Today's Journal

Polka Dots!!

I love polka dots!  I find them whimsical yet classic, stylish and fun.  The history of the polka dot is a bit unclear. While there does not seem to be a definitive "first polka dot", the first time that polka dots were mentioned in print apparently was in the New York Times on September 21, 1866.  

The polka dot may have begun in 1830 when Eastern European immigrants began a new dance craze in  Britain and the United States - the polka!  At the same time clothing began to appear in Britian with dots.  The bouncy pattern of the dots seems to reflect the bouncy polka music. The polka and the dots were forever joined together!   The polka craze lasted until 1900. There were polka hats, polka furniture, but it was the polka dot that has remained.  

In 1928, polka dots returned on the fashion scene with Walt Disney's introduction of Minnie Mouse. Although she was first designed as a "flapper" girl, we all know Minnie in her famous red polka dot dress and bow in her hair! One theory is that Disney created Minnie's "polka dot" dress when a spot of ink from Walt's pen fell on her skirt. 

Polka dots made another big comeback in the 1950's and 1960's.  Remember Lucy's polka dot dress? and polka dot bangle bracelets? and polka dot ceramics for the kitchen?  And of course...Brian Hiland's 1960 hit song "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".  This song firmly established the bikini and the polka dot in American culture.  

 Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrara used polka dots on most of her dresses in the late 1980's and 1990's. In the Tour de France, the leader in the mountains competition wears a distinctive jersey with red polka dots.

 And we have polka dots at Tournesol!

If you like polka dots, enjoy Davistudio polka dot tumblers, platters and bowl, Heavenly Hostess polka dot aprons and Daisy Hill's white linen napkins with polka dot trim!