This was a casual look which I wore for doing some uni work in the morning and a quick trip into town in the afternoon. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's nice to stick to the basics and not think about things too much. I still need a longer coat but I have to pay my car insurance in the next couple of weeks so there will be no new coats until I've earned a bit more money. I'm on the lookout for one which will cover my longer dresses and skirts but they're so hard to come by on the high street and I haven't had the time for vintage shopping (in person, rather than online) in ages due to my university and work commitments.

I popped on those nude fishnets as the weather has been getting colder again and I wasn't sure if I'd get much wear out of them the rest of the summer. They came out kind of a weird colour on the camera. I'd say the first or third photos show their actual colour the closest. They are a bit more subtle when worn than the last photo would suggest, I think. Also, I promise I'm not about to cry on these photos. I look really tearful in a couple of them and I'm not really sure why - I had a good enough day although I have had a bit of a cold this last week and I guess it still shows on my face more than I realised.

Anyway, enough of my moaning. I hope you all have a great week!

Good morning everyone, and welcome to my second shoot with Ellie from Ell Wormald Portraits. This shoot was so much fun around the town hall and a beautiful park in the centre of Leeds. I actually think it looks more like Rome in some of the pictures!

This is the original outfit that I had chosen for the photoshoot which I had planned in advance with Ellie, but it rained heavily on the day of the shoot so I had to do a last minute change. I was so pleased that the weather was a bit better on the next day so we could go out again - these pictures are exactly what I was hoping for. It was really windy on both days (which you can see in the previous set of photos as well) but I really like the life it gives to the photos.

By the way, I'm also wearing one of my hand crocheted hair bows which are now available in my Etsy shop. This one is a trial run of a larger size which isn't available in the shop just yet, but keep an eye out for them coming soon.

Again, I haven't uploaded all of the photos here. More can be seen on Ellie's Facebook page and they will also be available on her website once it goes live (link to follow).

P.S. Ellie was charmed with all your lovely comments on her last photos, we're both so pleased that you like them!

While I was staying with my brother recently, he was kind enough to take me round some of the vintage shops in Leeds. A couple have closed down since I was last there, but we still spent a few hours looking round some of the others.

Pop Boutique
12-14 Central Road, LS1 6DE





I already own a Pop Boutique dress which I bought via Asos (see it here and here) but I didn't know they had a physical store in Leeds. Actually I've visited it before, but I somehow didn't connect the two in my mind. Anyway, Pop sell a lot of their own label 60s styles as well as original vintage items. I didn't buy anything this time although I nearly came away with a sweet vintage summer dress for only a fiver (the pink one with the kind of abstract floral pattern shown above - rejected on the basis that I can't possibly need any more summer dresses!) and I also have my eye on a couple of their pastel 60s dresses. You can shop on their website and their things are also available on Asos. They also have several other bricks and mortar shops, which you can find a list of here.

Blue Rinse
9-11 Call Lane, LS1 7DH



Blue Rinse sells a lot of newer vintage items (mostly 1970s and newer) as well as upcycled clothing. While Blue Rinse doesn't particularly cater to my own personal style, it's still interesting for a look around as it's full of an eclectic mix of bold colours and patterns, and plenty of sequins. If you can't get to their shop in Leeds (or their other premises in Manchester), you can also shop on Ebay where they sell a lot of vintage designer goods and sportswear.

Retro Boutique
8-10 Headingly Lane, LS6 2AS



Retro Boutique is somewhere between a vintage and antiques store which sells a range of furniture, curiosities, clothing and assorted knick-knacks. It was actually one of my favourite stores to look around although I didn't find anything to buy, due to the huge variety of items. There are multiple sellers within the same store, so there really is something to interest every vintage lover. Clothing wise (currently more of interest to me than furniture as I don't have my own flat) I found a great 1950s dress priced at £65 but the majority of items were newer. I'm not sure whether this is always the case or whether it was just the particular distribution of items on the day we happened to visit. They also stock menswear which is always a bonus. They don't seem to have a website, but you can find them on Facebook here.

Lastly, we walked past but didn't go into Soho's which, like Pop Boutique I have previously shopped at online. They sell a variety of different styles including rockabilly clothing. All my Hell Bunny and H&R London items have been purchased from this shop.  Their prices are reasonable, they have an excellent returns policy and they do really generous sales, so I would recommend them if you like a more modern 50s inspired aesthetic.

Honourable mention: Bird's Yard





Bird's Yard wasn't open when we went, but doesn't it look like a fabulous shop? Don't quote me but it seems as though the shop may have shut down altogether (at least according to Yelp) which is a real shame as I would have loved to visit. There is a website for a sister store in Sheffield though so maybe I can visit that one some time instead.

Recently I passed 100 followers on Bloglovin' so I thought it was about time for a giveaway. Here's what you can win:

• Hand crocheted hair bows
• Polka dot foldaway shopping bag
• Polka dot purse
• Minnie Mouse Lip Smacker

The bows are hand crocheted by myself and will soon be available in my Etsy shop in a variety of colours and styles. The giveaway is open worldwide and all you need to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter widget. Since this giveaway is a little thank you for helping me reach a small milestone in terms of followers on Bloglovin', you must follow me on Bloglovin' in order to enter. You can earn extra entries by completing the other options. The giveaway closes on 22nd August so you have a week to enter.

I'd like to thank you all for your support and encouragement while I've been writing Lovebirds Vintage, it really means a lot to me that people actually enjoy my content. I'm very excited about my first ever giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are a few photos from this last week which I spent at my brother's flat (plus two days at a conference). I didn't take as many photos as I thought I might, but I did three location shoots with a photographer friend of mine so I'll have those photos to show to you soon. Hope you're all well!

I wore this dress from Lady V London which kind of reminds me of a 50s diner waitress. Sadly the lighting in the diner wasn't the best for photos so these pictures don't show off the dress as well as I had hoped. I will try to get some more photos another time in a location with better lighting!


We really loved the decor and music. There are also mini jukeboxes on some of the tables which we didn't try out this time, but all the money goes to charity so we might give it a go when we visit again.





If you just wanted to see pictures from the diner, stop here. If you'd like to read a quick review of the dress, carry on reading!

Overview
This is the 'Isabella' dress in black and red from Lady V London. It's currently on sale at £35 with £3.95 delivery, and is available in sizes UK 8-18 at the time of writing (Lady V London do offer larger sizes, but this dress is sold out in sizes 20 and above). The dress is 97% cotton and 3% elastane so has a slight stretch. I wear a size 8 and although the waist looked like it might be a bit big for me when I consulted the size chart, I actually found the fit of the dress to be pretty much spot on. Lady V London clothes are made in London, which was one of the deciding factors for me when purchasing. -I like to support companies which manufacture in this country if possible. The dress comes with a removable bow, which I will discuss a little more further down.
One slight niggle for me is that the dresses are described on the website as 'vintage dresses', which I think is a bit misleading for those who are new to this style of clothing. For reference, just in case anyone is reading this who isn't sure - vintage dresses are original dresses made in the past (either 1960s and older or 1980s and older depending who you ask). Lady V London produces what I would describe as being vintage reproduction or vintage style dresses - i.e. modern, brand new dresses which are designed in a 1950s style.

Fit
There is a size chart provided on the website so you can select the right size according to your measurements. From my own experience with this dress, I'd say that it runs true to size.

Price
I'd say that Lady V London dresses are a really good price, especially if you can pick up items on sale. Even at full price, there are a lot of items on offer which are cheaper than a lot of other reproduction brands. I am happy to pay Lady V London prices for "everyday" dresses.

Quality
Overall I am really pleased with the quality of this dress. The material and fit are both very nice and the full skirt sits nicely without a petticoat (though adding a petticoat would really show off the shape well). The only aspect I would consider changing is the bow. Although I like the idea of having a removable bow, the bow itself is attached to a small safety pin which didn't seem to do the job very well. I found it difficult and fiddly to use and I would have preferred to have had the bow on a proper brooch pin.



Since I don't imagine I'll want to remove the bow at all, I've taken the safety pin off and stitched the bow in place on the front of the dress. If you're likely to want the option of wearing the dress with or without the bow, you might wish to replace the safety pin with something a bit more substantial.

Styling
I like all the styles currently available from Lady V London and I feel they would all blend well with both wardrobes that are primarily vintage in nature and wardrobes which are a more pin-up or rockabilly style.

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