The Timeless Trend of Polka Dots By Julia Isabel Robles

This past weekend while making the rounds at Westfield Century City, I stepped into Princess Polly and was immediately met with a sea of polka dots. They covered dresses, blouses, and skirts with such consistency that transcended coincidence making the pattern impossible to ignore. It wasn’t just this one store either; it seems that polka dots have quietly taken over malls, runways, and online culture over recent years and has shown no signs of slowing down. So how does something so simple and timeless become such a sudden trend? 

A similar situation was seen with the seemingly random rise in popularity of bows where practically overnight they seemed to be slapped onto every sweater and shoe in store. Both phenomena seem to be some sort of repercussion or response to the constant bombardment of fads that disappear before they are even finished being mass produced. It seems as though trends have been so fast coming that we may be finally accepting that timeless is the way to go, focusing instead on creating a more sustainable wardrobe that is able to withstand the test of time. But this also begs the question of the fatigue that often arises in the aftermath of these trends where timeless becomes tacky due to its overuse. Instead of people picking their clothing pieces based on what's popular, this may be an indicator that selecting items you feel like you can love for a lifetime may be the new norm. 

The recent influx of polka dots dominating our current culture could be derived from a collective desire to reject the repressive hold that minimalism has on current contemporary fashion. Allowing for people to be more playful and expressive with their fashion choices. This in combination with their versatility not only in being able to be worn dressed up or down but also across several different styles of fashion allows them to resonate with a wide range of consumers. As a result of polka dots' universal appeal and ability to remain relevant throughout several generations I have no doubt that it will continue to be a prevalent pattern within the clothing industry. Perhaps what we are really seeing is not a rejection of trends altogether, but a collective attempt to slow them down instead opting for selecting pieces that feel both personal and permanent.