We loved shooting our last Sugarhill Boutique post so much, we’ve decided to do another one and woah, what a scorcher it was too. The sunny climate called for up do’s, a trip to the local park, and matching heart sunglasses. What a blooming brilliant way to spend a Saturday morning! As you might be able to tell we both fell for the 1960’s style polkadot print from their new Autumn/Winter collection and couldn’t resist signing on the dotted line and styling it two ways. Both the Hayley Spot Jacquard Skirt* and the Dahlia Spot Dress* are super fun, whilst being so easy to wear, which are both big requirements for any item in the She and Hem wardrobe.
I (Victoria) took a walk on the wild side and paired the spotty skirt with the rawrsome Bella Tiger Blouse*. With tons of floating tiger heads, gold buttons and a dropped back, it’s pretty freakin’ fierce and we ain’t lion! Jo’s dress is the star of the show with a super chic tunic shape and snazzy zip detail, it’s the perfect dress to take you from work to play.
Now for the big bows! I accessorised my outfit with a black ribbon, sunglasses from Primark, a floral headband from New Look, and white heeled ASOS shoes (similar here). Jo layered her dress over a Zara blouse and accessorised with a humongous black bow headband from Forever 21, TkMaxx sunglasses, a cat shaped Dahlia bag, and black VANDER point shoes from Topshop.
What do you think? Are you ready to think about Autumn?
Hello frock fans and welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses. It’s time once again to take a gander at the dresses we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval. Let’s crack on!
Billie Goes to Town Gathered Dress £65 from Cath Kidston
We start with good ol’ Cath Kidston who have added an abundance of pretty to their website over the past couple of weeks. As always it’s the more novelty prints that I am drawn to with the gorgeous ‘Billie Goes to Town’ being my current favourite. How fun are those London illustrations? Hey look it’s London’s famous Big Ben, buses, and umm benches! Well, you get the idea. This new shape looks to be rather flattering and as someone who owns more than their fair share of CK frocks it’ll be nice to throw a different style into the mix!
Penguins Sleeveless Dress £65 from Cath Kidston
PENGUINS! What more do you really need to know? Admittedly it feels a little weird to be lusting after a penguin print in July but seeing as I am currently wearing my fluffy dressing gown as it throws it down with rain outside I’m going to let Cath off. She clearly knows what she’s doing! I love this dress and whatever the weather should really p p p pick one up (sorry).
Cherry Pop Dress £65 from Sister Jane
I think this might be a first time Double Thumbs appearance for the wonderful Sister Jane, which is odd as I spend an unnecessary amount of time drooling over their website! How adorable is that sheer embroidered cherry print neckline? VERY is the correct answer. It’s very Zooey (which they have also pointed out) which is pretty much all I need to hear to convince me a dress should be mine!
Rising Flower Pinafore Dress £65 from Sister Jane
The Sister Jane fun continues (may as well make up for lost time eh?) with this stunning suede pinafore dress which features a fantastic retro daisy smack bang in the middle of it. I feel this would make a welcome addition to my ‘suitable to whack a jazzy blouse under’ arsenal and is it just me or does it have a bit of an Orla Kiely vibe to it?
I really do seem to be getting set for Autumn/Winter don’t I? Oops! Sorry, Summer! I can’t help it though when super 70s stripy numbers like these are made available. This little Topshop beauty also has sleeves and pockets! My favourite combo.
Floral Print High-Neck Dress £21 from Forever 21
Everything about this floral Forever 21 dress is a winner for me. I actually bought a blouse in Zara recently which looks exactly like the top half of this frock (Instagram evidence) because I just loved the Victorian style neckline so darn much. This dress probably costs less than the top did! Dreamy.
Checked Smock Dress £35 from Limited Edition at Marks and Spencer
Will I ever stop being obsessed with M&S? If my Mum is anything to go by it’s actually only going to get worse. Sorry in advance, bank balance. My latest dress crush is this navy check smock dress that just looks so cosy and easy to wear that I actually feel more comfortable just looking at it. I’m really enjoying this 70s sleeve style at the moment too. More of this sort of thing please.
Cheerful Cherry Bow Dress £149 from Ted Baker
Last but not least we have this cherry print dress from Ted Baker which claims to be cheerful but surely nobody is ever left that happy after spending £149, Ted. Sort it out. Regardless, this dress is ticking all the right boxes with those fabulous black bows down the front, that fruity print, and those lovely long sleeves.
Sound the party klaxon! We’ve finally made it to FIFTY Double Thumbs Dresses posts. I completely dread to think how much money I’ve spent in the process of writing them but hey ho a milestone is a milestone! Perhaps we should all buy a nice new frock to celebrate? Seems a reasonable suggestion….. So, without further ado, here’s the 50th roundup of dresses we have deemed worthy of receiving the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval. PARTY KLAXON.
Cowboy Dress £69 (PRE ORDER) by Emily and Fin from Aspire StyleMarble Dress £65 (PRE ORDER) BY Emily and Fin from Aspire Style
I blimmin’ love Emily and Fin and practically lassoed my computer when I spotted Aspire Style had added some of the new season collection to their website, which you can pre-order now. There are so many new gorgeous vintage inspired prints that it was hard to narrow it down to just two! I think you’ll agree that the cowboy print is pretty special indeed and I adore the cuteness of those marbles against the dusky pink. Get. In. My. Wardrobe.
Home Farm Cotton Dress £65 from Cath Kidston
E I E I WOAH! Channel your inner Old MacDonald in this farm yard print dress from Cath Kidston, who happily bring new meaning to the term ‘animal print’. It’s a gorgeous cut and not one I believe I’ve seen before from CK. I just love the button detail and apparently it has concealed pockets! Rejoice. You’d be quackers not to moooove quickly with this one….
Polka Dot Chiffon Dress £22 from Forever 21
This is such a lovely 50s inspired number from Forever 21! I adore the mustard colour, the pleats and, of course, the peter pan collar. Delightful! It’s also a bit of a bargain which makes a nice change.
Daisy Print Shirt Dress £55 from Topshop
It might have something to do with Cara looking all wonderful in it on the Topshop homepage but I have a serious crush on this big daisy print number. I want to embrace the flower power and rock that pussybow neck! I also want to be a supermodel and have fantastic eyebrows. I can only assume this dress will make it happen.
Cherry Dress £54 from Sugarhill Boutique
My goodness this is a berry nice frock from Sugarhill Boutique. The bright aqua colour is just stunning and looks great set against the cherry print. I am also a big fan of the 50s shape which looks outrageously flattering with those lovely sleeves and cute little collar. One to cherish for sure!
Conversational Print Skater Dress £45 from Marks & Spencer
FlamingOMG what a top print, which according to M&S is apparently conversational. I wonder what it’s trying to say? You can’t really argue with hundreds of flamingos so it can pretty much say anything it likes. FYI I could only find it in petite sizes on the website so you’ll have to flaming-go and try and find it in-store if that doesn’t suit.
Antartctic Circle Dress £65.80 from Miss Patina
We finish off with this charming dress from Miss Patina. It already looks pretty great from this picture with the lovely shirt detailing underneath a classic silver frock. But, game change, the print on the shirt is actually POLAR BEARS. What a triumph for the eyes.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the weather seems to have waved a fond farewell to sunshine and warmth and replaced it with rain, wind and a brisk chill. This is, of course, brilliant news as it means we can all finally justify buying those coats we’ve been stroking in shops since mid August. Marvelous. Here are some of our current favourites…
The Katy Coat £95 from Oasis
First up is this dreamy oversized blazer fit coat from Oasis. I adore the natural colour but if you want to be totally jazzy, it also comes in very bright shades of orange and yellow.
Kelsey Coat £125 from Louche at Joy
You won’t get the hump about the cold in this luxurious vintage camel number from Louche. If that faux fur doesn’t get you, the lining will – it’s covered in super cute animals!
Colette Coat £99 by Hell Bunny at Aspire Style
Go dotty for this spotty retro Hell Bunny number. Giant buttons and pockets are clearly the way forward.
Stand Collar Swing Coat £19 from Forever 21
Forever 21 appears to be THE place to go for budget friendly winter coats. The above also comes in black and camel but they have a pretty enjoyable selection of plaid too.
Ronnie Coat £125 by Louche at John Lewis
I think this gorgeous Louche number might be my current most coveted coat. I adore the pink, which thankfully seems to be still a big trend for 2014, but it also comes in a rather fetching shade of blue.
Check Coat £95 from Warehouse
This Warehouse coat is neatly ticking the pink, plaid and pockets boxes. Plus I do love a brushed fabric. It makes up for the fact I don’t own a cat.
Dolly Coat £33 (was £70) from ASOS
I really rate the ASOS Dolly style coats, having bought one this time last year, and so I thought this was a bit of a bargain. I really like the ice blue colour above but, for a £16 extra, it also comes in the bright raspberry.
Frances Coat £110 by Sugarhill Boutique at House of Fraser
If you like this sixties style Sugarhill Boutique number with its lovely fluffy collar and velvet (I think?) detailing then I suggest you step on it as it seems to be rapidly going out of stock.
Iris Dress Coat £129.99 from Fever
The more I stare at this Fever coat the more convinced I am that we are meant to be together. Beautiful colour, beautiful collar and the perfect coat shape.
Swing Coat with Contrast Faux Fur Collat £85 from ASOS
Last but not least is this lovely swing coat from ASOS. I think the swing style is super cute and flattering – plus it would totally hide any extra roast dinners! Good work, fashion. It’s also available in pink.
Hi! It’s DT time again! Your weekly round-up of the dresses we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval. I can tell you folks, this week’s list has been an easy peasy one to put together! No multi-tab browsing break down for me this week! No siree!
Balloon Me Up Dress £65.80 from Miss Patina
We begin with this floaty little number from Miss Patina. I love a good hot air balloon print and this, dear friends, is a GREAT hot air balloon print! It looks like it would be perfect for summer and I’m quite a fan of the skirt/top style (there’s probably a better description than that but it escapes me right now). Excellent work.
Grace in Black and White Cat Dress £98 from Poppy
We haven’t had a cat dress for a while, have we? Hopefully not as I’ve got two for you this week! First up is this delightful monochrome number from Poppy. I love their signature 50s shape, truly perfect for twirling, and those black cats are nice and BIG. Declaring yourself as a cat lover should never be done subtly.
Map Happy Dress $92.99 by Nice Things from Modcloth
Whenever I fall for a dress on our beloved Modcloth (which is often), I always check that it isn’t actually from a UK based company before spending $$$$ on shipping (and tax! don’t forget the tax!). They stock a lot of great international brands and I’m betting I’d be pretty annoyed if I accidentally imported an Emily & Fin dress. Anyhoo, this map print dress isn’t from a UK company but it is from a Spanish one and, although my translation skills aren’t that awesome, I reckon people on this side of the Atlantic would find it cheaper to order directly from them. Nice Things has the dress for 75 euros (about £60).
Eggs and Shakin’ Dress $84.99 from Modcoth
This Modcloth dress, however, appears to be all American and proud. It’s also completely incrEDIBLE and covered in all of my favourite things! Eggs, bacon, PANCAKES, coffee, doughnuts and pears. Yes, pears! What of it? I am basically all about this dress. I don’t even care about the shipping (and the tax! don’t forget the tax!). Continue reading Double Thumbs Dresses #32→
Good morning one and all and congratulations, you’ve made it to Wednesday! Why not reward yourself with a cursory glance at this week’s list of dresses that receive the highly coveted She and Hem Double Thumbs seal of approval. It would almost be rude not to.
Cream Jacquard Necklace Skater Dress £45 from River Island
This looks like a lovely wintery dress doesn’t it? I can imagine doing all manner of pretty wintery activities wearing this number. It would most probably be totally impractical to go ice-skating in but gosh darn it, you’d look nice wouldn’t you? Until you fall over that is. Lovely stuff, River Island, lovely stuff.
Printed Dress with Crossover Back £49.99 from Zara
I love this very pretty navy dress from Zara. The floral print is all sorts of lovely and I find that shape and style of dress to be extremely flattering. The cut out detail on the back makes it stand out from all the other millions of floral dresses I love and, thus, gives me the perfect excuse to buy it. Well played.
Winter Audrey Dress £79.00 from Boden
When it comes to modern vintage, Boden are just superb. I simply love this 60s inspired Aubrey dress from their new collection. Giant polka-dots for the win! The good news is Boden have kindly knocked 30% off the price of dresses (at the time of writing that is), the bad news is you might have a job on your hands obtaining your size.
Darling Bow A-Line Dress £18.75 from Forver 21
Winter pastels is a trend I would dearly love to tap into but sadly, due to limited funds, it just hasn’t happened for me. This lovely little sugary pink dress from Forever 21 could well be the answer to my cheapskate prayers as I would no doubt happily cavort about in it come spring but in the meantime I can happily team it with white woolly tights and my bobble hat. Trendy! Continue reading Double Thumbs Dresses #20→
