Polka Dots
• • • • • •
• • • • •
• • • • • •
• • • • •
So, what is the love affair with polka dots?
“She wore that itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini…” the classic hit song by Byran Hyland to help us introduce this week’s blog spot, and hopefully put a little spring in your step.
The term ‘polka dot’ was first used in 1857 in an Americans women magazine to describe a dotted muslin scarf. It was not truly until the early 1900’s that the polka dot trend took off. Specifically, with the emergence of the iconic Coco Chanel featuring it in her line, followed by Disney’s Minnie Mouse being featured in her classic polka dot dress and bow. Well- known female actresses and socialites from Katherine Hepburn to Elizabeth Taylor to Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe helped to iconize the polka dot pattern. Decade’s later we see designers from Dior to Balenciaga to Saint Laurent featuring the polka dot design in their collections.
The polka dot trend is not only a trend in the fashion industry but it has emerged to be featured in many other industries including the art industry that Pointillists such as Van Gogh used in his work. From here it quickly emerged to appearing in the stationery industry.
The polka dot trend is a timeless pattern that is here to stay. It's simplicity, yet classic design and the strong figures that have been portrayed either wearing or creating trends, have resulted in it becoming a beloved pattern.
Katie Leamon, Sugar Paper LA, and Peter Pauper Press (to name a few) are some of the designers beautifully featuring polka dots in their collections, available at parcel + prose.
Pay us a visit and have your own little love affair with polka dots.