Polka Dots for Grown Ups

Yesterday's post on Ashley's 'Polka dot toes' reminded me of one of my favorite trends for the season - polka dot tights. This might sound like too juvenile a look to pull off but we get to because of one man - Nicolas Ghesquiere. I'm not sure if Balenciaga is a household name in Cleveland because it really isn't sold in any stores here. I'll be honest, I had to google the spelling of the creative genius behind the brand before typing. I can say this, there are 2 French fashion houses worth noting for their power on the industry: Balenciaga and Balmain. Balmain - responsible for making pointy shoulder pads a trend on every jacket all the way to American contemporary designer Nanette Lepore's fall looks. Balenciaga - beautiful draping and tailoring has influenced chain retailers from Top Shop to H&M. This is a good thing because it challenges our expectations of what our "going out clothes" should look like and fast-fashion labels usually can get one or two trend elements on our basics to make it both approachable and affordable.
Getting to the point: This season Balenciaga has given us sheer black hose... but with polka dots (Images from Style.com and ad). It's the perfect accent to update the LBD (little black dress) and it shows that you have a sense of eccentricity when it comes to your style that is quintessentially French. I found a copy by Juicy Couture at TJ Maxx on Cedar for $9.99 (score! they had a few extra pairs I left there for you) and J.Crew is doing them too for around $22. If you spot 'em, grab 'em.