Because they make me happy. They actually have a reputation for doing that. It’s true. Polka dots hearken to the 1950s and suggest simplicity, fun and cheerfulness. But it hasn’t always been so. In ...

I didn't know that the modernist architect Alfred Loos considered patterns and other eye-catching ornaments to be tools of the hegemonic imperialist status quo, but that's probably just me. I also did ...

The meaning of polka dots has been associated with disease, dancing and crime.(Pete/Flickr/Public Domain) From the vague suggestion of leprosy to feared Canadian bank ...

These days, polka dots are prized for their familiar cheerfulness. In an effort to lure budget-conscious consumers back to buying clothes, the fashion industry is hawking classic graphic patterns, ...

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. In the 1960s, it was the twist; in the ’20s, the Charleston. But these fads were mere blips on ...