The spotty dress that sees stars
A Zara dress has been so popular that it now has its own Instagram account,
Forget the blue and black (or was it gold and white?) dress fiasco that swiftly divided social media in 2015; a $99 polka dot frock from fast fashion retailer Zara has become the latest internet sensation.
The garment in question is a white, polyester dress with a round neckline, ruffled hem, long sleeves, and spots, and worshippers are praising its practical, one-style-fits-many appeal and pocket-friendly price.
Feverishly discussed online, the dalmatian-inspired design’s ubiquity is so notable that it’s simply referred to as ‘‘the dress’’,
The New York Times said it ‘‘conquered Britain’’, there was a ‘‘wear the dress day’’ last week, and Doughnut Time even created a matching doughnut in its honour.
The BBC reported the dress had become so popular, some owners were trying to hide the fact their dress was The Dress by dyeing it, cutting it into different shapes or wearing it backwards.
The unexpected viral fashion hit is so popular it has its own Instagram account with more than 23,000 followers and counting.
Created by British stylist
Faye Oakenfull, @hot4thespot is ‘‘a safe space for The Dress’’ devoted to documenting sightings of the piece out and about across the world.
With 249 posts since it was started in May, the account shows women of all ages and shapes wearing it – often teamed with a leather or denim jacket and white sneakers, and sightings frequently include multiple women at the same occasion all wearing it.
An 86-year-old paired her polka-dot number with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, and one bride got married in – yes, you guessed it – The Dress, complete with a pair of white mules and a bouquet of flowers.
Stuff’s Colleen O’hanlon, who snapped up the phenomena-starting frock on London’s Oxford St in April, says it was ‘‘love at first sight’’.
‘‘My sister went shopping in London the same day I bought it and sent me a photo of a dress she loved – I was like, ‘too late, I bought it already’,’’ she says.
‘‘I spotted another woman wearing it on the Tube the first time I wore it.
‘‘I did a bit of a double take . . . We had one of those moments of eye contact where we both gave each other’s choice the nod,’’ O’hanlon says.
Its versatility meant the dress could be ‘‘worn all year in different ways’’ – teamed with boots and a bomber in winter and worn with jandals in summer, she says.
‘‘It’s versatile and super comfy, and can be appropriate in lots of scenarios,’’ she says.
‘‘I wear it at least once a week to work, but try not to put it on more often than that because it’s definitely – in terms of style and fabric – not a neutral choice.
‘‘I’m trying to avoid a situation where people think ‘oh, that dress again’.’’
‘‘I wear it at least once a week to work, but try not to put it on more often than that because it’s definitely not a neutral choice.’’
Colleen O’hanlon