Quick question: Why is everyone dressing like a 5-year-old now?

Scandi-chic as we know it has always brought to mind visions of willowy and lanky women dressed in slim, slouchy styles, hints of metal jewellery and nary a colour that strayed from black, grey or white.

It was a minimalistic vision that brought their version of personal style to the forefront of the world.

And at the time, we got it. It was a refreshing change from the peacocking Anna Dello Russos of the world.

But thanks to Danish brands like Saks Potts, Gannii, Cecilie Bahnsen and Rotate Birger Christensen, the movement of late has evolved dramatically to include colour, print and oversized silhouettes that we haven’t seen on anyone after the age of…five.

Yes, we’re talking about supersized babydoll dresses.

Imagine the dress you wore to receive Holy Communion or the frilly ones your parents used to parade you around in as a child.

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These poufy princess frocks are now in trend thanks to Instagram.

Pair them with a Prada-esque padded headband and you’ll look like the most stylish five-year-old ever.

And we completely understand why. In the Instagram age, for clothing to catch your eye (and most importantly, your engagement) it needs to have a gimmick.

And big frou-frou dresses are definitely it.

And the success of this trend isn’t just attributed to flexing on the ‘gram either.

According to Anabel Maldonado, fashion journalist, psychologist and founder of The Psychology of Fashion, the big dress trend “evokes a little-girl aesthetic and all the positive associations of childhood: long days of playing outside, nice people who tend to your every need, and a lack of adult responsibilities.”

In short, adulting is though, and sometimes it’s ok if you just want to dress like someone else is in charge instead.

Scroll through for some of our best picks:

13:31 MONO PUFF DRESS, $99.62

Add a sporty twist to a babydoll dress with a pair of chunky sneakers.

& OTHER STORIES PUFF SLEEVE DRESS, $148.69

Invoke Cinderalla vibes with this ice-blue number.

ASOS DESIGN SEERSUCKER TRAPEZE MINI DRESS, $55.98

Throw on a straw hat with this seersucker dress and you’ve got the perfect summer look.

GANNI PRINTED ORGANZA DRESS, $478

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Animal print takes a less aggressive approach with this floaty organza number.

MONKI SHEER DRESS, $69.97

We love the myriad of styling options you can get with this dress. With a bodysuit underneath, it’s perfect for a festival. Throw on a pair of jeans and a bralet and you can wear this to brunch!

ZARA ASYMMETRIC POPLIN DRESS, $69.90

Who says puffy dresses have to be super girly? Go for goth-inspired American Horror Story Coven vibes with combat boots and heavy eyeliner.

ZARA VOLUMINOUS TAFFETA DRESS, $69.90

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Floaty, unrestricted and loose—we’re calling this our new buffet dress.

STINE GOYA RUFFLE DRESS FROM NORDSTROM, $512

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With its lace ruffle details, we love that this dress can be worn on its own or layered with an oversized sweater.

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore.