From red carpets to dinner dates, crop baby tees have re-emerged as the ultimate fashion flex across the world
tight, bright and totally trending. Yes! We are talking about the comeback of the crop baby tees, a Y2K staple that’s re-emerged as the ultimate fashion flex across the world. It first made its iconic appearance in the 2000s with stars like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and our very own Kareena Kapoor as Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Baby tees were once synonymous with teenage rebellion and mall-hopping.
Whether paired with baggy cargos, long skirts, short pants or even low-rise jeans. These print-sized tees are doing a number on the fashion feed. From college girls to influencers and models– if you're not spotted with a baby tee, can you even be considered a fashionista?
Pop Princess to Pop Culture
Bollywood girls are fueling this fire: Janhvi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Ananya Pandey, and Sara Ali Khan. “It’s Y2K nostalgia meets today’s self-expression,” explains fashion psychologist Nikita Sinha. “The baby tee is playful, nostalgic, and offers a casual sexiness without being overt. It gives wearers control over how much they show—and how cheeky they want to be.”
Social media has yet again done a lot of heavy lifting in this matter, with babytee and Instagram reels on how to style this top best, and ‘hot-girl summer’ looks are everywhere.
A recent report from Myntra Insights reveals that searches for “baby tee” rose by 310% in the last six months. “Interestingly, we’re also seeing demand in the 30+ segment, with working women styling them under blazers or co-ords for brunch looks,” says a stylist, Ritu Kumari.
Hailey Bieber is infamous for the baby tee top along with her girl gang, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, and Bella Hadid. Let's not forget the pop girlies: Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, and Olivia Rodrigo.
Pan-India, Pan-Aesthetic
This isn't just a metro city movement, a revival of a long-lost old love. From Chandigarh’s university hostels to Goa’s beachside flea markets, baby tees are proving their versatility. Even in colder states like Himachal, girls layer them over full-sleeve thermals or wear them under puffer jackets for a kitschy look. Radhika Iyer, a student from Chennai, says, “I wear them with my veshti-style wraparounds. It’s Tamil streetwear meets global cool.”
Perhaps the most fun is how Indian women are remixing the silhouette. The most fun way to style it would be with a lehenga skirt and saree. Baby tees are also a perfect message board for feminist slogans, queer pride symbols, or sarcastic one-liners like “Not Your Babe.” A Scroll. in a youth fashion survey in 2024 revealed that 56% of Gen Z respondents preferred expressive clothing over minimalist wear, especially for Instagram or protest gatherings. “The baby tee is activism on cotton,” says queer activist and stylist Amol Narayan. “You can say ‘I’m femme and fierce’ or ‘Don’t mess with me’—all in one cropped punch.”
Fashion’s current gender fluid energy has made space for a much wider audience to be seen as “too femme’’ to be proudly worn by all. Many menswear influencers are known for their tight tee with layered pearls and bold makeup. With inflation creeping at the back, baby tees offer a budget-friendly thrill on fast fashion sites for as little as `299. “There’s something deeply satisfying about finding a baby tee with just the right amount of weirdness,” laughs Simran Kaur, a design student. “Like a powder blue one, I found that it just says ‘Egg Sandwich’ in Comic Sans. It’s nonsense, but it’s fashionable.”
TOP OF THE CROP
Female celebrities across all age groups like Britney Spears, Kareena Kapoor, Dua Lipa, Ara Ali Khan, Suhana Khan, Paris Hilton, Jahnvi Kapoor, Ananya Pandey have sported crop baby tees in style.
