Polka Dots!

When I think of Polka dots, the earliest memory I have is of Minnie Mouse in the 1920’s. But when we trace back to the origin of this pattern, it was first used in the clothing of flamenco dancers and performers in Britain in the early nineteenth century.

Be it the 1920’s with Coco Chanel endorsing the pattern, the late 1940’s where Dior’s revolutionary ‘New Look’ included spotted hourglass dresses in its romantic extravagance, the 1950’s with Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor making it the ‘It’ thing, or the dotted accessories of the 1980’s, Polka dots inevitably return to the fashion scene. And it looks like they’re here to stay. More recently, Carolina Herrera is a name our generation associates with Polka dots, with the beautiful bridal gowns and the perfume boxes. Yves Saint Laurent has also used this pattern in their designs time and again over the years.

An ad featuring a Dior New Look dress, 1953

Cute, Colourful, Fun, Uncomplicated, Joyful – Polka dots describe the little child we all have hidden inside our complicated adult personalities. No matter how old you get, put on a polka dotted dress, and the girlishness and youthfulness will jump out of you. 

Adorn that charming spotted vintage scarf and head out for a day of shopping with the girls, or a bright Sunday picnic with your man; just to make sure you keep the fun alive. Team up your dull kitchen time with you in a stylish polka dot blouse, and cooking will definitely be more appealing!For the men, wear a classic dotted tie or bowtie, and carry it with that old fashioned grace of Winston Churchill.

Marilyn Monroe in a polka dot bikini, 1952

Personally, my idea of wearing Polka dots would be to keep it minimal. If it’s just the hairband, or the ballerinas, it will stand out and talk for itself and your idea of revisiting old trends in your everyday wardrobe. Wear too much of it, and you will look like you have come straight from a retro movie set. 

But one thing is for sure, that the pretty polka dot frock never goes out of style. And this was confirmed when the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, herself sported a black and white polka dot frock with a red empire waist belt and yellow kitten heels, for an interview on ‘The Today Show’ in 2011!

Model: Dhvani Bakshi,

Photo by: Pranay Jaitly

The Look -
Polka dots scarf: Vintage store, London
Shirt & Inner slip: Mango
Jeans: Levis
Boots: H & M
Earrings & Bracelet: Lifestyle
Ring: Designed by Pranay Jaitly
 

Model: Harshita Shetty

Photo by: Nitin Raj

The Look -

Sweater Top: Papiniano Flea Market, Milan

Polka dotted Skirt: Zara

Bracelet: Street shop, Milan

Skull Ring: Handmade in Sienna 

Self – modeled

Photo by: Aneesha Khatar

The Look -

Hairband: Papiniano Flea Market, Milan

Top: Marks & Spencer

So make sure you have your dotted selection in your wardrobe, and don’t be afraid to make it a part of your personal statement. After all, as Brian Hyland said (in a very different context though),

“She was afraid that somebody would see
One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore

It was an itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today”.
 

The Quintessential Leather Jacket!

A Leather Jacket is as essential a wardrobe must-have as the Little Black Dress every lady should possess. It is classy, smart and stylish, and can be easily blended with several of your looks. From making appearances on the runway to being a costume piece from Hollywood, the Leather jackets have become a timeless fashion piece now.

Rockers in the 1960s

The first glimpse of leather jackets was during the World War 1 where the pilots were given heavy-duty leather flight jackets to keep them getting frozen in the cold. In the later decades, many subcultures like the Mods, Skinheads and Scooterboys adopted these ‘flight jackets’ or ‘bomber jackets’ as a part of their signature ensemble. 

Motorcycle jackets also were inspired from these bomber jackets and became a symbol of thrill, speed and exhilaration for the youth of the 20’s and 30’s. The ‘Rockers’ subculture of the 1950’s followed suit and wore leather jackets heavily decked with pins, badges, metal studs etc. 

But the full impact of these jackets was the doing of celebrities and musicians. When several youth icons like Marlon Brando in ‘The Wild One’ (1953), James Dean in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ (1955) and Steve McQueen in ‘The Great Escape’ (1963); all wore the Classic Leather Jackets and carried out that tough guy, rugged look, it became an article of every young boy’s closet.

 

Sex Pistols during a concert!

 In the latter half of the 70’s,  Giorgio Armani’s leather jacket became a status symbol, and designer Claude Montana used black leather jackets for his womenswear collection giving women a new tough and enticing image. At the exact same time, punk rock was gaining popularity in New York and London, and leather became the face of this rebellion and of several bands including Sex Pistols and The Ramones. And who can forget Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun, with the cool and alluring effect of their matching leather jackets!

Styling the leather jacket is not that big a task, as it has the ability to convert your casual into tantalizing, and turn your girly into sexy. Avoid the leather jacket with the leather pants combination, as it will make you look too kinky and cheap to be out in this century. Let the jacket itself bring out the dramatic, dangerous and rip-roaring side of your personality, and give you that required boost in your self-confidence.

Model: Aneesha Khatar

Photo by: Nitin Raj

The Look - 

Leather Jacket: Vintage Boutique, Rome

Top: Mango

Jeans: Bershka

Boots: Aldo

Necklace: Lui & Lei, Milan

Model: Miray Kuzucu

The Look - 

Leather Jacket: Zara

White Pullover: H & M

Orange tank top: Pull & Bear

Pants: Zara

Shoes: Nike

Bag: Topshop

Model: Nitin Raj

The Look - 

Leather Jacket: Celio

T - shirt: Alcott

Jeans: Levis Strauss

Flatcap: Parisian street shop

Your leather jacket has the class of the old world, ensuring it will stay in the fashion scene, and in your wardrobes, a long long time.  Think back to the time when Sid Vicious instructed in his suicide note, ‘Bury me in my leather jacket’, and it will give you a fresh perspective on the importance of this iconic fashion piece.