Miss Patina Archives - She and Hem

Double Thumbs Dresses #76

Posted on 13 April, 2016 by She and Hem — 1 Comment ↓

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….

Sea View Sleeveless Crosshatch Dress £65 from Cath Kidston

I had one of those moments on the Cath Kidston website where I was so overwhelmed with new prints that I had to calm myself. IT’S ALL SO PERFECT AHH! This sea view dress is adorable. Just look at all those beautiful boats! Of the new seaside prints I’ve spotted this is currently the only one in dress form but, for your CK records, I’ve also spied a beach huts apron (!) and this stunning harbour view skirt(!) – both of which are clearly screaming out to be dresses. The gnome print sold out so quickly that I might just have to bite the bullet and get this one straight away.

Evelyn Embroidered Dress £250 from Boden

This is slightly more expensive than your usual Double Thumbs Dress but my goodness what a corker. This floral organza beauty is part of Boden’s latest Icons collection, a limited range of stunning pieces which are created with rich, luxurious fabrics. Basically it’s all just knockout and if you are looking for an investment piece then look no further. So pretty.

Eliza Dress £45 from Archive by Alexa at M&S

As a proud M&S shopper and huge Alexa Chung fan I have been super excited about this collaboration for what feels like forever! Today is finally the day that Archive by Alexa launches and as this super fashionable, super affordable, super everything collection will probably all sell out in under 30 seconds, I thought I should include my pick of the bunch. The gorgeous Eliza dress, originally an M&S number from the 1950s, has been given a modern makeover to become this lovely frock you see before you. Please don’t have sold out before I get home from work!

Love Mer-Cat Dress (Mist Blue) £75.80 from Miss Patina — Love Mer-Cat Dress £75.80 from Miss Patina

Mermaids and cats! What a beautiful combination of creatures. Thankfully for us, the mer-cat takes center stage in Miss Patina’s new sea themed spring collection. It’s all just beautiful, with Miss Patina’s usual ethereal vibe. There really are some gorgeous pieces but this dreamy dress is the star of the show for me. Well, apart from the tabby! Need.

Pinafore Dungaree Dress With Cat Face £70 from Lazy Oaf at ASOS

Button Front Shirt Dress In Cat Gang Print £65 from Lazy Oaf at ASOS

If you prefer your cats with a more traditional tail, then look no further than these two ameowsing dresses from Lazy Oaf. Victoria and I are a little Lazy Oaf obsessed at the moment as they seem to have hit upon a gold mine of novelty prints. It’s just an explosion of cats and milkshakes and rainbows. Who could resist?

Click the individual dresses for direct links

Daisy Jacquard Skater Dress £68 from Oasis

Last but not least we have this super pretty affair from Oasis. I love this sugary sweet shade of pink and the pretty daisy print is just lovely. It looks like a perfect Summer party dress so, errm, let’s hope we get a Summer!

Double Thumbs Dresses #70

Posted on 2 March, 2016 by She and Hem — No Comments ↓

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….

BAM! Let’s brighten up this miserable weather with some colourful Boden beauties shall we? It’s supposed to be Spring now after all! WAKE UP, WEATHER. Those luscious yellow stripes will certainty do the trick and those big bold spots are so super cute. Boden always do such lovely frocks for Spring/Summer and I am really digging the shape of both of these dresses. The silky sateen material of the Mara makes it ideal for dressing up or down and I adore the ruffle detail on the Molly.

Hazel Fluffy Cloud Print Dress £47.50 from Sugarhill Boutique at Thunder Egg

Good news for people who like cloud print dresses (hi there) because Sugarhill Boutique have been doing some blue sky thinking and have come up with this pastel perfection of a frock. Isn’t it gorgeous? Pretty excited that it’s described as having a ‘waffle texture’ because a) no ironing b) stretchy c) I really like waffles.

Skater Dress With Lace Insert £35 from ASOS

Of course my waffle days will be a distant memory if I plan on wearing this ASOS dress anytime soon! I’m not usually one for exposing my middle but there’s something about that pretty lace insert that makes me love this dress. It’s so sweet.

Garden Gnomes Sleeveless Dress £55 from Cath Kidston

This might be due to my weird obsession with the film Gnomeo and Juliet (which I have definitely watched more times than the average human) or my lifelong love of Harold Bishop and Lou Carpenter (they had quite the Gnome war in 1998) , but I am over the moon about this Cath Kidston print. Look at their little red hats!

Set You Free Dress (Cactus) £65.80 from Miss Patina

How fun is this cactus dress from Miss Patina? They always have such fabulous prints! I am loving the yellow giant yellow bow too! You really can’t go wrong with a giant yellow bow I find.

I’ve been swooning over this Mango dress for a couple of weeks now and desperately trying to justify spending the money on it. Those pleats are perfection! And the big flared sleeves! SO much waft. And who doesn’t love a bit of dip dye?

Putting the Win in Winter: Jumpers

Posted on 1 November, 2015 by She and Hem — 3 Comments ↓

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

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.

J&V

Double Thumbs Dresses #62

Posted on 12 October, 2015 by She and Hem — 2 Comments ↓

Hello dress fans! It’s time once again to take a gander at the frocks we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval! There’s plenty of new A/W arrivals happening at the moment so I have been slightly spoiled for choice! Frock on…

This Lazy Oaf dress is simply ridiculous. Whoever decided to put cartoon cookies, cola, peanut butter jelly and, wait, is that a watermelon? on a bright blue dress is my new hero. Just imagine rocking up to basically anything in this dress! You’d look pretty darn cool. Best print ever.

Chic Full Skirted Dress in Multi London Town £129 from Boden

I really do have to take a deep breath before I visit the Boden website as I know I am going to want EVERYTHING and usually end up having a tab opening frenzy as I weep uncontrollably about how pretty it all is. Don’t even get me started on their new party frocks! But that’s enough about my private browsing, as among the new arrivals I spied this delightful new London print which is right up my street with its pretty houses, lampposts and bicycles all set against a gorgeous colour pallet of greys, yellows and pinks. I need.

This a-meow-zing dress from not Countdown’s Rachel Riley is the perfect combination of a delightful 50s shape (always a big fan of a matching belt too) and a super fun print. I really like the tan colour too which I can see looking rather lovely with blonde hair. Convenient that…

Love Cat Dress in Dogtooth £75.80 from Miss Patina

Well that’s a flippin’ excellent cat collar isn’t it? Miss Patina really do know how to make my bank balance fearful and their latest feline filled collection hasn’t helped in the slightest! This dress offers the best of both worlds for pet lovers everywhere with it’s combination of cat and dog(tooth)! Purrrfect! This one truly has me hot under the cat collar.

I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that this is my favourite of the new Cath Kidston prints! I love love love those gorgeous swans and I am excited to try out the new shirt dress style. I managed to miss out on the penguin dress earlier in the season so I will be snapping this one up quick sharp!

Lace Trim Long Sleeve Dress £35 from F&F

Yep, you read that right! This beautiful mustard frock is indeed from Tesco! It’s sheer perfection in every way from the colour to the vintage shape and holy moly can we discuss those sleeves? See you all in aisle seventies.

Abigail Hot Air Balloon Tunic Dress £48 from Sugarhill Boutique at House of Fraser

This balloon print dress from Sugarhill Boutique at House of Fraser was obviously going to catch my eye due to that fabulous print! I do love any opportunity to wear a fiesta and those balloons are particularly pretty. I’m also really loving the ease of wearing tunics at the moment as they are so fab for layering and now that it’s getting colder (brrr) I’ll soon be cracking out the chunky tights and knitwear.

Long Sleeve Babydoll Frill Dress £45 from Marks and Spencer

Last but not least we have this beautiful pink babydoll dress from my loves, M&S. I find you can’t go wrong with a good ruffle or two and that neck is pretty special isn’t it? The blush colour is such a gorgeous shade and, well, do I even need to mention my love for those sleeves?

Until next time!

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Double Thumbs Dresses #55

Posted on 19 April, 2015 by She and Hem — 2 Comments ↓

Hello dear reader! Welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses, our roundup of the frocks we have deemed worthy of the highly coveted double thumbs seal of approval. I can tell you hand on heart that this, the 55th edition, has truly tested the limits of my bank balance. Send help.

Print Me Pretty Dress Paris £68.80 from Miss Patina

Or, preferably, send me this dress! I can’t even bring myself to look at the Miss Patina website at the moment for fear of the damage I might do. Everything is just so incredibly beautiful! This Parisian print is my pick of the bunch thanks to that super adorable illustration. What an Eiffel.

French Market dress £89.95 by Joules from John Lewis

Oui oui! I am obviously taking my inspiration from the French as this market town print dress from Joules is also pickling my onions. How dreamy is that 50’s shape? and the colours are simply gorgeous.

Daisy Spray Beach Dress £50 from Cath Kidston

It’s bright yellow, it’s got polka dots AND it’s Cath Kidston…..what’s not to love? I’m slightly obsessed with those thick straps and the polka dots are, prepare to sound the twee klaxon, actually super cute daisies! Oh CK, you sure do know the way to my floral loving heart. I think this is the perfect dress for Summer.

Beach hut short sleeve shirt dress £40 by Brakeburn from House of Fraser

I’ve been waiting ages for a good beach hut print (I know, I know, haven’t we all) and one has finally appeared thanks to Brakeburn. I love this little shirt shift dress (easy for you to say) as the short sleeves, little collar and tie waist make it super easy to wear!

There’s nothing shady about this parasol print dress from TU although you will have to leave your house in order to obtain it as it’s not available online. Boo you, Sainsbury’s! It’s a gorgeous print though and I love the the green and blues together. Let’s just hope it hasn’t para-sold out (sorry).

Dress With All Over Pom Pom Print & Detail £65 by Lazy Oaf from ASOS

Pom pom hem! This Lazy Oaf dress has an actual pom pom hem! Made out of pom poms! If Victoria and I ever decide we need blogger nicknames I am totally having ‘pom pom hem’ as mine. What a thing! Even aside from the whole pom pom hem thing, this dress is obviously brilliant with an all over multicoloured pom pom print. POM POM.

I adore this red 50’s inspired dress from Louche. It looks so pretty and I love the detail that has gone into the print and the beautiful looking hem, which is apparently a unique broderie analgise hem dontchaknow. Whatever it is it’s lovely and it looks very flattering too!

Sing For Your Summer Dress £55 by Trollied Dolly

Last but not least we have a Trollied Dolly strawberry dress that is ripe for picking! It’s certainly a berry good print and looks lovely set against the peachy tone of the dress. I would definitely accessorise this one with lashings of cream!

Double Thumbs Dresses #53

Posted on 14 March, 2015 by She and Hem — 1 Comment ↓

Hello hello and welcome back to Double Thumbs Dresses! Our frocktacular roundup of the dresses deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval! What more could you ask for?

First up we have this bodacious beachy dress from Boden which features a super summery print of sailboats, parasols, and even the odd cheeky sunbather! Oh how I wish that could be me! It’s a lovely and flattering fit and flare shape from a brand which never fails to disappoint.

It’s time to pucker up and offer 50 of your best smackers as this delightful Lady V London lips print dress is sure to bring a smile to your face. Made in one of their signature 50’s shapes, this dress is destined for twirling in!

Seagull stripe dress £85 from Laura Ashley

It’s time to flock to Laura Ashley who have brought out a lovely range of seagull print frocks! This stripey number with its nautical feel and fit and flare silhouette is my pick of the bunch. Plus look at those cute seagulls! They must be plotting something….

You’ll look pretty sharp in this cactus print dress from the marvelous Emily and Fin, which you can currently pre-order from Aspire Style. The dress is such a gorgeous colour and the white print with pink details looks perfect set against it. I’m going to be real prickly if I don’t get hold of this!

Botanical Specimen print dress £48 from Yumi at House of Fraser

What a botanical specimen you’ll look in this pretty Yumi dress! I’m not sure I have mushroom for anymore puns but I am a big fan of the casual crotch tortoise. More dresses should feature them.

Floral jacquard dress £85 from Warehouse

I am in love with this stunning Warehouse prom dress. It’s the most beautiful shape and the floral jacquard print is just swoonworthy. Yellow and grey look set to be big colours this season and with a dress as knockout as this it’s not hard to see why.

Sweet dreams are made of this tasty ASOS dress which I can totally think of hundreds and thousands of reasons to buy. Number one being that it’s COVERED IN SWEETS, obviously.

Playful days dress £59.80 from Miss Patina

Last but not least is this super cute dress from Miss Patina! It’s a lovely simple cream frock with nice striped detailing on the sleeves and, just in case you hadn’t noticed, it also features a massive cat face. Puuuurfect!

Double Thumbs Dresses #50

Posted on 23 January, 2015 by She and Hem — 1 Comment ↓

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 Style

Marble 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.

Double Thumbs Dresses #32

Posted on 21 March, 2014 by She and Hem — 4 Comments ↓

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 (8) — 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 Dress in Black and White Cats £98 from Poppy — 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 — 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→

Double Thumbs Dresses #31

Posted on 16 March, 2014 by She and Hem — 1 Comment ↓

Hello dress fans! It’s time once again for a gander at the frocks deemed worthy of the highly commended Double Thumbs seal of approval. And the sun is shining, which makes buying new dresses all the more essential. Obviously.

Waterfront Button Front Dress £65 from Cath Kidston

Oh my! I only discovered last week my love of deckchairs on dresses so imagine my delight when this chair festooned wonder frock appear online. It’s also got pockets and a nice bow. All this leads me to believe that Cath Kidston are still purposely trying to bankrupt me.

Allover Polka Dot Collar Prom Dress £130 by Nishe from ASOS

Umbrella Print Sweetheart Dress £50 by Nishe from ASOS

The new Nishe collection is really rather special! With pretty shapes, novelty prints and adorable frocks a plenty. Thankfully, quite a few of the collection have appeared on ASOS and I would quite happily own it all. The two above are my current favourites although, be warned, there is a sweet print yet to come.

Blue Scalloped Collar Tea Dress £35 from River Island

This lovely River Island dress is so simple and pretty, it’s a real wardrobe classic. I love the colour and the collar detail. I can just see myself wearing my heart shaped sunglasses and basking in the sunshine in this one. Continue reading Double Thumbs Dresses #31→

Double Thumbs Dresses #27 Valentine’s Special

Posted on 7 February, 2014 by She and Hem — 2 Comments ↓

Wahooo! It’s Friday again which means it’s time for a new Double Thumbs Dresses! But before we press ahead with this weeks’ selection of frocks deemed worthy of the highly coveted Double Thumbs seal of approval, a big THANK YOU is in order as you lovely lot have voted us into the shortlist for the UK Blog Awards. Honestly, this is the most unexpected treat for us and we are truly grateful and just the tiniest bit confused. So, seeing as we are in such a loving feelgood mood, this week’s DT will provide you with the perfect dresses for Valentine’s Day. Break out the violins and pass me the Milk Tray!

Love Heart Smock £32 from Vintage Style Me

I’ve seen a lot of bloggers raving about this new heart print smock from Vintage Style Me and it’s not difficult to see why! It’s a fabulously pretty print with a great shape. I love Lily’s playful styling too!

Emily and Fin Abigail dress, heart print — Abigail Heart Print Dress £65 by Emily and Fin from Aspire Style

Speaking of lovely heart prints, this Emily and Fin Abigail dress is pastel perfection. The hearts almost look like confetti! So cute. I love their Abigail style, with full skirt and high neckline.

Capella Dress (Red Wine) (2) — Capella Dress £75.80 from Miss Patina

Valentine’s Day is probably the last day for a while you can get away with wearing a sparkly red velvet dress, so you may as well do it properly in this Miss Patina number. The back of the dress is gorgeous too, with two very lovely red bows.

Dress with Bell Sleeves £59.99 from Zara

You can’t be the belle of the ball without your bell sleeves on, can you? (said no one) I’m rather smitten with this white dress from Zara as it’s got a bit of a 60s vibe going on. Team it with red accessories and you are hot to trot. Continue reading Double Thumbs Dresses #27 *Valentine’s Special*→