Fall 2011 Trend: Going Dotty
Photos: Imaxtree
Dots from the Fall 2011 Marni, Marc Jacobs, and Stella McCartney collections
Spots are nothing new for the fashion masses—can you remember a recent season that didn't include a slew of leopard prints? But for Fall 2011, a handful of designers took a poppier approach, splattering their collections with graphic polka dots, a look more often shown in lighter Spring presentations.
Polka dots first showed up on Marc Jacobs's New York runway—though his fetish-fueled collection meant they were sexier than the usual sweet spots we see. Think latex skirts with oversize dot paillettes, sheer Swiss dot tights, dotty fur collars, and spotted mini caps (sometimes all at once).
Malandrino's dots, similarly, came leather backed on sheer fabric for a peekaboo pencil dress that was simultaneously sexy and sweet.
Stella McCartney's dotty options arrived in tonal black or white. McCartney also played with oversize paillettes, but her dots were strongest in chic cocktail attire with sheer dotted panels or sleeves—her witty take on Swiss dots.
When it came to prints, Marni's Consuelo Castiglioni had to have her say as well: She showed mixed-up prints with green and gray graphic dots. Collette Dinnigan also took the print route, showing a silk maxi skirt in blue and black spots.
It may be a long time before fashion's love for spots fades—but for Fall, a switch to sportier dots might be a perfect wardrobe pick-me-up.
