Spotted Fever

Artwork at the Mansion Hotel restaurant

Whether you call them peppered or patchy, speckled or freckily, this trend is definitely leaving it spot on for fashion this fall and upcoming spring.  Yes I'm talking about polka dots and my recent love affair with each and every circle.  We often have childhood memories of dressing up for picture day at school in a spotted romper or the infamous yellow polka-dot bikini song running over and over in our heads, but you won't be seeing any of that with current designers who are experimenting with this playful pattern in a new way.  For fall Marc Jacobs showed dots in every way imaginable - on all the clothing, on the stockings, on the hats, on the gloves - you name it.  But, these weren't comical spots - they were done on clothing that was very strict and disciplined - almost uptight and mad in a way.  The end result was a very tailored collection of uber sexy clothes which proves that sometimes the less skin shown and the more covered up, the more appealing.  And, Stella McCartney who is known for more linear lines with her clothing showed very curvy silhouettes where the dots had been infused in asymmetrical ways on gorgeous, sexy dresses in a minimal color palette.

Dress by Stella McCartney

Shoes I would totally wear

Just enough see-through for interest

Polka-dot madness

The new Stella McCartney store in Dallas

While in New York for fashion week, we were able to see a couple of shows and presentations that made me believe this trend would still be around for a bit longer.  Given that these were spring/summer shows, the colors were much brighter and the overall feel was definitely more playful.  These were the polka dots from childhood memories.  One collection that stood out was the Callula Lillibelle show where dresses were plentiful in ladylike cuts with narrow little belts and flouncy skirts or pencil thin shapes to show off some figures.

Pattern mixing at Callula Lillibelle show

A simple dress 

Callula Lillibelle show

Ladylike with lace

Dots, stripes, and prints but still somewhat tonal

Very sweet with chain belt at Callula Lillibelle

I also liked the looks from Pink Tartan which used oversized circles that looked very graphic.  Their other pieces were equally fun and sweet with a slightly retro feel, and I overheard some references to Barbarella and even Carson Kressley with his queer eye seem to agree.

Oversized dots at Pink Tartan

Mother-of-pearl covered "dot" dress

Belted shirtdressing 

Halter dress by Pink Tartan

Flirty color

Saturation

Even the buttons make a mod dot statement

Carson Kressley at the Pink Tartan show

Hey, I personally love polka dots in various sizes or mixing and matching various color combos to keep it fresh.  A sheer top in a subtle print under a classic blazer or paired with a fun pair of graphic pants by my fave Marni will take this concept to a whole new level.  Some people may want this trend to fall by the wayside or leave it for the dogs, but I personally love it, and besides, fashion is supposed to be fun!

 Sheer dots for evening at the Venexiana show

Spots on the street

Fashionable runway watching

Sidewalk art

When circles get groovy