Polka dot long sleeve dresses with ruffles and a retro mood

Few prints are as cheerful as dots, and a polka dot long sleeve dress lets you wear them with your arms covered, so ours go to the office as easily as to a party. We sew them with dots on black, white, red, light blue and powder pink. Most are minis, and a few stop at the knee or just past it.

Black with dots for the desk and the hours after

Dots on black are quieter than dots on white. That’s what lets the black ones handle a workday. Our mini with flounces on the skirt has a round neck and full sleeves, and those two closed lines balance the short hem, so with opaque tights and loafers it sits fine in a meeting. Another black mini keeps its whole idea in the sleeve, which is decorated, and we’d leave bracelets and a chunky watch at home.

Need your knees covered? The black midi does that. It’s the calmest polka dot long sleeve dress we make, and it takes heels on Monday, then flats or even sneakers on Saturday. Carry a plain bag, since the print already brings plenty of movement.

One black style is meant for parties. It has split sleeves and a boat neckline that leaves the collarbones on show, and all it asks for is heels and a small clutch.

Red, white and blue dots for weekends and a friend’s wedding

Red is the loud one. On our red mini the print does most of the talking, so we’d keep earrings to small studs and pick a black or white bag. The white dress is all about its dramatic sleeves, and black pumps turn it properly retro.

Light blue comes three ways. A ruffled mini with a keyhole at the neck is for coffee with friends and weekend trips, and white sneakers look right with it. Then there’s a boat-neck dress that stops at the knee and is easy enough for every day. The third has white dots on blue and a knee-length hem, and that’s our choice for a friend’s wedding, worn with white heels.

Powder pink is the softest of the lot, with flounces along the sleeves and hem that sway a little as you walk. And for a cocktail evening, an off-shoulder black mini bares the shoulders while the sleeves stay long. Earrings are all it needs.

Sizing a dotted dress by the bust

Start with your bust measurement. On the off-shoulder and V-neck styles the neckline has to lie flat, and the bust decides that. If you’re between two sizes on the red mini, compare the sleeve length in the size chart too. We cut every style in XS to XL, roughly US 2–12.

Frequently asked questions

Are these dresses for summer only?

They’re part of our summer line, so they reappear on the site once spring arrives. The long sleeve stretches their use, though. Under a trench or a denim jacket most of them work on cool days as well.

Which one covers the most?

The black midi. Round neck, sleeves to the wrist and a hem past the knee.

Can I wear tights and boots with a dotted mini?

You can, and in cold weather we’d encourage it. The red mini goes with tall boots and thick tights, and the black flounced one takes low boots in winter. More short hems are with our dotted minis.