Now that we are nearing the final month or so of the great British Summer, it has come to my attention that British evenings even in the middle of summer are really not that warm. 

With all the late BBQs, summer drinks evenings and outdoor parties this year, I have been left shivering in my strapless and low neck dresses so thus either nicking my husband’s jacket (yes men get to wear jackets AND shirts!) or nipping upstairs to the hostesses bedroom and asking for a wooly fleece. Either way, I end up looking like a non-adapted penguin in the arctic or just silly and frumpy, ruining the outfit I spent ages deciding on and spending a good load of money on. As a result of this, and still having several ‘summer’ parties to attend next month, I went on a mission to find some dresses that still look pretty and summery but also keep me warm.

It has been harder than I initially thought it would be to find items that fit both of my criteria. Apparently the British summer stylists are very optimistic about the summer weather and so have decided to lob off any arms or higher necklines of any summer dresses. After browsing around several shops and finishing each shopping expedition exhausted and disappointed, I decided to go online to continue my search (there’s more variety and it hurts my feet less).

After looking through some of the high street store’s websites and having no luck, I started to think outside the box a bit and search for more boutiquey stores. This was when I first discovered La Vida Boutique who sell a huge variety of clothes that are all different and unique. They also have a section on their website specifically for brands which is where I went to look. Fortunately, after looking through a few of their other gorgeous brands, I came across Me & Thee which is described as ‘Creative womenswear brand designing and manufacturing individual and wearable pieces with beautiful innovative prints’. I fell in love.

Here are 3 of my favorite pieces that fulfill everything I wanted in a British summer evening dress:

1) Me & Thee Evoked Dress

This dress is BEAUTIFUL. It encompasses everything I was looking for: Longish sleeves, knee length but still summery looking and suitable evening wear. The colors and patterns are perfect for the summer season whilst the style lends itself to warmth and comfort.

2) Me & Thee Karakoram Dress 

I know it’s similar to the one above but I really love this style. The colours on this are really light and summery and the patterns look slightly abstract floral making it perfect for a garden party or BBQ. Again, I am really attracted to the sleeves and length of the dress and it looks like it will promise to keep all the goose bumps at bay!

3) Me & Thee Electron Tunic Dress

The summery floral patterns on this dress, combined with the floatyness of the design make it a pretty and simple dress, perfect for any summer occasion be it rain or shine. I think that this dress would be perfect for a BBQ or meal as it is loose and comfortable.

I hope you have enjoyed my journey to find these items and that some of you can relate to my previous conundrum (that is now solved!) and that you will also find some help at La Vida Boutique.