
It’s no secret that this season, revamped retro patterns are being brought back in a big way. Not only should your closets be filled with polka dots, gingham and floral prints, but your home decor should be bringing back the ’60s too. Dotty wardrobes are being spotted (hehe) everywhere, which is why we’re bring you 27 charming pieces that will help you get your spot on.
1. Mod Wire Headband ($4): Even if you’re not a fan of flirty dots, you can still rock this versatile headband. We love it because it can be styled with a tomboy look, a retro outfit or a girly getup.
2. High Waisted Pencil Skirt ($60): Polka dots to work? Yes, please. This super stylish office skirt is an appropriate length for a meeting with your boss or a round of happy hour drinks with the girls. Heck, we’d bet your guy wouldn’t complain if you wore this on a date.
3. Playsuit With Top Hats ($115): Anything with whimsical top hats and moustaches printed all over it is a keeper. This relaxed style is both comfortable and playful: perfect for the weekend.
4. Button Front Shirt ($70): Cotton button-down blouses are the ultimate closet staple, which is why you’ve got to stack your wardrobe full of these babies, both solid and printed. This spotted one from Ace Delivery comes in a soft blue with white dots.
5. Hi Top Chucks ($70): The easiest way to add polka dots into your outfit is with a pair of cute kicks. These black hi top Converse have metallic polka dots and would look fab with a pair of cutoffs or even a fun dress.
6. Polka Dot Cardigan ($165): A classy way to sport polka dots is when they’re printed on a traditional cardigan like this one. And when you add metallic spots into the mix, you’re good as gold. Get it?
7. Smock Dress ($104): Short-sleeve smock dresses are every girl’s dream. They’re flattering, adorable and perfect for most occasions. This button-back polka dot piece is no exception.
8. Peplum Cami Top ($26): You can’t go wrong with a periwinkle peplum covered in dots. This cutie is ideal for the weekend, but you could definitely rock this at work with some skinny pants and a cardigan.
9. Printed Pants ($77): These semi-sophisticated jogger pants are better at the office than at the gym, but that’s why we love ’em. Black and white spots have never looked so chic.
10. Cashmere Sweater ($550): Who says polka dots have to be uniform? Blue and pink dots are randomly placed on a soft and cozy cashmere knit that you can sport all year round.
11. Cheshire Sunglasses ($65): Go playful with your accessories by adding a little spot to your specs. These round sunnies will add sunshine to even the rainiest of days.
12. Farrah One-Piece Swimsuit ($83): One-piece suits are all the rage this season, and our stomachs are thanking them. How cute will you look strutting down the beach in this hot number?
13. Soft Blazer ($32): It’s no secret that soft blazers are a key layering piece when it comes to spring and summer fashion. This bright number can spice up any look.
14. Denim Jumper ($120): We don’t know what we love more about this piece: the rainbow straps, the fact that it’s a denim overall skirt or the whimsical white polka dots printed all over it. Anything that’s got all that going for it is a winner.
15. Silk Maxi Dress ($875): Looking for a way to dress up your dots? This gorgeous silk maxi dress makes polka dots look black tie.
16. Polka Dot T-Shirt ($76): You can never have enough cotton tees. Ever.
17. Hooded Rain Trench ($48): Rainy days are the worst. Unlessssss you have an adorable raincoat like this hooded one from ASOS. It’s time to do a rain dance. ASAP.
18. Floral Midi Skirt ($4,126): Leave it to Oscar de la Renta to put a new spin on polka dots. The floral-dot combination makes print mixing easy: Just add a solid colored top and you’re good to go.
19. Neon Cotton Sweatshirt ($125): This sweatshirt looks like you walked outside and it was raining neon yellow polka dots. We just love that.
20. Silk Chiffon Blouse ($245): An elegant, sheer blouse that ties at the neck is very office-appropriate. But when there are colorful dots involved, you amp up the fun without losing the sophistication.
21. Woven Sweatshirt + Shorts Outfit ($145 + $214): While this looks like the coolest jumper ever, it’s actually separates (sweatshirt and shorts) so you can pretty much choose how covered-in-spots you want to be.
22. Hair Bow Barette ($12): Can we just talk about how adorable this cute little bow is? We’ll take two.
23. French Terry Sweatshirt ($32): Your cozy wear can get in on the polka dot action with this gray and white spotted sweatshirt. Think about it: You can wear ’em to the gym, to go to bed and even dress this bad boy up!
24. Ruffle Bikini Top ($29): Who can say no to a bikini as playful as this one? Ruffles: check. Colorblocking: check. Polka-dots: check. Cutouts: check. This flattering style will make you pray for swimsuit season.
25. Polka Dot Jumpsuit ($79): We love this navy and white dotted jumpsuit because the shape is flattering, the polka dot size is just small enough where it’s not too loud to wear to work, plus it’s affordable. This one’s a fine addition to any summer wardrobe.
26. Patent Leather Canvas Slip-Ons ($425): We all know that sneakers are having a major fashion moment right now: especially slip-on skater sneaks like these, designed by LOVE magazine editor, Katie Grand.
27. Polka Dot Dress ($39): A flirty little mini dress is what every gal needs this summer. This breezy peach dress by Lashes of London is perfect for a cocktail party or an outdoor barbecue. Just add shoes.
Are you dotty for spots? What polka dot pieces will you be sporting this season?
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures