November 10, 2025 by Katie Plue (‘27)
It all started in the mid-1800s with the development of the polka dot pattern. To start, they were commonly found on children’s clothes, toys, furniture, and ceramics. Now, they have broken into the modern fashion world and are frequently seen on shirts, dresses, or even nail designs.
It’s nearly impossible to find exactly when this trend started back up again, but there are some situations that ignited the craze. In July 2025, Hollister re-released their 2000s line, creating their polka dot babydoll top. For a few months, people were encouraged not to buy or wear it because the shirt was so common. Online, people posted about how “basic” it was, and how many students planned on wearing it on the first day of school. However, there were cases of different celebrities dressing up in polka dot patterns before Hollister’s release, like Sabrina Carpenter debuting her two different polka dot body suit outfits during her “Short n’ Sweet” tour in Paris, and Hailey Bieber caught in New York City wearing polka dot capris.
Is it possible that a singular clothing brand’s product release is the only reason for this design’s revival? Other investigations suggest it’s just a past trend cycling back around again. Polka dots might just be considered vintage and are following the age-old pattern of fashion trends coming back from the dead, similar to low-rise pants or chunky jewelry. This pattern is referred to as the “20-year rule,” which simply means trends from around 20 years back are due for resurgence. Other examples of this are the very commonly found cheetah print, printed baby tees, jean skirts, and jorts. As seen in many trend-combacks, a sudden explosion of popularity could mean the trend is one track to go downhill fast, though.
The public tends to reach toward these older styles because of nostalgia, whether that’s looking back at old pictures or watching an old TV show. Shows like Gilmore Girls (2000) and Gossip Girl (2007) have influential main characters like Rory Gilmore, Serena van der Woodson, and Blair Waldorf, who this generation has looked back on and taken inspiration from. All these leading ladies were featured in the shows wearing classic patterns like plaid and polka dots.
Hollister’s Y2K-inspired line and people’s attachment to the past are likely contenders for what’s giving this pattern its spark back. Hollister is taking a blast to the past, utilizing this idea of cyclic trends, and tugging on consumers’ heartstrings is fueling the public to purchase anything they can with polka dots on it. The popularity has gotten big enough for businesses to have their own sections of polka-dotted clothing on their online stores. Edikted and Urban Outfitters are both major franchises marketing to teen girls, and they are both indulging in the production of polka-dotted pieces.
Polka Dots could be considered what’s called a “micro-trend” and are being compared to the bow epidemic of 2023. Since its start to sudden popularity, many celebrities have been seen wearing polka dots. Ariana Grande arrived at the 2025 VMAs wearing a black, white, and pink polka dot dress, and Olivia Rodrigo appears to be a big fan of polka dots, posting on her Instagram multiple times wearing shorts, dresses, and scarves all sporting the well-loved pattern.