Princess Kate has been bringing out the polka-dotted clothing in full force over the past few years. As with everything the Royal Family does in public, this wasn't left up to chance—but what does it mean exactly? Let's explore.
Most recently, the Princess of Wales rewore a polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich while opening the Hope Street residential center in Southampton, Hampshire.
In the past, Kate wore a brown polka dot dress by Rixo to accompany her kids to Lambrook School last September, for example. Polka dots are also pretty much a given for every year she attends Wimbledon these days: She wore an Alessandra Rich polka dot skirt to the tennis tournament in 2021, a Dolce & Gabbana polka dot dress in 2017, and another Alessandra Rich number in 2022.
So why exactly does the princess love the pattern so much?
"Polka dots are a youthful, approachable and playful design. They can make an elegant and sophisticated style more relatable and are quite easy for high-street designers [i.e. affordable retailers] to produce," Susie Nelson, style expert and founder of Modes & More, told Express.
"Princess Diana and the late Queen Elizabeth II were fans of polka dots, and they are also worn by Princess Beatrice."
Nelson went on to describe some of the symbolism of polka dots. "Some say a polka dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and living life," she said. "The circle has balance and is also the form of the moon, which is thought of as calm."
Certainly, this all checks out when you think about Kate's public presentation, but why else might she come back to it again and again? You guessed it, Nelson has answers.
"Kate is very fond of the design and they make her appear more approachable and youthful," she said.
"They are easy to accessorize and not so busy that they take over or smother the design of the dress or item of clothing."
And one last thing: "They also have the advantage of not showing creases as much as a plain color, and so are useful for events such as Wimbledon that can involve a lot of standing up and sitting down," Nelson added.
Well, with this many arguments in favor of polka dots, I'm actually starting to wonder why Kate ever wears anything else!
