Polka dots are the summer's biggest fashion trend — but they're back in a louder, more joyful way

Lucille Ball's signature dress on I Love Lucy, Julia Roberts flitting about in a flowy brown and white frock in Pretty Woman, Diana's statement dressing when she was Princess of Wales — these are just some of the images that might come to mind when you think of polka dots. But the iconic print is back and in a loud, fun and joyful way. 

Demi Moore, Katie Holmes and Olivia Rodrigo were spotted in the pattern earlier this year, but the trend is now reaching its peak. Hailey Bieber stepped out in white capris with black polka dots this summer; actor Pedro Pascal recently attended the world premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a Tom Ford suit with a silk polka-dot scarf; Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner donned the dots on their swimwear; and Cynthia Erivo accessorized with the print at Wimbledon. 

Polka dots even took centre stage at the spring shows back in September — on a T-shirt and short shorts at Acne Studios, and on a halter dress and ballgowns at Carolina Herrera. The retailers Reformation, Abercrombie and Mango are also capitalizing on the polka-dot craze this summer with jumpsuits, camisoles and more. 

Toronto fashion label Horses Atelier — founded by lifelong friends and novelists Heidi Sopinka and Claudia Dey — also incorporated the pattern into its latest collection. 

"Polka dots are eternally fascinating to us as designers because they are both a statement print and a neutral," Sopinka said. The duo swapped out their usual summer florals for polka dots, thinking it could offer an escape in the current climate.

"In these dark times, it makes sense that we are going toward something so classic and dependable, but also a print that contains such buoyancy and joy," she said. "Dots do this for us. They are timeless and grounded in the past, but contain an exuberance that is more magical than any other print."

There's also been a backlash against minimalism in fashion over the past few years, and Montreal-based fashion stylist Amanda Lee Shirreffs says the return of the polka dot speaks to this. "We've moved past our moment of quiet luxury and have entered a louder, more decadent time," she said. 

These days, polka dots are showing up in fresh ways. "They are playful and modern and work on so many looks, from traditional to punk — statement sleeves and slips paired with oversized leather jackets," Sopinka said. Horses' Alma top, for example, features striking white polka dots on a structured black bodice with a puff sleeve. 

Sopinka sees polka dots as the "perfect gateway print." She said to style it, you could go for head-to-toe microdots, with a slip dress or a midi skirt and ruffle blouse. For a maximalist vibe, she loves mixing dots with other patterns, like oversized camo pants or a fitted leopard-print skirt.

If you prefer to dip your toe in, both Sopinka and Shirreffs say accessories are the way to go: a printed shoe or a polka-dot scrunchie, worn on your wrist like jewelry. 

Despite the polka dot's ubiquity in pop culture and in fashion, Shirreffs keeps coming back to a mental picture from her childhood: Madonna on her Blond Ambition tour. "The sartorial image that is burned in my memory is when she danced around the stage to Holiday wearing an over-the-top polka-dot look," she said. "No one has done it better, really."

Scroll on for some polka-dot styling inspo from fashion creators.