Polka Dot Frenzy...Trend or Foe?

J. Crew Retro dot tunic

J. Crew Polka dot pencil skirt

Spring Runway 2012 Suno

Spring Runway 2012 Tory Burch

Spring Runway 2012 ADAM

J. Crew Polka dot popover

Talbot's Oceanus Pin Dot Miraclesuit

         

   Ann Taylor Dots pleat neck top

My wardrobe goes something like this, classic, classic, classic - occasional trend.  I typically go for classic and every now and then I pull in a trend.  I try to get out in front of it before it spreads like wildfire in every retail store and on every runway.  Take polka dots...I bought a beautiful Rachel Roy polka dot blouse a few months back (before polka went wild) and at the time I remember saying to myself, I hope that I don't see polka dots for the next two seasons, but sure enough they started to spread.  I took the bait again and recently bought J. Crew's polka dot pencil skirt.  And after that, it all went very wrong.  I did a quick search and did a kind of store by store and runway inventory and sure enough - it was officially a trend.  J. Crew gets on these trends and then you see it over and over.  Perfect example are ruffles - for awhile this reared its ugly head in several seasons in a row.  Interestingly, Ann Taylor calls their dot apparel "dot" this and "dot" that verses polka.  Surprisingly Talbot's had the least of the dot factor.  I only found a Miracle suit called Oceanus Pint Dot and I had to laugh.  And I also checked the runway and sure enough, the dots multiplied from ADAM's pajama ensemble with polka dots intended for street-wear, not slumber-wear.  And then to Tori Burch to Suno who actually take dots to a higher, more fashionable look.  So are polka dots friend (trend) or foe?  Do you have any early trends you loved that are quickly moving to the back of your closet or will they never enter your closet!  Cheers...