struggled post-Brexit, current economic and political factors in the US are pointing to funding for the arts and access to education diminishing daily. Together, the CFDA and Sir Paul aim to help nurture young talent towards their own sustainable businesses. 'Partnering with the CFDA to have this opportunity to have an American-based designer join the Fashion Residency is delightful, and hopefully, it will be a life-changing experience for them. We formalized the Paul Smith's Foundation a few years ago, but I have been told quite flatteringly that we've been running one for years without realizing it! I have had designers come to me for years, like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen just to name two who have come for advice, basic advice like 'what's a collaboration, what's a contract'…not advice on how to design, or run a studio or how to put a collection together but very practical advice and that's what I am very proud of what our foundation does,' said Sir Paul Smith in a release. 'Fashion is a truly global business, and an opportunity such as this will provide one American talent with invaluable experience and exposure in an international market,' said Steven Kolb, CFDA CEO and President. 'The chance to work alongside peers in the UK fosters creative exchange, builds cross-cultural understanding, and strengthens our industry. We are deeply grateful to Sir Paul Smith for his continued collaboration and dedication to nurturing the next generation of talent. In September 2025, shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by a panel including Sir Paul Smith, Steven Kolb, Chief Executive Officer and President at CFDA, and Sara Kozlowski, Vice President of Program Strategies / Education & Sustainability Initiatives at CFDA, in New York City, where the recipient will be determined. Closer to another example of the CFDA teaming up with designers to support the next generation of talent, the Veronica Beard X CFDA Creative Futures Scholarship just announced its 2025 class, which includes incoming FIT senior Athmiha Saravanen for tailoring; another incoming FIT senior Giorgio Parolini Arroyo for soft wovens; Polimoda Florence transfer student now at FIT Samira Koehler for knitwear, and Marist University incoming senior Lena Alibrio for denim.
