Skinny Jeans, Printed Tops and Colourful Cardigans

Easy spring stay at home mum style for me has quickly become jeans, colourful cardigan and a fun bright bag. It's simple to pull together and I always feel confident in it. No matter how great you feel or think you look though, there are days of motherhood that are far from perfect.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Top: Jeanswest Florence print long line tank
Jeans: Nobody Denim Siren skinny super high-rise jeans in power black denim (C/O, on sale!)
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC (on sale, 25% off!)

Why I wore it:

Cooper was being so cute I had to include this pic on the blog! He was staring at me intently while I was trying to take outfit photos this morning for some reason. Adorable.

I loved this outfit. I had time to do my hair in the morning, and an incredible day planned out down the coast for a girly day of shopping (I still have lots of gift cards I'd planned to spend to celebrate the end of #6MonthsWithoutShopping). I wasn't sure if it would be warmer on the coast so took a cardigan, although I did take it off in the middle of the day. My tank ended up untucked too.

Sadly, the outfit was the only thing I loved about this day. This is the perfect example of photos never representing real life. I could talk about how much I liked the colour combo, it's simple and perfect SAHM style for a fun day of shopping....but nothing turned out how I expected. Just a reminder that no matter how great something looks online, you never know the full story!

Long story short, just before we went out shopping I had one of those slow-mo moments of motherhood where you see something happening but are too far away to stop it and time seems to slow down. Baby Boy fell face-first from a height onto his nose. Lots of screaming, tears and blood later we headed to the nearest doctors. More screaming during the x-rays, a half-hearted attempt at shopping and then we went home. Thankfully nothing broken, and I was in the best company all day, but I felt so horrible for not being able to stop the accident and for derailing everyone's day off plans.

Could have been a lot worse, and will be a funny story later I'm sure. Right now it's not so funny when everyone gasps at your baby's bruised face and asks what happened!


Last worn: purple cardigan, printed tank, Nobody Denim skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, printed tank and shorts, Nobody Denim skinny jeans and striped duster, black ballet flats and wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardigan in first trimester, printed tank in third trimester, ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt.

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Black and Grey Skinny Jeans Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This was a much less eventful day! This pic was taken a while ago, as you can tell by Cooper's winter fur coat still being on!

It follows a similar outfit formula to the outfit above, so of course I loved this too. When I bought this polka dot tee I was thinking of pairing it with my mustard yellow cardigan. I love blue and yellow together, and really liked the mustard and navy. And of course I just had to wear my mustard yellow micro Regan bag if I was wearing the yellow cardigan!

This was a simple but colourful outfit for baby boy's planned specialist appointment.

As it's the second time I've worn this tee on the blog, my purchase review:
I like to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to see how it's working for my wardrobe and learn any lessons that could avoid shopping regrets in future. Sometimes though, there are impulse buys like this tee that prove I don't need to over analyse everything before I buy!

This was my first and so far only purchase with my end of #6MonthsWithoutShopping celebratory gift cards. I'd actually walked into Jeanswest to try on another top, and picked this up just to try it on as it was so soft. While I didn't get the top I originally went in for, I couldn't leave without this tee. I have lots of tees. I particularly have a lot of blue ones. But this is still a piece I keep reaching for, and I'm glad I bought it. An impulse buy that worked out nicely!


Last worn: mustard yellow cardigan, polka dot tee, grey skinny jeans, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: mustard yellow cardigan and little black dress, polka dot tee and maxi skirt, grey skinny jeans and purple cardi, black ankle boots and maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: black ankle boots and pregnancy announcement.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

Skinny jeans are a stay at home mum staple as they work for whatever life throws at you (even if your planned day out ends up consisting of sitting in doctor's waiting rooms). In the cooler months, it's so easy to add extra colours to these outfits with a bright cardigan. A bright bag that compliments the cardigan is a fun accessory choice, and something you can continue to wear as a pop of colour in your outfit as the weather heats up and the cardigans get packed away.



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30 Ways to Wear a Classic Denim Jacket: #30Wears Series

First up, #noSpenderSeptember was achieved - nothing spent on fashion purchases last month! I did attempt a shopping trip but a minor accident derailed my plans. So no new purchases to report.



10 months into my #30wears challenge, and I've still worn very few items of clothing 30 times. I was sure by now I'd have a few dresses, maybe some tops that I'd hit 30 wears on, especially after not shopping for 7 months, but it's been mostly accessories like bags and shoes.

If you look at the maths behind 30 wears (this post has an amazing breakdown of it) I'd have to wear something every other week for 14 months to hit 30 wears on it. And I don't wear things that often, unless we are talking accessories. I'm still keeping up with my challenge, but I think I'm going to have to start wearing some favourites more frequently to hit 30 wears. Pieces I think I've worn a lot seem to only be around 12-15 wears. It's definitely an eye-opening challenge for me, making me realise just how much I have in my wardrobe already and how little I've worn even my favourite pieces.


A denim jacket is a classic piece most people have in their wardrobe so it's no surprise I've hit more than 30 wears with it! As it's spring I thought now was a good time to feature 30 ways to wear a denim jacket.

#30Wears: Classic Blue Denim Jacket

This jacket is one of the old pieces in my wardrobe. I remember where I bought it and who I was with (my sister) but not when exactly I bought it. Something I've easily worn more than 30 times as I've had it at least 10 years, and I've only been blogging for almost 6 years.

Denim Jacket in a Double Denim Outfit

I find double denim tricky to wear. When I was younger I wore similar denim jackets and jeans together for a double denim look without thinking twice about it! Now though, I find it a little harder to pull off. Probably after that famous double denim moment. I even had a denim bag! Not as embellished as Britneys, but it was my favourite bag for a while.

The standard advice for an easy double denim look now is to wear different shades or washes together. I take that a step further and like to wear my denim jacket with completely different coloured jeans. I love my blue denim jacket with my red or purple skinny jeans. Black is another good colour too, for an easy double denim look without looking like you tried too hard.

Denim Jacket and Dresses

This is a go-to spring and autumn outfit for me. For those days where it's just a little cooler and you need an extra layer so you're warmer in the cold mornings or evenings, a denim jacket is perfect. It's nice having a plain layer like this to wear with printed dresses too - you don't have to worry about clashing prints or colours, as blue denim goes with everything!

Denim Jacket and Maxi Dresses

I felt this was worth calling out separately from the other dresses above. A denim jacket works with maxi dresses for many different reasons:

• a sleeveless summer maxi dress you want to add a warmer layer to to get more wear over spring and autumn,
• a spaghetti strap maxi dresses you want to cover up in a formal setting like church, a denim jacket is perfect.
• to make a more formal maxi dress look more casual.

When I need to make a maxi dress work for a cooler day, a denim jacket is my first go-to, and I can even add a scarf if it's really chilly. I like maxi dresses and leather jackets together, but a denim jacket is my favourite way to layer with a maxi dress.

Denim Jacket and Maxi Skirts

Just like above with the maxi dresses, I find a denim jacket works really nicely with maxi skirts. It's a good way to make your maxi skirts work for cooler weather, when you just need a little extra layer on a cool spring or autumn day. Although maxi skirts are perfect in warmer months and ideal for summer, you can easily layer them up a little to work for the rest of the year.

Denim Jacket in Pregnancy

As I usually wear my denim jacket unbuttoned, it still worked perfectly in pregnancy. Having it unbuttoned left plenty of room for a growing baby bump, and it was just the right layer for a pregnancy over autumn. It was nice to have some non-maternity pieces to wear during pregnancy to help me feel more like myself, and a denim jacket unbuttoned is a piece that works in all three trimesters. You can get more pregnancy outfit tips in my book, Stylish pregnancy on a Budget.

Denim Jackets Under $50:

Want more outfit ideas? Check out the 40+ ways to wear a denim jacket in the blog archives.


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Wearing Breastfeeding Clothes After You've Stopped Breastfeeding: Colourful Jeans and Blue Tops

Even though I'm no longer breastfeeding, I'm still happily wearing the maternity/nursing pieces I have in my wardrobe. The two blue tops below are perfect for breastfeeding. The blue tank is a specially designed nursing piece that I got while pregnant with Toddler T, and the wrap top is just a regular top I bought after Baby Boy was born. Both valuable pieces for breastfeeding, but also nice enough to wear afterwards!

What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Tank: MEV Britney bubble tank in mood indigo C/O Zibibo
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes:  Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

Despite loving blue and purple together, this is the first time I've worn this navy tank with the purple skinny jeans. I really liked the combination and I'm surprised I haven't worn it before. Nice and simple outfit for a morning at playgroup and then running errands in the afternoon. The Converse were great for all the running around I did!

I'd forgotten that it was Superhero dress up day at daycare that week so I was that mum rushing around the stores in the afternoon trying to find super hero costumes! It seemed like everyone else had already done this a few days before as there were no little kids costumes to be found. Fortunately, a couple of masks and some superhero clothes the boys already had worked nicely for the day in the end.

The silicone teething necklace and the purple skinny jeans match beautifully together, so this was a good outfit for the 'matchy matchy' style challenge on Instagram.

It was nice to just wear a tank without a jacket - spring weather has been a little erratic lately but it's good to take advantage of warm days like this. The benefit of this tank and other specialised breastfeeding pieces that have hidden breastfeeding access is that you wouldn't know it was a breastfeeding top just by looking at it - definitely something that will stay in my wardrobe a long time!


Last worn: Mothers en Vogue breastfeeding tank, purple skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: breastfeeding tank and maxi skirt, purple skinny jeans and graphic tee, Converse and a dress, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC and printed shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: bubble tank in second trimester, purple skinny jeans in first trimester, Converse for second trimester travel, mini MAC and maternity shorts.

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Colourful Jeans Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Top: Dorothy Perkins 3/4 sleeve wrap top
Jeans: thrifted Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

Another breastfeeding friendly top, another pair of brightly coloured jeans. Unlike the tank above, this is just a regular wrap top that has the bonus of being perfect for breastfeeding in. And it's so soft and cosy. There might not be many more opportunities to wear it with our warmer spring weather having arrived, so it was good to get it out for another wear before I start to pack it and the rest of my winter things away.

Just like the outfit above, I was surprised to find that I hadn't worn this wrap top with the red skinny jeans before, and loved wearing them together. Again, I wore this to meet the day's style challenge on Instagram. This top was perfect for the 'wrap star' theme!

As I was wearing colourful clothes, I went with my usual fail-safe metallic silver accessories. This silver mini MAC bag goes with everything, as do the metallic bow detail ballet flats. They often get worn together!


Last worn: blue wrap top, red skinny jeans, silver ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC (above).

Other ways to wear: blue wrap top and printed jeans, red skinny jeans and autumn layers, silver ballet flats and pencil skirt, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: red jeans at 12 weeks, mini MAC and second trimester bump.

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Wrap Tops Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

You don't have to get rid of all your breastfeeding clothes once you're finished with breastfeeding! Specifically designed nursing tops with hidden access for breastfeeding look just like normal clothes and transition beautifully into your wardrobe for motherhood post-breastfeeding. Which is helpful at reducing cost per wear, considering they are usually quite expensive to buy!
And of course wrap tops, v-necks and button ups continue to work in your wardrobe just like they did before breastfeeding.


Linked up with Friday Favourites, Style Wise, Friday Faves, Shoe and Tell, Modest Monday, Mix It Monday, On Mondays We Link Up, Hello Monday, Mummy Monday.

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Using Accessories to Update Your Favourite Outfit: The Power of Colourful Cardigans

Sometimes you love an outfit combo so much you want to repeat it all over again. With a few changes of accessories you can make it feel like a whole new outfit!

The outfits below are identical, except for picking a different colourful cardigan and bag each time. Accessories are a great way to change up an old favourite outfit - cardigans are good for spring, autumn or winter layering, so easy to take off when the day warms up (as it did both times I wore this outfit).

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest long red drape cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Top: Dotti floral ruffle detail tank from my sister's wardrobe
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey (on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

It was a really warm day when I wore this and I actually regretted the decision to wear jeans at lunch time as we sat by the sea. The cardigan came off pretty quickly after the photo above by the water was taken!

Had deliberately picked a red cardigan to wear with this even though the abstract floral print tank doesn't have any red in it. It was to tie in with the day's activities. Toddler T loves all kinds of vehicles, but he has a soft spot for emergency service vehicles. His aunt arranged for him to have a day out on a fire truck for his birthday. Took a while for everyone to be free for it, but it was worth the wait.

It was an incredible day out riding around in the fire truck, seeing the sights and getting a chance to play with the hose.

The bag was another practical choice for the day - we were keeping the experience a secret until the very last moment for Toddler T, so I had to hide my camera as well as his little Fireman dress up uniform.  This Rebecca Minkoff MAM is perfect for carrying all my usual things and leaving room for a little extra too. First time I've been without the baby bag in years, as Baby Boy stayed with my mum and she had the bag and stroller. I was pleased with how much this bag held.

While this outfit was a little warm for the day which heated up so much in the afternoon, it was otherwise very comfortable and I liked the combination so much I wore it again similarly not long after.


Last worn: red cardigan, grey skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff MAM. First time I've worn the tank as I recently got it from my sister's wardrobe clearout.

Other ways to wear: red cardigan and maxi skirt, grey skinny jeans with pink and purple, Converse and flares, Rebecca Minkoff MAM and monochrome maxi skirt outfit. 

Perfect for pregnancy: red cardi and hidden second trimester bump, MAM bag and maternity office wear, Converse in the first trimester.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Tank: Dotti floral ruffle detail tank
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

Since I liked the outfit above so much, I decided to wear it again and just swap out the cardigan and bag. While the base outfits are identical (even wore Converse and the same necklace with both) I think this looks different enough with the yellow accessories instead of red.

It was slightly amusing that I ended up taking the cardigan off during the day too as it heated up. I headed out to my first Babes & Picnics event - worth checking out the organisation if you're an Aussie mum. The event was a fundraiser for the RSPCA cupcake day so of course we had to enjoy a few cupcakes with our picnic lunch! By the time we sat down to eat though the boys and I were shedding the layers - the overcast morning quickly cleared up to a warm day.

I frequently wear this mustard yellow cardigan and Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag together, it's a nice combination even though they are different shades of yellow. And I really want to get as much wear as possible from this cardigan before the warmer spring weather sticks around.


Last worn: mustard yellow cardigan, floral ruffle tank (above), grey skinny jeans (above), Converse (above), Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: mustard yellow cardigan and maxi skirt, grey skinny jeans and purple cardi, Converse and a printed dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse and second trimester travel.

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More Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Repeating outfits is a quick and easy way to get dressed when you're pushed for time in the mornings or you're feeling uninspired. If you loved wearing something once, it makes sense to repeat it again! It's only an outfit rut if you're bored with it, other wise it's a style uniform! 😉 If you do want to change up your outfit you can easily swap out the accessories and make it look a little different. Plain but colourful cardigans can be an instant update to an old favourite outfit combination.


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Embroidered Tops, Black Jeans and Rebecca Minkoff Bags

I'm pleased that the embroidery trend is continuing! Gives me more justification to wear these lovely embroidered pieces from my wardrobe. I'll still wear them when the trend dies down, but it's nice to be able to wear something I'm constantly reading about in blogs. An embroidered top and black skinny jeans is an easy stay at home mum outfit, but to add extra interest to each outfit I have wore additional prints and texture too.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Top: Target embroidered khaki tank
Jeans: Nobody Denim Siren skinny super high-rise jeans in power black denim (C/O, on sale!)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

Hadn't worn this jacket for a while so it was nice to get it out again! I wasn't sure if the embellishment paired with the embroidery on the top would be too much, but I quite liked the resulting outfit. It was a nice change from last time I wore this embroidered top with black jeans too. Now that it's spring and warmer weather, I can hopefully wear this jacket more. It's a bit thin for winter.

I like how this jacket dresses up a casual outfit a bit - even if I was just popping out for a little shopping while hubby watched the boys.


Last worn: boucle jacket, embroidered tank, Nobody Denim skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag. 

Other ways to wear: boucle jacket and fit and flare dress, embroidered tank and denim shorts, Nobody Denim skinny jeans in monochrome outfit, black ballet flats in the office, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways. 

Perfect for pregnancy: boucle jacket and maternity pencil skirt.

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Embroidered Tops Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Blouse: Jeanswest Elise longline embroidered shirt in coconut blue
Jeans: Sass & Bide Playman skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink, 43% off!)

Why I wore it:

I've tried to wear other prints with these chevron printed Sass & Bide jeans in the past and not been entirely happy with the results. Just like the first outfit, I decided to try something different by pairing the chevrons with the detail on this embroidered top. I liked the result, but not enough to want to wear it again, haha! Will stick with wearing plain black jeans with this embroidered top next time.

Even though the embroidery and print together was busy enough, I added a little extra texture with the cardigan. I love the purple accessories with this - the cardigan is so cosy and wearing the cardigan and plum mini MAB tote bag together is a favourite combination of mine. Kept me warm on a very windy day.

The plan was to go to the in-laws for dinner, but after baby boy wasn't his usual happy self when we went out in the morning, we decided to stay home at night and let him rest and feel better. It's been such a tough winter with illnesses, I'm glad it's spring now as I'm hoping the warm weather and sunshine keeps the bugs at bay.


Last worn: purple cardigan, embroidered blouse, printed skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, embroidered blouse and flares, printed skinny jeans worn two ways, Converse and shift dress, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB tote and pink dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi and stripes in first trimester, Converse for second trimester travel, mini MAB tote and maternity denim shorts.

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Black Printed and Plain Jeans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Black jeans are a great base for any outfit! The are the perfect backdrop to let an embroidered top or jacket shine. You can mix things up a little by buying black jeans with a print on them if you feel plain black is too boring.


Also, I'm thrilled to share that another of my posts was featured on Links a la Mode!

Links à la Mode, September 7th

• Aesthetic Distance: 5 Myths About The Fashion And Blogging Industries
• Alicia Maria: Capsule Wardrobe // PT 2
• April Was Here: Mommy and Me Pre-Fall Looks
• Away from the Blue: #30Wears: Ways to Wear Rebecca Minkoff Yellow Micro Regan Bag in Harvest Gold
• Awesome Yeahh: Embroidery Skirt
• By Sarah Martin: Paris, Blue Eyes and A Surprising Message
• Dangerously Me: Outfit: The Oxford Sleeves
• Girl in Betsey: How to Style a Silk Floral Dress
• Gracielle Camilleri: Floral Love from Valletta City
• Have Clothes, Will Travel: Clothes Worth Repeating
• Heart Print and Style: Statement Sleeves
• La Veine: 6 Things on My Fall Wishlist
• Petite Dressing: Five Must Know Tips to Wear White after Labor Day
• Style Splash: A Comfortable, Chic Outfit for a Day Sightseeing in Zurich
• Tales of Two: Fashion vs Trends vs Style - How Are They Different
• The Wanderbliss: Wildflower
BONUS! Shopbop is currently running an app promotion here for new customers: IFB members can exclusively take 15% off their first full-price app order with a code at checkout. Find the full details here: https://www.shopbop.com/appoffer!

SPONSOR: Amazon's Shopbop AGOLDE, Petersyn Tops, DVF Clothing, Senso, Cafune, Ryan Roche, Corsets, Large Totes, Wrap Dresses, Men's Paterson


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Open Knits and Colourful Jeans with Converse and Cross Body Bags

It's spring now in Brisbane but I still have some older winter outfits like these to share.  A cosy knit and colourful jeans is a simple cold weather outfit. I didn't wear my knitted jumpers a lot over winter as dry clean or handwash only pieces aren't my first choice for wearing around two toddlers! They worked perfectly for work from home days when I do the daycare pick up / drop off.

What I wore:

Scarf: ASOS crinkle oversized leopard print scarf
Jumper: Jeanswest 'Serena' ombre knit
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

I absolutely loved this outfit - it's taken me a while to get around to posting it on the blog though! I wore this when it was really chilly in the middle of winter, so the extra scarf was necessary for the cold morning. I wasn't sure what scarf to wear with this at first, the purple jeans and ombre knit are a busy enough outfit on their own. I've worn the ombre knit with leopard print before though so I grabbed this one. I really liked the way this looked.

Nice and cosy (with a long sleeve tee under the open knit) and colourful with the purple jeans, but comfortable and quick to pull together in time for dropping the kids off at daycare before working from home for the rest of the day.


Last worn: leopard print scarf, ombre knit, purple skinny jeans, Converse, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: leopard print scarf and red shift dress, ombre knit and burgundy pants, purple skinny jeans with matching scarf, Converse and printed jeans, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: ombre knit at 40 weeks pregnant, purple jeans in first trimester, Converse and dress in second trimester, speedy bandouliere and maternity pencil skirts.

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Open Knit Jumpers Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Jumper: Wildfox Couture rainbow dreamer Lennon distressed knit
Jeans: thrifted Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This distressed knit is either a love or a hate, I don't think there's any in-between! First time I wore it I shared that Baby Boy kept getting tangled in the distressed pieces. Last time I wore it I rolled and tucked to hide the distressing a little more. Since I didn't get a proper blog photo first time I wore it, I was eager to wear it in all its raw ripped glory again. A work from home day with the boys at daycare was the perfect chance - no little toddler hands grabbing and pulling on it! A day to myself meant I could wear a 'grown up' beaded necklace too, even if I did have to take it off in the evening as baby boy kept trying to play with it like he does with my teething necklaces.


I loved how colourful this outfit was with the rainbow knit, red skinny jeans and yellow bag. Felt a little 'wasted' as I only worked from home and didn't see many people, so I'm sure I'll wear this combination again next winter.


I feel a little sad when I look up the previous times I've worn these knits as they've been worn so rarely. I've actually downsized my jumper collection this year, rather than buying more. Usually June is a big spending month for me coming into winter and stocking up on winter pieces, but as I was doing my no-shop challenge I haven't added any wintery things. I'm sure I'll return to loving my knits more next winter when the boys are bigger, but right now I've been preferring layering up summer pieces and sticking to wearing things that are machine washable. Two toddlers can be messy!


Last worn: Wildfox Couture distressed knit, red skinny jeans, Converse (above), Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan.

Other ways to wear: Wildfox Couture distressed knit and maxi skirt, red skinny jeans and graphic tee, Converse and floral dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse and maternity denim shorts, skinny jeans in first trimester.

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Colourful Jeans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

Cold morning and in a rush? Grab a favourite knit, add some bright jeans and you're ready in an instant! I like the winter days where it's warm enough to just wear a jumper and jeans, it's the simplest and easiest outfit formula and keeps you cosy no matter what the day holds. Maybe just stick to machine washable knits if you're spending time with toddlers!


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