Royal Vintage Shoes + Revival Retro Boutique, London!

In my last post, I mentioned I visited the wonderful London shop Revival Retro. I had the opportunity to pitch the amazing owner, Rowena, on our various designs, so I took with me a suitcase full of shoes - 22 different styles!

Much business was discussed over Swedish cardamon buns and coffees, and many shoes were fondled and tried on, and by the end of it all - I'm so excited to say - we have a new, wonderful business relationship!

UK ladies, you know that awful, rage-inducing feeling you get when Parcel Force tells you you still have to pay £xxx before they'll let you have your shoes? Well scratch that.

Now you can purchase, return, and exchange your shoes in the UK without all the pain of international shipping, import duties, and fees. Soon you'll be able to try on and walk out of the store right then and there too!

Revival has just opened up UK pre-orders for Royal Vintage Shoes on their site. You can have them shipped or pick them up in person from Revival in London. To order, visit Revival's site. Delivery will be in July.

We are beyond excited for this new development. For such a long time we've been looking for a way to make it easier for our British fans to enjoy our shoes. We couldn't be happier about teaming with Revival, a truly wonderful and unique boutique full of savvy and amazing women.

Fore more information, visit Revival's website.

Happy shopping!

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A Very Vintage Trip to the UK

Hi! I'm Lauren - remember me? I've been away for awhile on a much-needed vacation to the UK. Hooray! Vacay!

It was a wonderful, restful and also stimulating trip. We did many wonderful things, and I have much to share, so just to start, here's a quick overview:

Our first full day in England was spend daytripping into London to visit the wonderful ladies of Revival Retro Boutique. I took my suitcase full of shoe samples, left with a back full of dresses and a new business relationship. :-) Royal Vintage Shoes will now be available from Revival both online and in store.

Testing, testing 1-2-3 - I wore the new "Claire" oxfords into London to check comfort and durability. A+. (Claires are coming for Fall 2017 - pre-order will open in August)

A moist hike around hilly Bakewell revelead idyllic laneways, cheese shops, and Bakewell tarts, oh yes!

Not gonna lie - this was primarily my "uniform" for most of the trip. It was chilly in the North and we did a lot of hoofin' it, so I lived in this Emmy Design cardigan, Freddies of Pinewood jeans, and Burnley and Trowbridge headscarf.

Not a bad view from the highest tower at Conwy Castle, eh?

Another to test, and more vigorously - I wore the new "Rosie" WWII Double Buckle boots for all of our days in North Wales, and really put them through strife. On this day we ascended the old city walls of Conwy and looped the town entirely.

Oh hey, lamb!

The last couple days were spent in the hot hot heat back in the South. I finally got to wear one of the fabulous dresses I'd bought at Revival Retro, and I cannot say enough good things about it. (More about this dress later)

It was hard to leave such a beautiful part of the world.

We had such a great time! I have more to share with you, including more information on the new Fall shoes I tested, so stay tuned, lovelies. <3

--Lauren

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The History Behind Evelyn - Our Deco Darling Oxford

Hello Lovelies! 

Abby here! While the Pre-Order for our Deco Darlings Collection is winding down (May 31st is the last day!) we thought it would be fun to share some of the original shoes & images that inspired our collection. So, today, I'm starting with my personal favorite - the Evelyn Oxford.

Evelyn is a leather and canvas oxford that will be perfect for any sort of business, sporting, or casual vintage look. Since she's canvas with leather trim, she will be super comfy to wear in the summer, and her full foot coverage will mean that she can get you through most of autumn as well! 

Evelyn in Navy & Brown. She also comes in Tan & Brown, too!

I've had a lot of fun pairing Evelyn with everything from vintage inspired skirts and dress, to simply just jeans and a t-shirt. The secure fit and well balanced heel also makes them really comfy to walk in - I was able to clock a few miles in them in just a couple of days & my feet were fine! 

Here are some images we've found of some fabulous females rocking their oxfords - 

I've always been obsessed with her outfit - 1920s.

We love how summery and airy this outfit looks & it provides great inspiration for how to pair your Tan & Brown Evelyns!

Here are some original shoes that we've found - 

Here are some tan canvas and brown leather 1930s oxfords from Etsy

1920s Cream colored canvas with black leather oxfords from Etsy

We hope you love the Evelyn oxfords as much as we do! Don't forget that if you order before May 31st - you will get $20 off your order & Free Shipping in the USA! 

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Oh Snap - A 1920s Photo Shoot

Back in April we did a photo shoot for the new "Deco Darlings" designs, showcasing two of our lovely 1920s and 30s shoes - Evelyn and Lillian.

Because the Deco Darlings work for two visually quite different decades, we wanted to show the versatility through two contrasting outfits. The first was the 1930s frock from this post. The second was an early 1920s ensemble.

This dress is one of the most special pieces in my meager collection of antique clothing. It's made of organdy and heavily decorated with embroidery and cutwork at the hem. There is also lace insertion, very fine lace trim on the collar and cuffs, and a subtle dropped waist with slight shaping. It's a stunning gown, and perfect for the stunning model, Rachel, who wears it here.

The hem detail on this original 1920s dress is fantastic.

We paired the frock with a peach slip (also original but not as old), a green tie (also original and older!), and "Lillian" Mary Janes in Sage and Ivory, named after Lillian Gish.

With Rachel's epicly waved hair, graceful figure, and fine ukelele skills, the overall effect was enchanting.

Ukelele Spring. The Ukelele is vintage too, but not nearly as old as the dress - it's been in my family since at least I was born (1983, harhar)

The green tie is actually a sash from a c. 1919 dinner gown in my collection. It was the perfect shade of green to tie in with the shoes.

The weather was cold but sunny, with the cherry trees just starting to bloom. We did the shoot at the University of Nevada, Reno, a rather pretty campus with several historic buildings from the 1920s and older.

Lillians in sage and ivory leather with a button strap and 2 3/8" reproduction heel.

{nerd} I'm very proud of these photos from a photog perspective. It was my first time shooting with the "Nifty Fifty" lens, an excellent 58 mm fixed lens with a stunning f/1.4 which makes for incredible bokeh and shallow depth of field, not unlike original autochromes, and particularly well-suited to fashion photography. I'm no expert with this lens yet but I really enjoyed working with it. {/nerd}

The wild photographer captured in her natural environment.

We hope you enjoy these shots!

If you'd like your own pair of Lillians in sage/ivory or navy/ivory, you can find them here.

Model: Rachel Huffman

Dress, Tie, Slip, Ukelele: vintage

Shoes: "Lillian" Mary Janes in sage/ivory - Royal Vintage Shoes.com

Styling: Abby Cox

Photography: Lauren Stowell

Location: University of Nevada, Reno

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