Everyone’s Wearing Polka Dots, and I’m Not Even Mad About It
Fashion trends are cyclical, so the next big thing isn’t always hard to predict. With the resurgence of nineties fashion, the choker unsurprisingly returned. When early 2000s styles came back, the Adidas Champion sneaker was literally everywhere. But every so often, a trend pops up that we weren’t expecting at all, and this time it’s the polka dot.
Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I thought about polka dots. Once I hit my teen years, polka dots became a print of my childhood and therefore a fashion no-no. At least that’s what I thought until now. A couple months ago, I started noticing black and white polka dots all over my favorite street style Instagram feeds. My initial instinct was to scoff at its immature appeal, but when I soon found myself purchasing a polka-dot top, I knew I was a changed woman.
Perhaps we can blame the polka dot’s recent popularity on the comeback of 1980s fashion, but I think it’s a part of a larger movement to make fashion fun again. Street style stars aren’t taking themselves so seriously anymore; they’re embracing bold prints, wonky silhouettes, and bright colors again. After a few years of minimalist trends and solemn ensembles, life has been breathed back into the fashion world. After all, a woman can light up a room with her bright smile—why can’t a cheerful polka-dotted outfit do the same?
