There are few prints as timeless, and as playful as the polka dot. From Marilyn Monroe’s swing dresses to Minnie Mouse’s iconic bows, the dotted pattern has long symbolized whimsy, femininity, and ...

Because they make me happy. They actually have a reputation for doing that. It’s true. Polka dots hearken to the 1950s and suggest simplicity, fun and cheerfulness. But it hasn’t always been so. In ...

The polka dot may be a ubiquitous feature of dresses, bikinis, and twee collegiate bedspreads in the modern era, but as patterns go, it hasn’t been around for that long. The eye-popping pattern gets ...

We're ~circling~ back to polka dots this year. As we wrap up summer and start looking forward to fall fashion and interior design, we're seeing an unexpected pattern reemerge. Polka dots have been a ...

Glance around any department store and you’ll find a veritable buffet of textile patterns that you can rattle off without a second thought: plaid, stripes, paisley, seersucker, fleur-de-lis. Each ...

The polka dot pattern has been around for over a century and is a trend that continues to come back into vogue. When Miss America debuted a polka dot bikini in 1926, Disney followed suit shortly after ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Examining clothes through the ages, Dress Codes investigates how the rules of fashion have influenced different cultural arenas — and your closet. When Princess Diana arrived at the ...