Polka Dot Nails: Playful, Chic & Timeless for Every Occasion

Spots are hogging the spotlight this summer. Polka dot nails are everywhere in our feeds. It’s fascinating how a single dot can change the whole vibe of a manicure! Add more, and suddenly the design feels powerful, retro, or sweet, depending on how you place them. Plus, this trend looks good on any nail length or color. Grab your dotting tool and get some polka dot nail inspiration right here!

Polka Dot Nails

Sheer Glazed Polka Dot Nails

Let’s dip in our toes with a subtle polka dot nails design. It’s a quick way to make a minimalist nude manicure a little sexier. A dusting of chrome power and a spattering of dots adds daring without making them too flashy. This look is simple yet right on trend and only requires a few extra minutes to complete.

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How It Began—Polka Dots in Fashion, Part 1

Almost two centuries ago, there was a magazine called Godey’s Lady’s Book. It featured short stories, homemaking tips, etiquette advice, and fashion plates. This was before photography was a common thing, so the magazine had hand-drawn images of the latest styles. In 1857, it revealed a lightweight summer scarf with “polka dots”.

As far as we know, this was the first time those two words were strung together in print. They weren’t related, because the polka was a dance, and the dots were simply a pattern of spots, so the origin is a little mysterious.

A while earlier, a fabric factory in Switzerland produced cotton embellished with texture that they called “dotted-Swiss”. In Germany, there was thaler cloth with coin-sized dots, too. People loved the spotted patterns, but they were challenging to produce with the technology of the time.

However, around the time that Godey’s Lady’s Book displayed the new summer style, mechanical looms made it possible to produce polka dot-patterned cloth at a lower cost, so the fashion caught on quickly.

Polka-Dotted Purple Aura

Now you can wear polka dot nails that match your phone case or anything else. Check out the spots on the middle nails versus the index fingers and pinkies. It’s not just the purple aura design that influences the feeling. It’s also the spacing and the sizes of the spots.

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Polka Dots in Fashion, Part 2

It’s tempting to connect polka dots to the rise of pointillism in art, but there doesn’t seem to be a link. However, you may find that your polka dot nail art becomes more imaginative after viewing paintings like Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte. This 1884 masterpiece consists of thousands of colored dots.

Moving on to the 20^th century, Miss America in 1926 wore a polka dotted swimsuit. Soon after, Minnie Mouse had a dotted skirt. You could find towels, bedsheets, and all sorts of clothing and household goods with spotted patterns.

What’s more, in the 1940s, Frank Sinatra sang about “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and Marilyn Monroe wore dots in the 1950s. Goldie Hawn and Twiggy kept them alive in the 60s and 70s. Continuing on in the 1980s and 90s, Princess Diana and Julia Roberts sported dots in public.

As you can see, polka dots continued to be popular in high fashion decade after decade. Designers quickly caught on to the idea that tiny adjustments in spotted patterns had a big impact on aesthetics. The size and placement changed the overall feel, like whether the dots were coded feminine or masculine or felt innocent or overpowering.

Dotted Velvet Nails

Of course, the dots’ canvas also affects how the viewer feels about them. Here the artist has added opaque white polka dots on a sage background. The cat eye polish makes it seem like the same-size dots are floating on silk or brushed velvet. It’s an elegant look that reminds us of vintage clothing.

Elegant Gold Speckles

Picture this: you’ve just finished a milky white manicure, and you want to embellish it with something classic, so you uncap the gold emboss gel and pick up your dotting pen. If you want perfection, you can lay down nail striping tape or use a stencil to help you space the spots. Congratulations, you just turned a basic look into a conversation starter.

Today’s Polka Dot Designs

Keep an eye on trends and you’ll see that polka dots resurface in the spring and summer fashion shows. Although women of all ages wear them, dotted patterns feel energetic and young.

Some artists like Yayoi Kusama (who has done art installations based on just dotted patterns) use large dots to symbolize joy. She once said they are movement and “a way to infinity”.

Confetti Cow Print

What if you took a cow print and stylized it with perfectly round spots? Put that on French tips and prepare yourself to tell everyone where you got your nails done.

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Tropical Dots

We think you’ll agree that the dots are an essential part of this tropical nails set. Many Indigenous cultures use spotted patterns in their traditional art, and they continue to influence fashion today.

Psychedelic Dots

Take a trip with this mesmerizing, multi-colored dot nail design. There are spots layered within spots for a hypnotic look like a lava lamp. What a fun way to include several favorite shades in a single manicure!

Sprinkled Monochrome

Forget the classic French tip and frame your nails instead with dots instead. This set’s alternating black and white dots border a nude base for an eye-catching effect.

Mirrored Dot Nails

Here, a Japanese artist created a glossy syrup nails design encapsulating reflective dots. The color scheme is low-key, but the result is futuristic and sophisticated.

Polka Dot Glass Nails

The simplest of polka dot schemes can take a nail design to the next level. Here the spots provide the contrast that makes the glass nails shimmer and shine all the more.

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Conclusion

It’s the perfect time to show your spots, so to speak. Dotted nail designs are hot this summer and they are an easy addition to any manicure. Join the three-century fashion trend and have fun with dot nails now! We have the supplies you need at prices that will make you smile.

Sources:

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-history-polka-dot-minnie-mouse-yayoi-kusama

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/a32839249/polka-dot-history