Away From Blue | Aussie Mum Style, Away From The Blue Jeans Rut

Monday 18 September 2017

Printed Blouses and Black Pencil Skirts: Cold Weather Office Wear

I try to get the most out of my wardrobe by wearing summer pieces year-round and making things work as both office wear and stay at home mum style. There are a few pieces I keep strictly for work wear though.

Both printed tops I'm wearing below were packed away when I outgrew them in pregnancy and left aside while I was on maternity leave. It's been good to unbox them again now I'm back in the office! Printed tops pair so nicely with black pencil skirts.

What I wore:

navy ruffled printed blouse with black pencil skirt colourful accessories winter office outfit | AwayFromBlue

navy trench, Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag | AwayFromTheBlue

awayfromblue colourful witner office otufit polka dot ruffle blouse purple bag yellow necklace

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Necklace: Starfish Project Veronica short yellow multi strand necklace
Blouse: Jeanswest 'Ricky' ruffle front top in midnight
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

While I'd been going without tights in the mornings, the not quite spring weather didn't hang around long so it was a bit chilly this morning, back to tights and ankle boots. Despite it being a very cold morning, I still wanted a cheerful and colourful outfit.

With the navy polka dot top and the purple bag, the outfit was already colourful, but I thought I'd add the yellow statement necklace for a finishing touch. I really liked this outfit combination. Nothing like a bit of colour to cheer you up on a cold morning!

Last worn: navy macintosh, polka dot ruffle top, black zip detail pencil skirt, black ankle boots, purple Balenciaga work bag.

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and chambray dress, polka dot ruffle top and red jeans, black zip detail pencil skirt over a dress, ankle boots and little black dress, purple Balenciaga work bag and textured pencil skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: ruffle top hiding an early baby bump, pencil skirt in first trimester, ankle boots in second trimester.

Printed Blouses Under $50:

What I wore:

trench coat, printed blouse black pencil skirt purple balenciaga work bag | Away From Blue

Trench coat, pencil skirt, Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag | Away From The Blue

awayfromblue instagram trench coat printed blouse black ponte pencil skirt purple bag

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat
Necklace: Roie Designs pearl and antique gold long necklace
Top: Target ruffle sleeve dog print blouse
Skirt: Jeanswest black ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

I always have a hard time remembering the differences between these two black pencil skirts when I write blog posts! The one above has an exposed zipper detail on the back, and this one here has elastic panels displayed at the waist but it's hidden under the trench coat. Despite these minor differences they do look identical - but with so many printed tops in my wardrobe a couple of black pencil skirts are a necessity for easy office outfits.

This dachshund print top was an impulse Target buy a few years ago. It didn't get worn an awful lot when I first got it as I found the stitched on waist belt a bit limiting with how I could wear it. A comment from Sheila on her blog about how she removed a similar belt gave me the idea to take the belt off. Removing the stitching and the belt was my first ever DIY attempt with a top, and I love how it makes this top a lot more wearable.

The purple in the print made this purple Balenciaga work bag an easy accessory to pair with it!

Last worn: camel trench, dachshund print top, ponte pencil skirt, camel ballet flats, Balenciaga purple work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: camel trench and skinny jeans, dachshund print top and red jeans, ponte pencil skirt in summer, camel ballet flats and skinny jeans, Balenciaga purple work bag and blue dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench in the first trimester, dachshund print top hiding a second trimester bump, ballet flats in third trimester.

Black Pencil Skirts Under $50:

How You Can Wear It:

A black pencil skirt is an easy base for an office outfit. You can add some colour and fun with a printed top, and go a step further with colourful statement accessories too like in the first outfit. Not all printed outfits need to be overly colourful, sometimes keeping things simple and picking one colour from the print to wear in your accessories too works as well like in the second outfit. A black pencil skirt is one of those must-have pieces in your office wardrobe.

Linking up with Confident Twosday, Turning Heads, On Trend, Style Sessions, What I Wore.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : Google Plus : LikeToKnow.It

Friday 15 September 2017

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:

gold coast winter red cardigan floral tank with ruffle, nibbly bits necklace, jeanswest cecile grey skinny jeans | AwayFromBlue

awayFromBlue isntagram red cardigan floral ruffle tank grey skinny jeans Rebecca Minkoff MAM

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.

Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

What I wore:

mustard yellow cardigan micro Regan bag skinny jeans converse floral tank | Away From Blue

Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold | Away From The Blue

awayfromblue instagram floral ruffle tank mustard cardigan grey skinny jeans

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.

More Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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.

Linking up with Friday Favourites, Mummy Monday, Modest Monday, Mix It Monday, On Mondays We Link Up.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : Google Plus : LikeToKnow.It

Wednesday 13 September 2017

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:

embroidered khaki tank with black skinny jeans boucle embellished jacket spring outfit | Away From Blue

awayfromblue instagram boucle blazer black skinny jeans khaki embroidered tank

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.

Embroidered Tops Under $50:

What I wore:

embroidered blouse, converse and chevron print black skinny jeans purple accessories | AwayFromBlue

Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum | AwayFromTheBlue

awayfromblue Instagram windy day embroidered blouse and printed jeans comobo

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.

Black Printed and Plain Jeans Under $50:

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