Fall into the Baby Gap

Is it the clothes that make the Baby or the Baby that makes the clothes?

When the Houseman family arrives at Kellerman's, it's Lisa who cares about clothes, not Baby. But as Baby learns to dance, her wardrobe has to change. Dancers wear flowy skirts, low-cut dresses, and tight leotards. Do you think Baby packed any of that stuff for her family vacation?

Of course not.

We assume she borrows it all from Penny, which is one reason Baby is initially uncomfortable. Not only is she learning a new dance, but she's standing in for a dancer and wearing her clothes. She's not just walking a mile in Penny's shoes. She's dancing a mile in them.

The clothes often mimic Baby's internal conflict of innocence vs. sexuality. Baby has to learn to be sexy, as we see in the scene where Johnny sweeps his hand down her side. She can't stop giggling, but after a few tries, she gets it.

Soon, we see Penny fitting Baby into a low-cut red dress for the dance number. One thing about this outfit isn't quite right though: the bright white cotton bra showing. Baby isn't quite ready to step into Penny's skin at this point. The bra is like the last bit of armor she has to remove before stepping out on stage. After the bra comes off, Baby officially owns her new grown-up look.