Their pieces are an investment, but ME+EM is one of the best British clothing brands for quality and design - and it’s a firm favourite of ours. The attention to detail is immaculate and the styles feel timeless yet contemporary, which isn’t an easy balance to strike.
Especially now that so many summer events are in the diary, several ME+EM dresses are catching our eye. They’re perfect if you’re wondering what to wear to a wedding or, in the Duchess of Edinburgh’s case, to a farm.
She visited Barleylands Farm Park on 12th May to celebrate 40 years of educating school children in Essex and East London, wearing a blue frock with wedges. Barleylands shared a video of her visit on social media and we got several amazing glimpses of Duchess Sophie wearing the ME+EM Wild Bloom dress.
Shop Duchess Sophie's Dress
The Duchess of Edinburgh's floral ME+EM dress is still available in a few sizes but we have a feeling they'll go soon too! The blue with the fabulous orange and pink wild flower print is such a beautiful blend of light and vibrant tones. It also has pockets!
This pale blue floral dress by Wallis is a lovely alternative to Sophie's dress that's under £100. It features a ruffled hem and short puffed sleeves and we love the pops of pink and green in the botanical pattern. It's made from jacquard satin and is midaxi.
You can rent this pastel blue midaxi dress from £22 as well as purchasing it outright, which is perfect if you have a particular event in mind for this. The skirt is an A-line shape and ends in a feminine double ruffle. We'd wear this with metallic sandals and a matching bag.
It’s still in stock in a few sizes and it’s the softest shade of blue, with deep pink and orange flowers. The print is so intricate it almost looks like a watercolour illustration and if there’s one pattern the senior royal loves for the warmer months, it’s florals.
The Duchess’s outfits wouldn’t be the same without them and the brighter tone of the wildflowers really popped against the blue on her ME+EM frock. The dress fell to just above her ankles and had short sleeves, a modest keyhole detail and handy pockets.
You might think that a ME+EM dress was too much for a daytime visit, but as the expert in smart-casual outfits, Duchess Sophie proved otherwise. She layered an Eleventy Milano cream blazer over the top and wore her Penelope Chilvers espadrilles.
Shop Espadrilles
Duchess Sophie owns these Penelope Chilvers Mary Jane espadrilles in white and the metallic leather pair are a lovely alternative that are still easy to style with different colours. The ankle strap keeps them securely on your feet and is a little less fuss than the lace-up design she wore this month.
If wedges just aren't for you, but you admire the way Duchess Sophie styled her floral dress and espadrilles together, then it's worth considering a flat style. These TOMS flatform espadrilles give some added height in a comfortable way and can be worn as an everyday shoe as well as for events.
You can currently get these wedges with 15% off by using the code PQ4D at Boden, making them £73.10 instead. They lace up your legs and also come in a light gold hue that's just as pretty. Wear with white jeans and a shirt for a date night outfit or with a floral dress like Sophie's.
Just like floral dresses, espadrille wedges surge in popularity this time of year, and for good reason. They provide elevation in a more comfortable way than stilettos.
The jute sole of espadrilles also makes them somehow more relaxed and low-key, but not so much that they’d make a dress like Sophie’s look very formal in contrast. This means they work so well for a variety of different occasions as they can be styled with elevated outfits and everyday looks.
The Duchess of Edinburgh owns several different pairs of wedges and she’s had these neutral lace-up ones for a while. To get maximum wear out of your espadrilles we’d follow her example and choose some in white, tan, taupe or another neutral hue.
Of course, as much as we love ME+EM, you don’t have to recreate Duchess Sophie’s look exactly to take inspiration from her ensemble at Barleylands Farm Park. There are so many gorgeous floral midi dresses with equally timeless silhouettes available.
Pick a colour that works for your signature style and pair it with flat or wedged espadrilles for a similarly sophisticated but wearable outfit that works for plenty of occasions.
The King’s sister-in-law looked so put-together as she visited the farm park’s Kitchen Classrooms and joined in making pizzas with students from St Cedd’s school who were there for a ‘Field to Fork’ Day. She also met children from Manor Primary School during their “Cow to Cone” day making homemade ice-cream.
