Polka Dots: A Summer Fling Or A Keeper?

Lucy Partridge
Oct 4
4 min read

Updated: Oct 8

Dalmatians by Jean-Jacques Halans, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Compared to recent years’ bold, summer-defining trends — from ‘Barbie-pink’ to ‘Brat-green’ — this summer’s trends have lacked both colour and electricity. Reasons for this could include the exponentially rising speed of the trend-cycle, making trends hard to keep up with, or perhaps the rising conservatism in politics is influencing fashion, bringing subtle, risk-free, conservative styles into popularity. One playful print, however, has made a rapid comeback over the past few months, bringing a splash of fun to this summer’s more muted fashion scene: the polka dot.

A lively yet versatile print, the polka dot has been swinging in and out of trend throughout recent decades.. Princess Diana was often seen sporting the print, her 1988 appearance in a white, long-sleeved dress with black polka dots and a matching hat being a point of discussion earlier this year when Kate Middleton wore something similar. From the art world, Yayoi Kusama, whose career has been defined by polka dots more than any other, has influenced the world of luxury fashion through her numerous collaborations with Louis Vuitton over the past fifteen years. Her first collaboration was in 2012, and her second over a decade later, her unique designs bringing a playful polka dot touch to Louis Vuitton’s iconic handbags.

Over the past year, labels including Valentino and, to a bolder extent, Carolina Herrera have embraced the polka dot once again, sending glorious variations of the pattern down the runway in their Spring-Summer 2025 shows, and consumer demand has followed suit, with Trendalytics data showing a 260% increase in search volume for polka dot items in 2025. The versatility of the polka dot – in terms of different colours, different sizes of the dots and different ways of styling the pattern – allows it to be worn within the comfort zone of the wearer, as the pattern alone can add a pop of intrigue without the risk of something more daring, such as a bright colour or a bold silhouette, if daring is not the desired look.

The versatility of the polka dot also makes it perfect for a maximalist creative-layering look, a huge trend as well as an autumn staple. As the polka dot is a pattern rather than a fabric or item, it slips effortlessly onto lighter materials such as blouses or scarves. The pattern can, and is, also worn on accessories and shoes, making it the perfect addition to bolder looks.

Polka dots have been a fashion staple for centuries; they were made possible by the invention of the sewing machine during the Industrial Revolution, and began growing in popularity during the mid-19^th century. During this time, they gained their name from the polka-dance, a dance that originated in what is now the Czech Republic and was brought to the United States along with European immigrants, leading to a polka craze in the mid-1800s, the fad being used to name many products and fashions at the time, including the polka-dot. A huge leap across time brings us to this past summer, where polka dots have been unavoidable both on the runways and across the quickly-produced collections of fast-fashion retailers. Although the pattern has seemed timeless over the past century, the question is whether it can come out of this upsurge in popularity unscathed by claims of oversaturation.

Throughout the summer, the polka dot has been most prevalent in ballet flats and outfits with classic, feminine silhouettes — a trend reminiscent of the late 2000s/ early 2010s ‘twee’ aesthetic The ‘twee’ trend was influenced by retro aesthetics and mod culture, and grew in popularity in early online spaces, particularly Tumblr. Claiming Tumblr icons such as Alexa Chung and Zoe Deschanel, the style was characterised by youthful 60s influences – think mini-dresses and colourful tights – Mary-Janes, ballet flats, berets and peter-pan style collars. The polka dot motif was a key part of this world, appearing on everything from mini dresses to tights. Part of the resurgence of the polka dot, therefore, can be partially attributed to Gen-Z’s insatiable thirst for nostalgia, as it has been styled with other 2000s-associated trends: it-girl Hailey Bieber was photographed wearing a pair of iconic polka-dotted capri-pants, being one of many celebrities endorsing the playful trend.

The polka dot-renaissance could be seen as part of a wider conversation around the rising conservatism in fashion, as conservative trends like ‘quiet-luxury’ and ‘tradwives’ have grown in popularity over the past few years. Whilst the polka dot is a staple of many maximalist looks, it can also be worn subtly, without risk of being too bold or unique, safely incorporating an interesting element into a simple outfit in these times of political turmoil, finding clothes that offer safety and familiarity brings comfort. The polka dot does just that, with its ability to creep onto basic silhouettes and bring excitement into the known as a safe but satisfying pop of fun. Perhaps in a world of uncertainty, that's just what we need.

Written by Lucy Partridge

Edited Co-Fashion editor Arielle Sam-Alao