The mint green polka dot shirt is the second polka dot item I have ever owned – in my life. What prevented me from ever considering polka dots on my person all these years? 
Was it my childhood antipathy towards such passive Harvey comic book characters like Lil’ Dot and my preference for the high energy of D.C. comic books? Did I internalize my mother’s judgmental voice about polka dots being “silly” or in “bad taste”? Is it some irrational judgment about the polka itself? Because that is ancient news. I’ve even co-written a great polka (Pony Polka) with my friend George Wurzbach and bands like Polkastra are taking the polka form to new creative places.
The first item I bought with polka dots was in November, 2013. A pair of knitted grey leggins with jumbo black polka dots. Grey and black my go-to colors because while the polka dots might rain down some imaginary judgment about my character, the non-colors would show everyone I was actually a very serious person.
I was shopping with my daughter – a rarity. We both dislike recreational shopping. I muttered to myself “I’ve never owned anything with polka dots before.” Her response: “Then I think it’s about time, mom.”
The chocolate brown jeans are my first Dressing Your Truth clothing hack. They were a Type 2 muted brown, so I threw them in a pot 
along with a skirt that had an upward design but was also muted. Here are the jeans and the skirt sinking into the vat o’ dye.
brookpackard 