Dots or Stripes?

Dots or stripes.  Stripes or dots.  Which of these classic patterns would you rather wear?  Today's photos are from 1956.

Junior Sophisticates silk dress in peacock blue and green stripes.  Sold for $46 in 1956 (about $383 in today's dollar.)

Young Modes blue polka dotted silk dress.  Sold for $40 in 1956 (about $333 in today's dollar.)

Junior Circle polka dotted silk dress.  Sold for $35 in 1956 (about $291 in today's dollar.)

Pat Premo black and white striped playsuit with matching skirt in cotton.  Sold for $50 in 1956 (about $416 in today's dollar.)

How to Wear Polka Dots

Dear Readers:  Your blog hostess is in need of a break.  This week, I will be republishing random posts from the last 5 years.  As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.  Thank you for being here!

Polka dots - you probably either love 'em or hate 'em, but anyone can wear them. This perennial print has a tendency to look juvenile if not done right, though. Here are a few tips for wearing dots without looking too "dotty".

- Mix it up. This dress works because it uses two different sizes of dots. With this mix, the print avoids becoming overwhelming.
- Add solid color accessories. The solid black belt breaks up the dots and adds just the right touch. And guess where your eye is drawn? To your tiny waist.

- Smaller dots work better for dressier styles. The bow blouse at left would look silly in larger dots.
- Or break up polka dots with solids to tone it down. The green dotted dress would be far too much without the white vest worn over it.

- Wear dots in spring and summer. Somehow, polka dots just work better in warmer weather. They're bright and cheery and they send off a more casual vibe.
- Think color! Dots don't have to be white. Orange on purple works great for a casual summer shift. Pink on yellow makes a great swimsuit. Stick with two colors, though, to avoid looking clownish.

All fashions made from McCall's patterns in 1964.

Designers Go Dotty - 1973

There must have been a top secret memo that circulated amongst designers as they were working on their lines for the spring of 1973. Perhaps the memo said, "Polka dots, polka dots, all women will want to wear polka dots this year! You must include lots and lots of dots in your designs!" Whatever the case, I've never seen so many ads for polka dotted fashions in one magazine before. I wonder if American women bought into this trend.

Christian Dior, designed by Marc Bohan

Adele Simpson

Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique

Anne Fogarty for B. Forman Co.

Mollie Parnis Boutique

If you like polka dots, check out this post from last April with tips on how to wear them.

Polka Dot Vintage Dresses

I know you all love polka dots, so here are some vintage polka dot dresses from 1960:

Serbin offered this polka-dotted shirtwaist dress in navy, green, orange, or brown dots on white. Cute, no?

A black and white polka dotted dress by Junior House. You've gotta love those huge pockets on the skirt!

A scarf-printed silk dress by Rappi. Why is it called scarf-printed? Because the design is in large squares that can be cut apart and hemmed to make scarves. Here, Rappi used the dots in squares pattern to great effect in the skirt.

Here are some polka dot vintage dresses currently available at Couture Allure:

1950's cotton shirtwaist dress with a random polka dot pattern. $165.00

1940's navy dot day dress in silk. Generous larger size! $75.00

1950's dress by Jonathan Logan in rayon with the look and feel of linen. $135.00