ME+EM Knit Dresses: Snood Styles, Fit and Shoes

An ME+EM knit dress is a one-piece knitted dress engineered to look like separates, with a fitted top that sits over the waistband of an A-line skirt, so you get the ease of one garment and the line of two. For the wider category across many labels, start with our sweater dresses guide; this page focuses on how ME+EM builds its own. Two new styles arrive on Coveti, each with a snood.

Below we explain what sets the house’s knit dresses apart, compare the new maxi and short styles yarn by yarn, cover fit and sizing, and suggest the shoes ME+EM makes to wear with them.

What makes an ME+EM knit dress different

It poses as separates. ME+EM designs these dresses to look like a knit top and a skirt. On the short style, the long-sleeved top sits over the waistband of the attached skirt, which gives the polish of a tucked look with nothing to come untucked.

The waist moves. Both styles have adjustable waist positioning, so you can set the waistline where it suits your proportions instead of where a pattern dictates.

The snood detaches. The house’s signature button-in snood turns a crew neckline into a high, warm collar, then comes off again. One dress gives you two necklines.

The yarn. Both are knitted from a blend of 90% merino wool and 10% cashmere, responsibly sourced according to the house, in a plain stitch with ribbed trims. Merino carries the structure and the cashmere softens the hand. ME+EM says it has worked to make the yarn low pilling.

For the label’s wider dress offer, see our ME+EM dresses guide.

The two new ME+EM knit dresses

The maxi. The ME+EM Knit Maxi Dress + Snood in Rich Olive Green brings the house’s knitwear thinking to full length. It is sleeveless with a crew neckline and a straight-fitting upper body, then flares into an A-line skirt with a level hem at maxi length. ME+EM shows the length on a 5 ft 7 in figure. Sleeveless means it layers: a fine knit, a shirt and a roll neck can all go underneath.

The short dress. The ME+EM Knit Short Dress + Snood in Pecan Brown has full-length slim sleeves, a crew neckline and a fit and flare shape that ends at mini length. Pecan brown sits with chocolate, camel and cream, and with tights the mini length works through winter. Our guide to wearing shorts with tights covers the hosiery weights that suit a short hem.

Comparison matrix: the new ME+EM knit dresses and shoes

Garment weight and dress length in centimetres are not published by the house.

How the fit works

Choosing a size. Both dresses run XXS to XXL rather than in numbered UK sizes. On the product pages the model is a UK 8 wearing a size S. The ME+EM size guide explains how the letter sizes map across.

Setting the waist. With adjustable waist positioning, try the waist at your natural waist first, then a touch higher if you want a longer leg line under the skirt.

Reading the shape. A fit and flare dress is close through the body and opens below the waist. Our guide to wearing a fit and flare dress covers belts, coats and shoes for the shape.

What shoes to wear with a knit dress

The loafer. The ME+EM Point Toe Loafer in Chocolate is in soft, supple Italian leather, and its point is designed by the house to peek out of longer hems, which makes it the natural partner for the maxi. A discreet protective toe cap guards against scuffs.

The boot. The ME+EM Chunky Ankle Boot in Chocolate is soft Italian suede on a chunky cleated EVA sole with a 6.2 cm heel, with waxed cotton laces and contrast stitching. Its weight balances the short dress and opaque tights.

The tall boot. A knee-high boot under the mini keeps the leg line long and covers the gap above tights. See our guide to what to wear with knee-high boots.

Knit dresses around the world

US. Sweater dress is searched around 74,000 times a month, rising to about 246,000 in November. A merino and cashmere knit dress handles a cold commute and a heated office in the same day.

UK. Jumper dress sees around 27,100 monthly searches, rising to about 90,500 in November, with knitted dress at about 14,800. The snood earns its keep in a British wind, and the short style suits tights from October to March.

EU. In France the piece is a robe pull. The olive maxi with loafers suits a Paris and Milan winter, worn under a long wool coat.

GCC. For cooler winter evenings, the maxi gives full length, and a fine long-sleeved knit underneath adds coverage. The merino blend is light enough for air-conditioned interiors.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ME+EM knit dress made of?

Both new styles are 90% merino wool and 10% cashmere, knitted in a plain stitch with ribbed trims.

What is the snood on an ME+EM dress?

A knitted collar that buttons in at the neckline for warmth and comes off when you want a plain crew neck.

Does the ME+EM knit dress pill?

ME+EM says it has worked to make the yarn low pilling. Some pilling is natural in soft yarns.

How does the ME+EM knit dress fit?

It is a fit and flare shape with adjustable waist positioning, offered from XXS to XXL.

Is ME+EM good quality?

Our is ME+EM good quality review looks at the question in detail.

Where can I see more ME+EM knitwear?

Our ME+EM knitwear guide has more of the label’s knits, and the ME+EM brand page lists everything on Coveti.

How we measured: yarns, shapes, sizes, heel height and country of manufacture come from the four ME+EM product pages; we did not re-measure the pieces, and nothing in the matrix is estimated. Read our editorial policy.