Label Love: Nishe

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  I'm making an attempt to brighten up the start of the week with this post -- my second (and probably my favorite) in this little "Label Love" series.  Today's installment focuses on one of my all-time favorite brands, and it's one that manages to encompass almost everything I love in terms of style.  It's none other than Nishe!

My three favorite Nishe dresses!
1  //  2  //  3

For those not overly-familiar with this dreamy brand, Nishe was founded by Polly Siu, an Australian designer based in Hong Kong, back in 2008.  Since then, her pieces have been carried by online retailers like ModCloth and ASOS (and are also available through Nishe's own website).  Polly's designs are undoubtedly girly and a little quirky (the best combination!), and there are definitive elements of sweet lolita and kawaii culture thrown in.  According to the brand's philosophy, Nishe is for anyone who is a lover, a dreamer, or young at heart.  All in all, Polly's pieces always make me feel like I'm a character in my very own storybook, and they never fail to make me feel beautiful and special.

I even pretended to be a mermaid last summer in this Nishe dress!

Almost all of the Nishe pieces I own are characterized by the distinctive (and totally charming) embroidery.  Though some of Polly's more recent pieces utilize printed fabrics, I'd say that the embroidery is thought to be Nishe's calling card, and it absolutely sets her line apart.  In addition, her pieces are of very high quality, and are usually fully-lined.  Even though many of her pieces contain synthetic fabrics, these dresses feel quite expensive.  Nishe pieces can be on the pricier side (they run anywhere from $65-$250, depending on the retailer), but in my opinion, that's a testament to the craftsmanship.  These pieces are unique and eye-catching, and I'd rather pay a little more for something distinctive and well-made.  In addition, you can find good deals on Nishe pieces all the time; ASOS and ModCloth put Nishe on sale regularly, and pieces are often available on eBay.

I also love that my Nishe dresses can be worn all year long!

My favorite Nishe dresses have a fit-and-flare silhouette with an organza-like skirt (like the three in the first photo of this post), but I own a few pieces made in other styles.  Most of her dresses contain hidden back or side zippers, and many have fun details like detachable or eye-catching collars.  I've found that Nishe's sizing is quite consistent across the board, and it runs very true-to-size for me.  Nishe pieces are usually listed with UK sizing, and the general rule is that your UK numbered size is two sizes up from your normal US size (i.e., for me, I wear a UK 12/US 8).  The fabrics do not usually provide stretch, so you should keep that in mind when ordering.  But you can expect a healthy dose of charm, fantasy and sweetness -- which is just how I like my clothes!

4  //  5  //  6

7  //  8  //  9

What about you?  Are you enamored by Nishe, or are the designs just a little too much for you?  How would you style these fantastical frocks?  Let me know in the comments!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

xox Sammi

You're the cat's meow

Outfit Details

Hooked on a Feline Dress: ModCloth

Black flats: jc penney (old)

Belt: from another dress

Wicker purse: yard sale

Kudos to June for the title of this post!  This dress doesn't get enough love from me.  I recently lent this dress to sweet Lauren, who styled it in a few different ways on her blog (here, here and here), and it definitely renewed my love for it and inspired me to wear it more often.  It's sort of a loud print, and the dresses I own by Folter Clothing tend to fit me a little snugly in the arm region, so that might be why I don't wear it a ton.  But it's a really cool dress, and I really do love this length.  I'm becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with shorter dresses these days, and I love that this can work with or without a crinoline.  Plus, when it's windy, I don't have to worry so much about flashing anyone!  

I don't really wear my hair up very much on the blog (or all that much in general, really).  My hair absolutely provides a sense of both security and femininity for me.  I always end up feeling sort of masculine/unattractive when I wear my hair up.  This hair style was sort of an accident, but I ended up liking it a lot.  I was wearing it half up, half down with a lot of extra volume to create a more 1960's look, and then it got too hot, so I ended up pulling up the rest of it.  I think the extra height does wonders on me, so I'll have to remember this for the future.

Have a great Sunday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #56

Happy Friday, kids!  Here are some of the looks I've been loving this week:

A  //  B  //  C

I've been obsessed with Cry-Baby for years (I mean, what's not to love??  A John Waters 1950's musical with Johnny Depp?  Come on!), so I'm obviously gushing over these Cry-Baby inspired tees and matching clutch from Candy Strike.  They also have a ton of Hairspray-inspired merch!

If you're a little more Square than Drape, you'll probably love these adorable polka dot swing dresses from Lindy Bop!  The pink one reminds me of a 1950's Barbie!

1  //  2

This gorgeous frock is very Mrs. Vernon-Williams:

You could definitely wear either of these beautiful swimsuits down at Turkey Point:

a  //  b

This lovely dress seems like a modern twist on something that Allison might've worn:

And this one has Wanda Woodward written all over it (though perhaps it isn't tight enough):

In the spirit of the '50s, this lemon pie milkshake looks just swell:

(via)

Speaking of sweets... these sneakers take the cake!

And these two-piece sets from Dahlia are as sweet as can be:

a  //  b

These pastel flats are just darling!

Links I loved this week:

"Maybe We Can't Forgive Because We Never Forget"

and

22 photos that will make you fall in love with foxes

Have a great weekend!

xox Sammi

Watercolor

Outfit Details

Dress: Vintage Style Me

Flats & white camisole: Target

This dress isn't exactly something that I'd typically go for.  The color scheme is definitely up my alley, and I like the fit-and-flare shape, but it definitely has more of a modern vibe.  I'm glad I took a chance on it though, especially because it's incredibly lightweight (and it has pockets!), so I think I'll get a lot of use out of it this summer.  It's good for more casual occasions, and even though it's actually a tiny bit too big, it's breezy and fun and completely comfy!

Not much else to say today.  I hope you're having a nice Thursday!

xox Sammi

Shutterbug

Outfit Details

Poise and Click Dress: ModCloth

Camera novelty purse: ALDO

Shoes: BAIT Footwear (similar)

Boater hat: River Island (similar)

Belt: from another dress

How fun is this purse?!  ALDO has serious game in the novelty purse department, and most importantly, their purses are way less expensive than some other well-known options (like Betsey Johnson or Kate Spade).  I now have a few different novelty bags from ALDO (see how I styled one for Valentine's Day here), but the one I'm *really* searching for can be found only in ALDO Accessories stores... and the closest one to me is in Albany!  It's a mint green rotary dial phone clutch, and if anyone who reads this happens to find one, please let me know!!  I need it for my collection!

When I received this purse in the mail, I knew I kind of wanted to pair it with this camera print dress from ModCloth.  Just as I'm a sucker for novelty purses, I can never say no to a novelty print, and this dress had been on my wish list for quite some time.  Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as thrilled with it in person.  The print is lovely, and the quality is fairly good, but sadly, the fit is really underwhelming on me.  I had to add a belt to create some waist definition, but the top of the dress (especially in the bust/underarm area) has a really wonky fit to it on me.  The only way I can really see it working is to layer a red sweater over it in the fall (and let the cute collar peek out) to remix it, but I wish it worked better on its own!  I have a feeling it would work better on someone who is a little less-endowed in that area.  I'm thinking that I will probably end up putting it up in my shop my closet store; as wonderful as the print is, I'm not sure I can justify keeping it.    

Have a great Tuesday!

xox Sammi

Pink flamingo

Outfit Details

Flamingo dress: Sourpuss Clothing

Name necklace: c/o Onecklace

BAIT Footwear spectators: ModCloth

Happy Sunday!  I meant to post these photos yesterday, but this weekend ended up being a little busier than I'd anticipated, and I didn't have time!  Isn't this dress adorable?  It's my first dress from Sourpuss Clothing, and I love so much about it -- the mint & pink color combination, the ric-rac trim, and of course, the little flamingo embroidery!  The material of this dress is quite thin (and unlined), which can be a plus on hot summer days, but I usually like a little more structure in my dresses.  I was left wishing that I had a wide pink belt for some waist emphasis, but I was thrilled that my pink spectators match perfectly!

Have a great rest of your weekend!

xox Sammi