A Dozen Ways to Wear Polka Dots

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Polka dots have seemingly always been a thing — Marilyn Monroe wore them on the beach, Vivian wore them to the derby in Pretty Woman, and Rei Kawakubo is known for (among other things, of course) putting them on T-shirts and wallets for Comme des Garçons.

So while it's hard to call the dotted pattern "trendy," it's also hard to ignore the fact that it's been popping up all over the place as of late, from the runways of Balenciaga and Jacquemus to the racks of J.Crew and Topshop. They're like stripes in that they're classic enough to work for just about anyone, regardless of your personal look or style (or age, for that matter).

Whether you wear them on tops, bottoms, or all over, the buzzy pattern is a no-brainer to style — just pair your polka-dot piece with any solid color or denim and you are good to go. (And for those especially partial to an all black-and-white wardrobe, you can consider polka dots a really easy way to spice up your day-to-day look.)

Here, we've rounded up a handful of our favorite polka-dot pieces, from tops and dresses to jumpsuits and trousers, that you can hold on to for years to come.