Never underestimate the power of polka dots. Frank Sinatra built his career on them (after his first hit "Polka Dots and Moon Beams"). Sportsmen and women have pushed their bodies to the limit in the quest to win them (specifically, a spotted jersey awarded to the king or queen of the mountains in cycling races). For artist Yayoi Kusama, polka dots represent the unfathomable, atomic nature of the universe, including our bodies. As she says, "Polka dots are a way to infinity." Perhaps the infinitesimal fragmentation and simultaneous, indivisible oneness of the itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie particles that comprise our galaxy was whatBrian Hyland (and later Timmy Mallett) were alluding to when they released different versions of the same poetic paean to polka dots in 1960 and 1990, respectively. Sadly, the lyrics are so obtuse historians can only guess.
Like the dance that gave them their name, polka dots have never completely disappeared, but they do go in and out of style. This autumn they look spot on again – there was a rash of them on the runways at Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino and Michael Kors's spring/summer shows – and it's safe to say they'll still be with us in 2014.
The print can be divisive: its kitschy femininity isn't to everyone's taste. Having said that, those who are prepared to be playful with those connotations are the people who wear polka dots best of all (an honourable mention here goes to men spotted in dots, including Bob Dylan, Marc Jacobs, Comme des Garçons's Rei Kawakubo and DC Comics's Polka-Dot Man).
If you're up for purchasing some of this season's (ahem) dot cotton – or any other fabric – here are a few pointers to get you started.
Go long: midi skirts dominated at the spring/summer shows, especially where polka dots were concerned. Oscar de La Renta went retro with monochrome spotted suits and dotty Betty Draper dresses, but if that's too prim for you try a tougher shirt dress, as seen at Preen.
Mix your prints. Grid prints have been huge for a while now. Chuck a polka-dot piece against them and give them a whole new lease of life, or try stripes or florals (if you're going to try this it works best if you're brave – pick a contrasting print with a contrasting scale, too).
As always, accessories are an easy entry point for the pattern novice. Check out River Island's cute (men's) bow ties and sibling duo Angel Jackson's signature polka-dot clutch, which comes in a range of colours – the perfect finishing touch for stylish, ethical shoppers.
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