Polka dots to say preggers?

After Bollywood couple Kiara Advani and Siddharth Malhotra announced that they are expecting, ‘polka dot voodoo’ started trending on social media. It refers to the coincidence that a couple of actresses wore black polka dotted dress around the announcement of their pregnancies.

What the clothes foretell

After the couple’s big announcement, fans have been commenting on a two-month old Christmas photo of Sid-Kiara. The snapshot shows the pair sharing a hug beside a decorated Christmas tree. While Sid sports T-shirt and black trousers, Kiara is seen wearing a black dress with white polka dots. A commentator wrote two months ago: “Polka dots…..samjh rahe ho!??” (She is wearing polka dots… do you get the reference?).

This now has become one of the highest ‘liked’ comments as fans wrote: “The polka dot theory is real everyone!!!!!!”

The wild theory comes from the co-incidence that another actress — Anushka Sharma — too announced her pregnancy in a polka-dotted dress. Actress Natasa Stankovic, who was married to cricketer Hardik Pandya, also wore a similar dress around her pregnancy. All these examples gave rise to a theory that the black polka dot dress is the go-to pregnancy announcement outfit for celebrities.

There are other actresses too who wore the same pattern before announcing their pregnancies. Alia Bhatt was seen in a such a dress with a ruffled neckline, while Kareena Kapoor Khan was seen in a short polka-dotted dress before her second son, Jehangir, was born.

Timeless pattern

Fashion experts have pointed out that polka dot dresses are making a comeback in 2025. Reflecting on the origin of the pattern, designer Venkat Gaddam, who owns the label Whencut Goddamn, says: “I’ve always been drawn to patterns that tell a story, and polka dots have this beautiful way of blending nostalgia with modernity. Their origins date back to 19th-century Europe, but they’ve remained timeless, worn by icons across generations. To me, polka dots symbolize both playfulness and quiet confidence — qualities I love infusing into my work. Fashion is cyclical, but some things, like polka dots, never fade — they just evolve with us.”

Memes galore

l Netizens had a gala time connecting the polka dot dress to expectant mothers and wondered if this could be called the official dress to announce pregnancy in Bollywood.

l An ‘X’ user named Shubh wrote: “America: ‘guys i am happy to announce that i am pregnant’ India: shares a picture on Instagram handle wearing polka dot dress”

l Another user called Nomad wrote: “Anushka started two big trends amongst bollywood celebs — Pastel dreamy lehengas for wedding and Polka dot dress for pregnancy reveal.”