Hello hello! Welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses, our roundup of the frocks we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted double thumbs seal of approval! Remember back in February when I said I was ready to start writing these posts again after having baby? Yeah, sorry about that – turns out having a baby is quite time consuming. What I have found time for, however, is online shopping and over the past couple of months (mostly at 3am) I’ve been saving all the frocks that have caught my eye meaning I’ve accumulated somewhat of a bumper crop. So, here they are all! ENJOY.
*FYI click on the image for a direct link to the dress*
Blue Beach print dress from BodenSunglasses print dress from BodenStriped Cold Shoulder Shift Dress from M&SHot Air Balloon Dress by ModclothLouche Karmen Pleated Broken Line Print Dress from JoyHell Bunny Maya bay shell print dress from Aspire StyleEmily and Fin Claudia moroccan riviera print dress from Aspire StyleTortoise print dress from Cath KidstonLobster print dress from Cath KidstonDuck print dress from Cath KidstonLondon Park print dress from Cath KidstonGingham dress from Cath KidstonOff Shoulder Dress in Postcard and Stripe Print from ASOSOff Shoulder Midi Sundress in Natural Fibre from ASOSLouche Dorren Belted Lipstick Print Dress from JoyGeometric Print Shirt Dress with Belt from M&SShort-Sleeved Dress with Palm Tree Embroidery from La Redoute ( there is a code for 40% on the website)Short-Sleeved Dress Embroidered with Tennis from La Redoute (but there is a code for 40% on the website)
When Aspire Style got in touch to ask if we’d like to style a few pieces from their ‘New In‘ section, we were a little nervous. Not because we didn’t think there would be anything that we liked, but because we were concerned we wouldn’t be able to fit into anything! These bumps are getting out of hand! How wrong we were though, as our favourite maternity fashion hack (sizing up) worked a treat.
Jo’s chevron stripe shift dress* by Closet is so striking, it’s a must for any chevron fan. Keen readers may have also spotted that it fits all of She and Hem’s dream dress requirements; it’s a good lentgh, has cute sleeves and most importantly…pockets! Dreamy. Jo kept her styling simple with black Boden boots* and spotty grey tights* from UK Tights. I picked the adorable Julita snow dress* by Louche in the hope that I’ll be able to squeeze into it a few more times over the festive period. With its Christmas trees, deer and snowflakes, it could just be the perfect Christmas print! I would say it hits the right balance between twee and subtle, but then again, during they festive period, I think anything goes. Next time Louche, plonk some candy canes on it will ya?
Whilst browsing Aspire, I spotted that fabulous pink fluffy jumper* by Yumi. Now, while I’m not usually a huge fan of pink (it doesn’t really get my party started), I felt like it had to be mine. Thanks to the loose fit, I’ve recently been layering it over a maternity top and teaming it with jeans and boots, and boy oh boy it’s like a big, warm hug. As we shot this on quite a chilly day, I wore some thick maternity tights* from UK Tights and blue Boden boots* (similar here).
Have you spotted any festive pieces that take your fancy?
Hello hello! Welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses, our roundup of the frocks we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted double thumbs seal of approval! Let’s crack on….
Irene Dancers Dress in Mustard £130 from Palava
Our beloved Bryony (formerly Poppy) have been forced once again to change their name and are now known, rather brilliantly, as Palava! And what better way to celebrate a new era than with a whole host of beautiful new dresses! This gorgeous mustard number features a print inspired by 1930s ballroom, the perfect frock to celebrate the return of Strictly Come Dancing on Friday. Or, you know, you could do some actual dancing in it too. Just add a petticoat and you are hot to foxtrot!
Telephones Belted Tea Dress £65 from Cath Kidston
You can call me crazy but I think this is one dial-ightful print from Cath Kidston! I love the fab print and the tie belt, it’s really off the hook!
Marbelle Parrot Print Dress £65.00 from Louche at Joy
I could parrot on all day about this fab frock from Louche at Joy. I love the retro inspired print and shape, which features a slim fit silhouette and fitted waist. All you really need is to throw on some black tights and ankle boots and you’ve got a winning outfit!
Maya Bright Birdie Fit And Flare Dress £54 by Sugarhill Boutique at House of Fraser
Sticking with birds, this new dress from Sugarhill Boutique is one to get in a flap about. I always enjoy a cheeky bit of flit and flare and the print is just lovely. I also appreciate that it won’t break the budgie-t.
Lobster Dress £37.50 from Run & Fly at Thunderegg
This dress from Run & Fly at Thunderegg might just be your lobster (cutting edge Friends reference for you there, kids). This frock is a true crustation lovers delight thanks to those super fun red lobsters, some cheeky prawns and they’ve even thrown in a few fish for good measure. This one really is the catch of the day.
Printed shirt dress £49.99 from Mango
I think this pretty number from Mango has a touch of the Orla Kiely about it (which is, if I’m honest, all I’m ever looking for) but with a much friendlier pricetag! I absolutely love the soft flowy fabric and the retro spots print is just fab. Also, ding dong, check out those long sleeves. I’ve missed you, Autumn.
Tie Neck Tiered Dress £38.00 by Vera Moda at ASOS
Last but not least we have this super adorable dress from Vera Moda at ASOS. It’s so freakin’ cute and if I wasn’t pregnant I’d be shimmying about in it like there was no tomorrow! I love the rust colour (more dresses should be rusty) and the tiered ruffled hem is sublime! I also really like the subtle polka dot to the fabric and that really sweet bow! Basically, it’s perfect.
Hello hello! Welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses, our roundup of the frocks we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted double thumbs seal of approval! Let’s crack on….
Ronneta Cat Print V-Neck Tea Dress £49 by Louche at Joy
Meow! How puuuurfect is this cat print dress from Louche at Joy?! I adore those cute colourful felines and they look extra striking against the darker background. There’s something just so delightfully playful about the whole look and, best of all, this frock has hidden pockets. Wizard.
Just My Typist Dress $99.99 from ModCloth
Sometime I wonder just how poor I would be if I lived in America and had no shipping and tax woes to stop me ordering from Modcloth as often as I order from ASOS. I genuinely dread to think. This primary coloured chevron affair is a pure delight and I would love to swan around at work in it looking all fabulous.
Dolores Paper Pin-up Doll Dress £63.75 from Collectif
Collectif consistently bring out fun prints in shapes to die for! This particular number features a whole host of adorable paper dolls who are ready to be dressed up in a range of fabulous 50s outfits – not dissimilar to those you’ll find on the Collectif website! Clever.
The Brigitte Coffee Dress €65 from Carousel
Anyone for a cuppa? This brew-tiful dress from Irish brand Carousel is just lovely. The 1950s shape makes it an instant hit in my eyes and the big bow is right up my street. They currently only have this available in a size 8 but fingers crossed more sizes will become available.
Spotted pleated dress £179 from Ted Baker
After I kept spotting people on TV in this marvelous polka dot number, I had to do some Googling before discovering it’s actually from Ted Baker (I was slightly dismayed as obviously I was hoping it cost £9.99 from Matalan). It’s just so nice and looks really striking on.
Floral Frill Fit And Flare Dress £35 from Dorothy Perkins
I am loving this poppy and daisy print wonder from Dorothy Perkins. It’s such a playful dress and has more than a touch of vintage charm about it. Those sleeves are fabulous too!
We’ve been making such a racket about Emily and Fin’s sports collection for SO LONG. Seriously, we were lucky enough to have a sneaky peek last year, which you can watch in this vlog, and we’ve been desperate to get our hands on the collection ever since! Our favourites are the green Anyone for Tennis?* dress in the Lucy style and the red Abigail style Serve it Up* dress. There’s Novak denying, they are both incredible prints.
We really wanted to do the dresses justice, so we embraced our inner Venus and Serena, purchased some vintage tennis rackets (like you do) and wandered down to our local tennis club. In true She and Hem style, it turned out to be shut, so we got our tennis elbows out and had an impromptu game, and a lie down, in the park instead! Probably not what Sharapova gets up to in her spare time (and she’s got a lot of spare time), but we had lots of fun. Party at the net!
In addition to our vintage rackets and yellow balls, we accessorised these fun dresses with a very game set of matching trainers from Superga* in Dusty Rose and Turquoise. Our super colourful textured jumpers seen above are from Louche at Joy*. You’ll definitely be seeing these outfits pop up in a little over two weeks for the start of Wimbledon. Come on Tim!
Hello hello! Welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses, our roundup of the frocks we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted double thumbs seal of approval! Let’s crack on…
Elisha Zoo Dress £50 from Louche at Joy
This Louche dress is so fantastically ridiculous that I actually burst out laughing when I first saw it! Look at it! It’s covered in animal heads (a happy to be here sort of head, not the ‘mounted on your wall for LOLZ’ sort) including pandas, racoons, cats, donkeys and elephants. You should probably snap it up faster than you can say “We Bought A Zoo”.
Desert Cranes $109.99 (£76ish) by Emily and Fin from Modcloth
Just when we thought we couldn’t get any more excited about the new SS16 Emily and Fin collection this orange beauty appears on Modcloth! It’s SO gorgeous! How lovely are those cranes? It would be like wearing a sunset. Dreamy.
Printed Pleated Dress £69 from La RedouteFloral Dress with 3/4 Sleeves £35 from La RedouteStriped Shift Dress £35 from La Redoute
I somehow ended up stumbling onto the La Redoute website this week in search of something or other. I used to love flicking through their catalogs as a moody teenager but I must admit I hadn’t really given them much thought in recent years. Turns out I’ve been missing out! I discovered page after page of rather lovely dresses at pretty reasonable prices. MY FAVE! There are some really fresh frocks that would be perfect for Spring and also some nice bits of vintage detailing. I think the top frock is quite Orla Kielyesque, no? Click on the dress for direct links….
Skater Dress in Ponte with Collar and Ruffle Detail £28 from ASOS
I adore a red dress and this little ASOS skater dress looks to be smoking hot! I love the ruffle neckline detailing and the collar is super cute.
Coppelia Embellished Ballet Tulle Dress £130 by Needle & Thread at ASOS
Someone needs to keep me the heck away from Needle & Thread because seriously, I just want it all! This floaty pink tulle ballet number of my dreams is oh so pretty and sparkly. It would make a darn great bridesmaid dress too *sigh*.
Tweed Dress with Layered Skirt £49.99 from Zara
Last but not least we are going all chic-and-Chanel in this tweed affair from Zara. I’m so down with that big black bow and the whole thing is just rather classy isn’t it?
Hello hello! Welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses! It’s time once again for our frocktacular roundup of the dresses deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval….
Mary-Kate Dress £49 by Louche at Joy
We kick off with this groovy little number from Louche. Those big yellow blooms certainly cut the mustard for me and you’ll be living life full on flower power with those awesome sleeves and nipped in waist.
A-Line Striped Dress £29.99 from Zara
Time to stripe a pose in this affordable frock from Zara, which I believe is ticking off at least three SS16 trends. I am loving the cheeky chevron action up top and hidden round the back there are some delightful little buttons for you to faff around with every time you put it on/take it off.
Cherry Blossom Dress £45 from Miss Selfridge
It’s never too early to get excited about cherry blossom season (Instagram is no doubt rubbing its collective knees with anticipation) and, come the time, what better dress to waft around in than this stunning Miss Selfridge affair? Look at those sleeves! *faints*
Cupid’s Heart Printed Dress £42.41 from Chicwish
Heart prints are inevitably cropping up all over the shop at the moment but this Chicwish number has really caught my eye. The colours are just great and, to me at least, it has a slight Kate Spade feel to it without the Kate Spade price-tag. Winner!
Rajaa Whale Print Dress £49 from Louche
You’ll have a whale of a time in this Louche dress which whaley does has a totally excellent print that channels the deep blue sea in colour and theme!
Coral Reef Print Party Dress £75 from YumiBunting Print Day Dress £45 from YumiMulticoloured Village Print Skater Dress £45 from Yumi
We finish with a triple whammy of Yumi dresses (click the dresses for their individual links) who really do appear to have hacked into my mind palace for their new season inspiration. Colourful houses? Check. Bunting? Check. Err scallops? Check! It’s all quite dreamy and my bank balance is truly afraid.
Hello dress fans! It’s time for the first Double Thumbs Dresses of 2016! Partaaay! So, without further ado, I present to you the top frocks that we consider worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval.
Tea and Macaroons Dress £75 from Yumi
Oh HELLO! We always love a bit of Yumi here at She and Hem but they have truly excelled themselves with their latest offerings. This Tea and Macaroons dress is the stuff my dress dreams are made of. With its beautiful pastel colouring, delightful twirly fit and print that features teacups piled high with macaroons, it really is a wonder frock. It does also appear to come with straps, if that’s a deal breaker for you. This appears to be a House of Fraser exclusive (fancy) which is great news for me as I’ve been sitting on some HoF vouchers for about 8 months. Happy New Year, me.
Cactus Print Skater Dress £65 from Yumi
And so the Yumi fun continues with this super cute cactus print! This skater dress is so cheery thanks to all those fab colours. I’m pretty potty about those pots!
The Potteries Dress £60 from There’s Only One Amy Laws
Want more pots? Your Potteries luck is in! Another of our favourites, There’s Only One Amy Laws, has just added this beautiful Potteries skyline print dress to her website – defo one for all those die hard Stoke-On-Trent fans out there! I adore the hourglass shape and there’s just so much lovely detail to this dress. Even the smoke is pretty!
Patterned dress in Yellow £19.99 from H&M
I am such a fan of this H&M dress (and no, not just because I’d get change out of a twenty pound note – although that does help!). I love the combination of colours and the a-line shape looks lovely with those long sleeves.
Cobalt Ladybird Print Dress £50 from Next
I feel like this Next frock might be my perfect Winter work dress! Cute but subtle novelty print? Check. Super long sleeves to keep me warm? Check. Colour dark enough to disguise any tea I may or may not throw down myself? Check. The adorable pleating is an added bonus!
Botanical Floral Shift Dress £45 from Warehouse
I keep spotting people wearing this divine floral print, which is no surprise really when you consider Warehouse have whacked it on three tops and two dresses. They obviously like it as much as I do! Personally I love the shift dress but the midi appears to be the more popular choice! But whatever tickles your pickle, it’s all about those glorious blooms!
Chaney Woodland Jersey Dress £45 by Louche at Joy
Yay! It’s The Animals of Farthing Wood in dress form! It’s woodland creatures a-go-go in the brilliant dress by Louche! There are squirrels, deer and racoons to admire, as well as what looks to be Little Red Riding Hood? Amazing.
Backless Sheer Sleeve Tulle Embellished Maxi Dress £185 from Needle and Thread at ASOS
Last but not least is this simply stunning dress by the tully scrumptious Needle and Thread. I mean, it’s ridiculous. Just look at all that tulle! And the embroidered detailing is to die for! If you’re getting married anytime soon, just wear this and spend the money you’ve successfully saved on cake. Cake forever.
We couldn’t help but notice that one of our most read posts at the moment is our jumper roundup from last year so we thought seeing as it’s now November, and officially jumper season once again, we should compile a new list of our current favourites! Fabulous knitwear is appearing all over the shop at the moment, mostly adorned with some sort of animal or food motif, it’s all so tempting.
Sweet Treat Jumper £58.50 from Miss Patina
We could waffle on all day about how much we love this jumper but that wouldn’t be berry entertaining now would it?
Jumper In Retro Chevron Stripe £30 from ASOS
You’d be chev-wrong not to love this fab jumper
Peanut Butter £34.90 from Rad
Instagram went peanutty when V wore this butterly good sweater recently. Everyone went to jelly.
Billie Fluffy Knitted Jumper £75 from Cath Kidston
Woof! You’d be barking mad not to want this puppy! Fetch us this jumper!
Fashion Box Popcorn Jumper £14 from George and Asda
Sorry for being corny but we really love this jumper! Hopefully it’s more sweet than salty.
Lena Hot Air Balloon Slouchy Sweater £42 from Sugarhill Boutique at House of Fraser
Who doesn’t love a big balloon? Put this in your basket and you’ll be floating on air!
Aztec Retro Jumper £29.50 from Marks and Spencer
If, like us, you like to hang out on the Apres Ski scenes of your local Town this retro knitwear will help you fit right in.
Schnauzer-Dog Intarsia Jumper £45 from Louche at Joy
Pups are obviously pup-ular with us at the moment! ‘Wowzer what a schnauzer’ is what people will say when they see you in this bad boy.
Welcome back to another dress roundup courtesy of Double Thumbs Dresses #60! SIXTY! How did that happen, eh? But let’s not dwell on all the pounds we’ve (I’ve) no doubt collectively spent on frocks over the past couple of years and let’s crack on with the dresses we’ve deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval.
Linea Lace Shift Dress £150 from French Connection
We start the week with this yellow and pink scalloped-lace wonderfrock from French Connection. I really think this dress is just perfection and will no doubt be furious when I wait for it to go in the sale and then it sells out immediately in my size. First World Problems indeed. That aside, how adorable is that little bow? SWOON.
Floral Print Ruffle Dress £48 from Topshop
I get to write about this pink Topshop beauty from the smug position of someone who already owns it. Hooray for me. It really is a little gem of a dress with a super lovely 70s floral print and beautiful ruffle details. I also enjoy that it’s chiffon so never needs an iron! I’m so rock and roll.
Floral Lace Shirt Dress £49.50 from Marks and Spencer
My never ending love affair with M&S continues with this white lace shirt dress. It’s basically a net curtain in dress form and I love it. Look at those little cuffs! Look at those sleeves! Look at those pockets! It also looks so gorgeous to wear. Go on, treat yourself to the little video of it on the website and tell me I’m wrong.
Ineesha Dress £55 by Louche at Joy
If your wardrobe is currently missing a cockatiel print dress then you’ll no doubt be relieved to discover that Joy have just the frock for you! I could parrot on all day about how lovely those cap sleeves are or how pretty the box pleat skirt is but I think I’ll just let the birds do the talking.
Building Block Print Day Dress £60 from Yumi
I think there’s something quite wonderful about this new apartment print from Yumi. There’s a lot going on behind those windows! This dress also comes in grey but I really like the slightly unusual combination of the blues and browns together. Perhaps this particular building block would look good paired with some skyscraper heels? (sorry).
‘Marlene’ Tropical Banana Leaf Day Dress £27.99 (sale price) from Lindy Bop
I’m a big fan of this tropical print from Lindy Bop. I really like the simple style of the day dress but those big beautiful leaves are surely the star of the show. Who doesn’t love a discreet banana?
Lace Insert Swing Dress in Print £30 from ASOS
My lace love is back again with this floral print swing dress from ASOS. I already really love the style and shape of this frock but the embroidered lace inserts really make it something quite special. I really want to waft around with those flared sleeves!
Eliza Dress £95 from Deadly is the Female
Last but not least is this playful dress from Frome based Deadly is the Female. How charming is the flower cart print? So cute! I’m also a massive fan of the red straps, the green trim, and the yellow belt! There’s just so much to love.
Wimbledone!
