If you’re just now connecting the sartorial dots, you might have realised polka dots are everywhere.
A print perennial, this sartorial throw-back has come full circle but this season’s design darlings have waved goodbye to the adolescent polka dots of the nineties and the polka dot is re-emerging with an elegant edge.
Loud and proud, the polka dot is the red-lip of sartorial circles and, after a few years of minimalist trends and solemn ensembles, this fun fashion fixture is becoming the life and soul of the style party, marrying sophisticated style with a light-hearted twist.
While it may have first cemented its cult status in 1926 when Miss America was photographed in a polka dot bikini, the first famous protagonist of the polka dot was, of course, Disney’s Minnie Mouse in 1928.
This year designers are reimagining them in micro iterations painted on floor-length dresses and even oversized versions swathed on elegant evening wear.
Balenciaga has taken the trend to the next level, with a selection of spotty sock boots, statement shirts and mini totes.
Whether you want big and billowy in shape, extra-long in length or intricate detailing, there’s a statement sleeve for everyone, from bell sleeve blouses to ruffled sleeve tees and everything in between.
The puff-sleeve trend dominated the red carpet at the 2020 Golden Globes, with celebrities from Dakota Fanning to Rachel Bilson adding serious drama to their looks with statement sleeves from romantic pink to canary yellow.
So it might just be time to wear your art on your sleeve! After all, to wear your heart on your sleeve is to let it all proverbially hang out and, when it comes to this fashion-forward flirtation, the sentiment is the same.
