Back in my pre-pinup days I wore short skirts, had a large mane of small natural curls, and hated leopard print. Even for many years after adopting vintage fashion I hated leopard print, actually, which makes it even weirder that my first ever vintage-inspired dress which convinced me I could adopt this style for real was fully red leopard print. It had a sweetheart neckline, black straps, a full circle skirt, and I was madly in love with it. It was a very tight fit at the time and I gained back some weight shortly after I wore it to a friend’s charity event, so I never managed to squeeze into it again, but I kept it for a long time out of love before I finally sold it on so someone else could love it instead.

Over the course of the following few years my opinion on leopard print evolved to a much broader love and now it’s one of my favourite prints (when done right…some of my boundaries remain.) But I still have a special fondness for red leopard print in particular, because it feels so tied to a key turning point in my life. So this Lynette dress, to me, is like wearing a lovely reminiscence…

Dress: Lynette Animal dress gifted by Timeless London [Discount code AMYMAY15 for 15% off]
Fishnet tights: Fishies by Snag Tights
Hat: Black Straw Headband Disc Hat previously gifted by Unique Vintage (A/L)
Gloves: Old Primark
Bag: Old JustFab
Shoes: Old LindyBop – Similar

This is my first time trying Timeless London. When I first came across them quite a while ago I found I didn’t fit into their size chart, so I didn’t keep track of their releases because I didn’t want to be disheartened by continually falling in love with items I couldn’t buy. Well, colour me wrong and thrilled, because it turns out their size range runs up to 4XL, equivalent to a UK 22, so all their pretty pieces are accessible to me after all!

This Lynette dress comes in 2 versions, both solid black with patterned contrast collars, buttons and belt. The animal version, as I’m wearing above, features red leopard print as the contrasting pattern, while the check version features a grey and black tartan. Both offer the chic simplicity of the mid-century silhouette with an eye-catching pop of pattern, something I appreciate as it really takes the ‘this outfit needs something interesting‘ effort out of getting dressed.

The bodice has princess seams and a V-neck created by the sharp pointed collar. The skirt has lovely movement to it but can also take a slim-medium volume petticoat if you’d rather plump for shape, and it additionally boasts our favourite feature–pockets! I love a brand that understands the importance of pockets. The matching fabric belt has grommets, so you can cinch to your heart’s content without the belt loosening or the ends sliding free when you sit down and move about. The three-quarter-length sleeves flatter literally every body type, and the dress is machine washable.

As I’m new to Timeless London I followed their size chart exactly and asked for this dress in the 3XL/20 for my bust. The waist flat measures 41 inches, with stretch to almost 43, while the bust flat measures 46 inches with stretch to almost 48 inches. Those measurements put it in line with the size chart, with the stretch bringing the max measurements in line with the start of the 4XL’s size chart measurements, which is great to see as someone who often has to size up because I can fall between sizes. The sleeves are graded up perfectly so there’s ample room through the entire upper arm for me, something I will always value after having to forego many a dress because the sleeves were too tight to be comfortable–or even to fit at all in the worst case scenarios. The dress closes with a back zip topped with a hook and eye.

Finally, I want to touch a little bit on Timeless London, as they’re a small family run business who work hard to produce their clothing ethically. Currently 30% of their clothing is made from environmentally friendly material, but in 2022 that figure will rise to 70%. I love to see businesses making efforts to produce ethical pieces, something small businesses seem to inherently understand better than most, so learning that Timeless holds those values was wonderful. I will certainly be keeping an eye on all their future releases with great interest and will happily add more of them to my wardrobe.

The Lynette dress, in both animal and check versions, comes in sizes XS-4XL. Discount code AMYMAY15 can be used for 15% off your order. Timeless London ship worldwide.

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Disclaimer: The dress featured in this review was gifted to me by Timeless London in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are truthful and my own, with no input from any of the companies listed or any other individuals. The hat was previously gifted to me by Unique Vintage for a past review. Items marked with (A/L) are Affiliate links that would earn me a small commission from your order if used.

COVID-19 NOTE: These pictures were taken alone and safely in a secluded outdoors area with no other individuals present, thus practising strict social distancing measures in an effort to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.