Friday 15 June 2018

Layering Tees Over Maxi Dresses With Balenciaga Bags (Plus Updated Handbag Collection Video)

Layering a tee over a maxi dress is a nice way to add just a touch of warmth to your outfit, and to change up the look of a dress you wear frequently. I've been wearing my tees over maxi dresses a lot lately! I've also been wearing my Balenciaga bags often too, and for those who are interested I've shared an updated video of my collection below!

What I wore:

maxi dress layered with cropped tee and denim jacket, yellow Balenciaga envelope clutch | awayfromblue

Balenciaga envelope clutch in 2012 mangue with giant 12 RGGH mixed metal bracelet stack | awayfromtheblue

awayfromtheblue instagram layering maxi dress with a tee and denim jacket, yellow Balenciaga clutch
EarringsA Little Bit of North blue mandala earrings (giveaway prize, close up photo)
Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
TeeAtmos & Here Avery marle tee in navy
DressJeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress (worn as skirt)
ShoesMarc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Disney Couture Winnie the Pooh bangle
BagBalenciaga envelope clutch in 2012 mangue with giant 12 RGGH

Why I wore it:

Wouldn't change a single thing about this outfit - I loved it all! We went down the coast for a family birthday celebration. It was a warm day but I thought it might get cooler at night, as I picked my denim jacket to layer with. With the blue tee and grey tie dye maxi dress, I thought that this yellow Balenciaga envelope clutch would be a fun pop of colour.

The night didn't go quite how I expected. We were out in the morning and got back late, which meant nap time was late, which meant we were late for heading down the coast, so that we were badly affected by the traffic. I managed to find a rather roundabout route to avoid the traffic and get there in the end though, and even if we didn't get to spend a relaxing afternoon together as planned we did manage to get there in time to enjoy dinner, which was good.

The little gold touches though this outfit worked so nicely together I thought, with the gold mouse flats, heart necklace and bracelet complimenting the Balenciaga envelope clutch. Even if the clutch did stay in the baby bag for most of the night! Mum life 😅


Last worn: denim jacket, navy tee, tie dye maxi dress, gold mouse flats, Balenciaga envelope clutch.

Other ways to weardenim jacket and skinny jeans, navy tee and printed shorts, tie dye maxi dress and purple cardi, gold mouse flats and wrap dress, Balenciaga envelope clutch and printed jeans.

Perfect for pregnancydenim jacket in second trimester, tie dye maxi dress at 38 weeks, gold mouse flats in second trimester, Balenciaga envelope clutch in third trimester.



My Complete Balenciaga Handbag Collection




Yes, I have a lot of Balenciaga bags!



What I wore:

grey tee knotted over coral floral maxi dress with Balenciaga day bag | away from blue

awayfromblue instagram knotting a grey tee over a floral maxi dress
EarringsJeanswest Evy dangly earring
Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Dress: Kmart Tropicana sleeveless tiered maxi dress (worn as skirt)
Shoesblack slim Havaianas thongs
BagBalenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

Another tee over a maxi dress, another Balenciaga bag! As you can see from the video above, I have a lot of Balenciaga bags in my wardrobe. I love this tempete Balenciaga day bag, such a unique colour.

Wore this for a blogger date with Rachel from A Nesting Nomad. Now living in Sydney, she was up in Brisbane for the weekend and we took the opportunity to catch up and go grab a yummy gluten free brownie together. After a bit of a tough week, I was looking forward to a couple of kid free hours, but unexpectedly had to take the boys along with me. I regretted the long dangly earrings with the boys grabbing and tugging at them often. They were quite boisterous too, but Rachel was a sweetheart about it! So very sweet!

I did like this outfit, despite the earrings not being a very kid-friendly choice, as it was good to come up with another way to wear this beautiful summer dress and make it work for cooler weather.


Last worn: grey tee, floral maxi dress, Havaianas, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Other ways to weargrey tee and printed kimono, floral maxi dress in winter, Balenciaga tempete day bag and swing dress.

Perfect for pregnancygrey tee in second trimester, Balenciaga tempete day bag in third trimester.



Maxi Dresses Under $50:





How You Can Wear It:


If you have a tee you love and a maxi dress you love, wear them together! If your tee is cropped it might sit perfectly over your dress, as you can see in the first outfit. If your tee is a little longer, you can knot it like the second outfit to have it sit at just the right point.




Linking up with Lizzie In Lace, Friday Faves, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, On Mondays We Link Up, Modest Monday, Confident Twosday.



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Wednesday 13 June 2018

Print Mixing: Kimonos and Jeans With Foil Tees and Rebecca Minkoff Love Bag and Guitar Strap

Everyone needs that one classic outfit formula they can fall back on. Kimonos and denim is mine, most frequently seen in summer with shorts. With the cooler weather here now that it's winter in Brisbane, I've swapped the denim shorts for jeans instead.

Both these outfits are such a simple formula: foil print tee, skinny jeans and kimono. I really loved them both. Outfits that were comfortable, practical and nailed my style perfectly. Expect to see this formula more from me, before it gets too cold for my kimonos when the winter weather properly arrives!

What I wore:

Rebecca Minkoff Ruana poncho monochrome fall skinny jeans outfit with Love bag guitar strap | awayfromblue

Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey and Ruana poncho | awayfromtheblue

awayfromblue instagram monochrome outfit Rebecca Minkoff ruana poncho kimono skinny jeans tee Love bag
JacketRebecca Minkoff Ruana poncho
TeeJeanswest Kaylin star foil grey tee
JeansJeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
ShoesWalnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
BagRebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

Whenever I go with a monochrome outfit I usually can't resist adding a little colour in there with an accessory. This time around though, with the foil print on the tee and the print on the Ruana poncho / kimono, I felt the outfit was busy enough and didn't need any extra jewelry.

I ended up loving the monochrome with the similar colour scheme for everything looking better than I expected. I didn't miss a touch of colour like I thought I would. I think the mix of textures and the embellished bag strap made up for not having any bright pieces in my outfit.

Had a bit of a busy day, taking the boys out grocery shopping in the morning and then down the coast in the afternoon before heading to a friend's place for church. We are meeting each week to catch up and watch the message from Life Church Online. It's like church at home! We both volunteer at the online services during the week so it's nice to watch the message in person and focus solely on it as we can get quite distracted when serving.


Last worn: Rebecca Minkoff poncho, star print foil tee, grey skinny jeans, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff studded guitar strap, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wearRebecca Minkoff poncho worn two ways, star print foil tee worn two ways, grey skinny jeans for travel, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and striped dress, Rebecca Minkoff studded guitar strap and Regan bag, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancyWalnut Melbourne ballet flats in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.



Rebecca Minkoff Studded Guitar Strap Review:









What I wore:

print mixing foil tee skinny jeans purple kimono outfit | away from blue

Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey, purple kimono | away from the blue

awayfromblue instagram print mixing foil stripe tee purple kimono skinny jeans outfit
NecklaceNibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
TeeJeanswest Anika foil stripe tee in white and silver
JeansJeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
Shoesblack slim Havaianas thongs
BagRebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

I've shared before that I worried this bright kimono my son picked out would be a little tricky to wear. Since I wanted to wear this foil stripe tee again as it's been a while since I last wore it, I thought I'd try print mixing the foil stripes with the zig zag print on the kimono. Just like the outfit above, I really loved this outfit and the print mix.

Cooper was feeling the cold so we put his little red hoodie on! I was content to still wear my Havaianas before it's properly boot weather!

Sometimes the simplest outfit formulas are the best. While this does have a little extra interest with the print mixing, like the first outfit, it's still the same basic outfit formula. Perfectly comfortable for a morning at ABA mother's group with the boys. Although I did regret bringing some chocolate goodies to bring along for morning tea, as I was dodging sticky chocolate covered toddler hands often! Thankfully the white tee stayed white, but the black skinny jeans weren't as black as they were that morning by the time we headed home, with two chocolate covered boys in the car! You can't avoid tiny chocolate hands! 😂


Last worn: purple printed kimono, foil stripe tee, Jeanswest Prima skinny jeans, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff studded guitar strap (above), Rebecca Minkoff Love bag (above).

Other ways to wearpurple printed kimono and maxi dress, foil stripe tee and shorts, Jeanswest Prima skinny jeans and boots, Rebecca Minkoff studded guitar strap and shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and maxi dress.


Perfect for pregnancy: Jeanswest Prima skinny jeans in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in second trimester.





Rebecca Minkoff Love Bag Review and Contents Video:






Kimonos Under $50:




How You Can Wear It:


You can continue wearing your kimonos outside of summer! For cooler days you can simply swap out your summer staple denim shorts for jeans which are a little warmer. Kimonos are a great layer to add to a classic jeans and tee formula, adding just a little extra colour or texture to an outfit. They are a perfect light layer for cooler spring or autumn mornings and evenings, without overheating you when it warms up during the day.


Linking up with Style On The Daily, Oh Hey Girl, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Weekend Wear, Fabulous Friday, Flashback Fashion.



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Monday 11 June 2018

Office Style: Textured Pencil Skirts, Black Tanks and Magenta Balenciaga Day Bag

Wearing my magenta Balenciaga day bag again in my favourite colour combo with navy pencil skirts for work. I just love pink and blue together. I kept things simple with these outfits, basic black tanks and pretty textured pencil skirts with that fun bag for a pop of colour.

It is winter in Brisbane now though so I did add some cosier elements - a wool cardigan and black ankle boots.

What I wore:

jersey blazer, black tank and lace pencil skirt business casual office outfit | away from blue

blue lace pencil skirt and magenta balenciaga 05 day bag | away from the blue

awayfromblue instagram blue lace pencil skirt black tank blazer business casual office outfit
JacketZara cream jersey blazer
NecklaceZuriCollections blue polymer clay necklace
TankJeanswest Brianna basque hem tank
SkirtAsos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
BagBalenciaga Day bag in 2005 magenta

Why I wore it:

This is such a simple outfit combination, with the textured skirt, neutral basic tank and blazer. I felt that the magenta Balenciaga day bag added just the right amount of contrasting colour and interest to this outfit.

The blazer and skirt go so nicely together, with the cream base of the skirt, but I wasn't 100% sure on the ankle boots with this. Being so cold in the morning I wasn't up for trying ballet flats though, so ankle boots it was. I think the black tank balanced it all out nicely, and while this is a simple outfit I really liked how it all worked together.

Another thing I liked about this outfit was that it got me closer to my 30 wears goals. Both the jersey blazer and lace skirt are just a few wears away from 30 wears each. This is part of the reason why they've been worn so frequently lately too.


Last worn: cream jersey blazer, black basque tank, lace pencil skirt, black ankle boots, magenta Balenciaga day bag.

Other ways to wearcream jersey blazer and sheath dress, black basque tank and shorts, lace pencil skirt and wrap top, black ankle boots and little black dress, magenta Balenciaga day bag for travel.

Perfect for pregnancycream jersey blazer in second trimester, lace pencil skirt in third trimester, black ankle boots in second trimester, magenta Balenciaga day bag in third trimester.


Review and What's In My Bag: Magenta Balenciaga Day








What I wore:

black tank, jacquard pencil skirt, wool maxi cardigan and pink Balenciaga bag

magenta 2005 agneau leather balenciaga classic RH day hobo bag | away from the blue

awayfromtheblue instagram grey maxi cardigan blue lace pencil skirt pink Balenciaga day bag
JacketJeanswest Alice longline Australian wool cardigan
Necklace: Lovisa wooden statement bead necklace
TankJeanswest round neck lace detail top
SkirtWarehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
BagBalenciaga Day bag in 2005 magenta

Why I wore it:

This is one of the outfits that I don't feel photographed well. I had been planning to wear another one of my jersey blazer with this, but had been eying up my recently unboxed winter cardigans before I went to bed the night before. I woke up in the morning and it was cold and I decided to swap the blazer for this cosy wool maxi cardigan. I did add a blazer in my bag to wear in the office though as I was leading an important meeting that afternoon.

With the wool cardigan and black ankle boots, I felt so cosy for my early morning commute, and I loved how comfortable this outfit was. When I looked back at the photos I don't think they managed to capture it well - but I did have such high thoughts of this outfit, ha! It was one of the best ones I've worn in a while I felt, even if it falls flat on the photos. I think a different necklace might have looked better in the photos.


Last worn: wool cardigan, lace detail tank, jacquard pencil skirt, black ankle boots (above), Balenciaga magenta day bag (above).

Other ways to wearwool cardigan and printed jeans, lace detail tank and shorts, jacquard pencil skirt in summer, black ankle boots and shorts, Balenciaga magenta day bag in winter.

Perfect for pregnancylace detail tank in the second trimester, jacquard pencil skirt in first trimester, black ankle boots and pregnancy announcement, Balenciaga magenta day bag and maternity shorts.



Textured Pencil Skirts Under $50:





How You Can Wear It

Pretty textured pencil skirts add a lot of interest to your outfit. They don't have to be tricky to wear though, you can easily pair them with neutral basics like these black tanks. Keeping the rest of your outfit neutral allows you to add in another colour to your outfit like this bright pink bag. And of course, many offices require you cover up a sleeveless tank. A blazer is perfect for that!


Linking up with Confident Twosday, Turning Heads.



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