Stripes! Hoodie, Skinny Jeans and Converse | McQueen Scarf, Grey Tee, Maxi Skirt, Balenciaga Day Bag

I'm blogging less often as life revolves around a newborn baby and I'm home in my pyjamas most days ;) Continuing to share what I were when I do get dressed to leave the house and have time to take a photo.


Here's what I wore to go grocery shopping with Cooper and baby T:

Jacket: Juicy Couture Long Sleeve Original Zip Hoodie in 'Silver Lining'
Top: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank (on sale!)
Jeans: Jeanswest maternity skinny jeans in black
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag
Stroller: Steelcraft Strider Compact


Decided to go for a bit of a walk to the post office and pick up some groceries too. Gave me a chance to enjoy the afternoon sun with baby T and Cooper, and to get out of the house. Unfortunately, in my sleep-deprived state I forgot the thing I had to mail, so I'll have to make another trip to the post office later. Also forgot to get half my grocery list too, should have written things down!

Really simple casual outfit for walking around, with the hoodie to keep me warm as it was a little windy and chilly. Stripes because they go with everything, and black and grey as they go with everything too and don't require any special consideration or co-ordination. Still wearing my maternity jeans! They are comfortable and suitable for the little leftover bump I'm retaining after birth. Plus they have that elastic waist panel that helps pull everything in ;)


Last worn: Juicy Couture hoodie, stripe tank, maternity skinny jeans, Converse, Marc By Marc Jacobs baby bag.

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Here's what I wore to visit family and go shopping:

Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue (currently on sale!)
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Skirt: AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
Shoes: Nine West fascinate ballet flats in silver glitter
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete


It's funny looking back in the blog and seeing that the last time I wore this tee and this maxi skirt was in my third trimester. Happy to report that none of my regular wardrobe stretched out permanently with me wearing it during pregnancy, everything is still fitting well. I know some people are concerned about clothing being stretched out of shape by a growing baby bump, but I haven't run into any issues. It helps that a lot of my wardrobe is very stretchy/oversized anyway I guess.

Wearing stripes again! Might have to rename the blog "Away From The Stripes" soon! I am just focusing on quick and easy outfits each day, not too concerned with trying new things or outfit combinations at this point. The clothes I grab to wear have to look passable on the first try as there is rarely time to change. Even on days I don't get time for a photo, I still seem to be going with stripes. Wore this on a warm sunny afternoon, we did some shopping and had dinner with my family. I added a jacket later in the evening, but didn't need one during the day.


Last worn: blue skull scarf, grey tee, stripe maxi skirt, glitter flats, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Linking up with Friday's Fancies, Friday's Fab Favourites, Fashion Item Friday, Passion For Fashion today.

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Converse, Maxi Skirts, Scarves, Marc By Marc Jacobs Handbags

Baby T has arrived, and I'm blogging less regularly as life revolves around a newborn and pyjamas are my main OOTD. I'm continuing to share my outfits when I leave the house and have time to take a photo.


Here's what I wore to pop into the city one afternoon:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Scarf: Alexander McQueen pink pashmina in skull and floral print
Top: Kmart striped drop shoulder tee
Skirt: Target grey marle maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown


We'd been waiting a little while for some paperwork to come through for baby T. Luckily when we found out it was ready for us to pick up, my family were visiting so we were able to leave baby at home and head into the city. As per usual, getting dressed quickly was necessary so I went with my default outfit - maxi skirt, stripes, converse and a skull scarf! Getting a little predictable, but it's good to have outfit staples to fall back on when I don't have a lot of time. Added the denim jacket to keep warm as it was cooling in the evening.

During the pregnancy I had fun playing dress up in my wardrobe now and then, to see what clothes still fit the growing bump and to come up with outfit ideas. Clothes are much further down my list of priorities now if I do get a moment of free time. I usually have a nap instead! I honestly do, you should see the housework that's being neglected ;) Life with baby means less housework, more naps.


Last worn: denim jacket, skull scarf, stripe top, target maxi skirt, Converse, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

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Here's what I wore to run errands with baby T:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Scarf: Supre neon pink leopard print scarf
Jumper: Supre knit loose fit jumper in bahamas
Skirt: Target black and white striped maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


Sometimes we have appointments we can't get out of and we need to bring baby T along - despite the many offers of friends and family to baby sit. Wore this to take baby T out for an early morning appointment and to run a few quick errands. Again with a maxi skirt, but just a light knit as we weren't out long and a jacket wasn't needed. I thought the colours in the scarf worked well with the peach of the jumper, and I thought I'd better wear something other than a skull scarf for a change!


Last worn: Ray-ban, neon leopard scarf, peach knit, stripe maxi skirt, Converse (see above), Marc by Marc Jacobs baby bag.

Linking up with Monday Must-Haves, Let It Shine, Real Mum Style, WIWW, Wardrobe Wednesday, What I Wore, Spotlight Weekly today.

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Winter Wear and Post-Baby Swimwear Buying Tips

Baby T has arrived, and I'm blogging less regularly as life revolves around a newborn. I don't manage to get out of pyjamas every day, we are still in the early stages!


Here's what I wore to run some errands:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue (currently on sale!)
Tee: Glassons long sleeve top black and white stripe
Skirt: Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull


Wearing this skull scarf with stripes again! I like the combination of black and blue too. Looking for easy outfit options I can put together quickly. Stripes, maxi skirt, converse and a cute scarf is a helpful formula when I'm not sure what to wear.

We called in our always eager family to baby sit while DH and I ran around trying to complete some errands one particularly cold early morning. Very grateful for family being able to help us. It's easy to do all of the required running around for documentation and things when we know baby T is content at home rather than being exposed to a bunch of strange places and people when he's so young. It's flu season so we are trying to keep him home as much as possible.


Last worn: Ray-Bans, leather jacket, skull scarf, striped top, maxi skirt, Converse, Louis Vuitton Neverfull.

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Here's what I wore to spend some time by the pool:

Sunnies: Orange sunglasses from Paddy's Market in Sydney
Swimwear: Sugar Smash single strap one piece c/o Funkita
Sarong: black floral print sarong from my sister's travels
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual


The lovely Chris from Funkita emailed me to let me know about the latest collection 'Swim this City' and ask if I wanted a suit. I'm a big Funkita fan, so of course I said yes! Will be wearing this frequently when I get back to my usual routines and can go swimming again. Although it is winter and our pool is outdoors, it's in the sun most of the day and it can get up to 25 degrees (Celsius) in the middle of the day here in Queensland. Good enough weather for a dip. Sadly I couldn't actually wear this to swim today as I still don't have clearance from my doctor to get back in the water after birth yet - this was taken when baby was a month old.

I don't often share my exercise or swimwear on the blog, but for a change I thought I'd use the opportunity to share some post-baby swimwear tips, and happily show that it takes a while for your body to bounce back after pregnancy. I've been getting some comments about how quickly I lost the baby weight. I haven't lost all the baby weight - it will take a while to do so, and I'm in no rush. I still have a noticeable bump, I'm just dressing it differently. Dressing for a post-baby body, you want to hide your belly rather than draw attention to it like you do when you're pregnant. It's also tricky to know what size you will be in things as so many aspects of your body have changed!

I might not look as good as the athletes who wear Funkita swimwear when they compete, but with the tips below I feel comfortable and confident enough to share swimsuit photos on the internet 4 weeks after giving birth. :)

Some tips to find good swimwear for exercising post-baby:

• Buy from a brand you have experience with or that has a good size chart to ensure a proper fit. I've got multiple pieces from Funkita, and the sizing chart is really easy for me to follow. I even sized up to get a piece that I could wear during pregnancy, and it fitted well. My pre-pregnancy bikinis still don't fit yet, so paying attention to measurements is important.
• Go for a bold print. I love the print on this suit. It is form fitting but the colourful print is really helpful at disguising the tummy. Black would be flattering too, but I think a print is better than a block colour. My stomach looks much smaller with the printed suit on than without.
• Try a one-piece. I'm definitely a bikini girl, all my other swimwear consists of bikinis so this is the first one-piece I've worn for a long time. Not only are they really popular at the moment, having the fabric covering my post-baby belly makes me feel more comfortable. I'm still getting used to the way my belly looks, it's helpful to have it covered up so I don't get self-conscious!
• A sarong is a wonderful cover-up when you're not in the water, and a chance to do a bit of print-mixing to further draw the eye away from the belly too!

Hope that you found the tips helpful, or know someone who might. It was fun sharing my pregnancy outfits on the blog, and I'm enjoying continuing to share what I wear and my thoughts now about life with baby T.


Linking up with Passion For Fashion, Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fab Favourites today.

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