Sabrina Carpenter Leads ‘Doll-Core’ Trend Revolution in Fashion and Pop Culture
Doll-inspired fashion has taken over TikTok, with users sharing 29 million posts under #RulesofDollcore. The style has grabbed the attention of high-end brands around the globe.
“Rather than simply emulating a doll, dollcore is a performance or form of cosplay,” Emily Carmeli, fashion trend forecaster at Parsons School of Design, told Highsnobiety.
Big fashion houses have embraced this look in their newest collections. At his Spring 2024 couture show, John Galliano turned Maison Margiela’s models into living porcelain dolls. Marc Jacobs built a miniature doll house runway for his 40th-anniversary collection.
Jacobs blended vintage ’60s elements with paper doll vibes. His “Heaven” collection included hoodies featuring twin-headed teddy bears, with nods to earlier pieces like the H&M x Margiela bodysuit.
Sabrina Carpenter has become the style’s poster child. She has worn a variety of doll-core looks, from soft blue babydoll dresses at small concerts to eye-catching pink outfits at Lollapalooza. Her Governors Ball attire combined a yellow bodice with chunky platform boots.
This new trend mixes Victorian gothic with cute kawaii elements and Barbie-inspired pizzazz. Pinterest has tagged doll-core as a major 2025 trend, moving beyond fashion into makeup and home decor.
Following the popularity of cottagecore and Barbiecore, this style connects with something we all recognize. Beauty expert Jessica DeFino points to dolls’ lasting appeal as the reason it’s caught on so widely.
When Carpenter showed up at the Jacquemus Paris show in red and white stripes, she captured the original 1959 Barbie vibe. Her Halloween outfit—a purple corset with a matching full skirt—showed off the style’s playful side.