There are few prints able to spark such a strong response as . Having fallen in and out of favour countless times over the past few decades, some have always loved them, others have a visceral aversion to them, and the rest simply vacillate between the two depending on how ubiquitous they are in that particular moment. Even among the seasoned fashion team, the opinion is still pretty much split down the middle.
But wherever you stand, there's no denying that are enjoying a renaissance this season, breaking free of their cutesy, twee and retro connotations and finally becoming not just widely accepted, but – dare we say it? – actually cool. The humble print's recent makeover can be traced back to the spring/summer 2024 shows, where the likes of , Maison Margiela, , and Balmain filled the runways with spots and dots in all their high-fashion forms. At the McCartney show, they were subtly added to cropped corsets, embroidered in crystals onto and featured on chic mini-dresses and silky alike; D&G put a sultry, screen siren-inspired twist on the typically prim print by using naked-esque sheer materials, while Balmain moved away from the usual black-and-white dots to serve fresh new colour combos instead.
Other brands, like , Prada and Miu Miu, meanwhile, have leaned into the polka dot's ladylike look, while adding their own twist. See and 's recent Wimbledon looks that hit just the right note of formal and fashion-forward, ' subversive supersize spots, or Louis Vuitton's goth.