Teapots and Polka Dots: Polka Dots and Fashion Week

Fashion Week in New York City began a few days back, and the big designers trotted out their lines for the Fall 2011 season.

Normally, I don't pay much attention to high-fashion news, other than to occasionally watch "Project Runway" with Lovely Daughter #2.

But I heard or read that polka dots were big news this time, and so I took a look. Seems like Marc Jacobs is leading the charge. Here are some of his dotty inspirations:

Okay, the hat's a bit of a reach, but the tights are cute.

I could totally wear the blouse or the small-scale dotted hose, both above. I'll leave bolero jacket and skirt to somebody else.

This outfit, above, makes me smile. It reminds me of Disney's "101 Dalmations."

I love that the polka dots on the hat above are actually buttons.

There is nothing about this outfit, above, that I'd wear--except for maybe the hosiery. But that coin-dot skirt is genius, nonetheless.

(All the Marc Jacobs creations, above, were photographed by Scott Schuman, the brilliant fashion photographer and blogger behind "The Sartorialist.")

If you find these a little extreme, don't worry! The nutty stuff on the runways just means that soon it will be easier to find polka-dot fashions for the rest of us. Whether you like your dots silly, saccharine, ladylike, or avant-garde, there will be polka dots enough for all.

Me, I'm loving this top for spring:

Liu top, by YOOX.

Nice that she's wearing it with dark-wash jeans, my uniform of choice.

Lovely Daughter #1 tipped me off to these adorable, dotty shoes:

Shoes by Poetic License

The apple-shaped clasps are so unusual. As is the heel--somewhere between a classic pump and a kitten. They are darling for a mid-20-something, but for me, I prefer these beauties, below: