I have my 'wear everything twice in the month you buy it' rule. I started this a few years ago to ensure I was only buying things I could get use from right away, to stop the discovery of unworn with tags items in my wardrobe. There have been a few exceptions to this rule, one when my pregnant belly outgrew something before I got to wear it and the rest have been weather related. As I mentioned in the video, the foil jumper hasn't been worn because of the weather.
The wear twice rule still works though. I did consider buying something else this month but decided against it. Purely because I had to order it online and it wouldn't have made it in time for me to wear it twice in February. It was a 'want' item, not a 'need', but my large wardrobe makes almost every purchase a 'want'! It was easier to refrain from purchasing know it wouldn't pass the wear twice rule. Maybe next month I'll buy it if I keep thinking about it.
The foil knit, bought a few days before the heatwave, didn't get worn at all this month. There's a little more detail in the video above, but basically I bought this thinking I might not get to wear it right away, and bought it anyway as I didn't want to miss out on the trend again.
The denim shorts, an impulse buy, have been worn right away as you can see above, as they were perfect for the heatwave. I know I bought a lot of new shorts for summer a couple of months ago, but when you stumble across $60+ denim in your size in the op-shop, you buy it! While I've worn them similarly here with printed tanks and kimonos, the video has more ways to wear them.
I'm pretty content with my wardrobe now. I might buy that piece I keep thinking about or I might wait until cooler weather to see where the gaps are in my wardrobe!
This summer has definitely been the summer of shorts, but I haven't completely forgotten my maxi skirts! The classic combo of a printed maxi skirt and grey tee makes an easy, comfortable outfit that's perfect for running around with the kids.
I was surprised to find I hadn't worn this tee and navy striped maxi skirt together before! I thought it was what I wore last time we went to hospital, but it was a different tee I wore then. This very similar outfit was worn again to the same hospital, but a day stay this time. I shared some pics on Twitter and my Instagram stories, as one of the boys had his first surgery.
There are a few times in adulthood I have a little panic to myself that "I'm not grown up enough for this", and having to comfort my child through an operation was one of those times. Thankfully, it was just a short day stay. The operation went well, and apart from being a little woozy afterwards, it was a smooth recovery.
I wasn't sure if I needed closed in shoes for the operating room, I forgot to ask with all the other questions I had, so I went with Converse just in case, even if I did take them off as soon as we got home. I picked comfortable clothes for all the sitting around waiting I was going to have to do, and my big Louis Vuitton neverfull to carry snacks and things to amuse me as I waited, with everything else in the baby bag. I've tried the neverfull as a baby bag before, as you can see in the video below, but I'm not a fan so it meant carrying two bags with me. Easy when I had the stroller to throw everything on.
It was a difficult day, made just a little easier by having a fuss-free outfit I was ready to face anything in. I'm just hoping to have no further days of hospital style!
Onto happier days! I wore this the weekend before operation day. We'd planned a day out but after taking these photos and our morning walk, the rain showers started to we decided to stay home instead, after running a quick errand. In the end I think a quiet day was just what was needed as operation week was crazy.
Very similar outfit formula to the one above, with a more voluminous printed maxi skirt and a slouchier grey tee. This was a lovely outfit for a humid day, nice loose layers. The only thing I didn't like so much was that the hem of my skirt got wet quickly when the rain started. I really need to get this skirt properly tailored. I'm currently doing the well-known petite girl hack of wearing it higher on my waist and rolling the waistband to keep it in place. It's definitely proven it's a keeper in my wardrobe, so I need to get it tailored to be just the right length.
Again I was wearing my Louis Vuitton neverfull tote, although this time around it had a lot less stuffed into it. That's the beauty of the neverfull, it always looks good no matter if you carry a little or a lot.
With a printed maxi skirt (or any printed piece in your wardrobe) pairing it with a grey tee is an easy outfit formula to follow that's guaranteed to look good. If grey tees aren't your thing, you could substitute with a similar neutral like black or white. I'm just such a fan of grey v-neck tees, they are what I reach for most often when wearing prints.
Happy Valentine's Day! Sharing two un-Valentine's Day like outfits, although one does have a little pink in it!
With Brisbane's summer heart, shorts and a tank are a good way to dress. It's easy to add a little summer layer to them though for more colour, as I've done with each of the outfits below.
Wore this to go to an appointment in the morning. I wanted something easy to wear and it has been a while since I've worn these denim shorts. I was going to wear a different printed tank, but then I saw the kimono and realised that it would look great with stripes. Last time I wore this kimono I tried a little print mixing too. I liked this combination and felt that it looked good, but got a few side eyes when we went out for lunch so maybe it wasn't the best choice. I was happy in it though, and that's all that matters!
Was a really comfortable outfit, with a very practical bag. I had to juggle the baby bag, my handbag and the toddlers, so I appreciated the cross body strap on my Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag as well as the fact that it held everything I needed in it.
Another appointment, going to see the specialist for a checkup for Baby Boy. As I liked the outfit I'd worn above the day before, I wore a similar outfit the next day. A plain black tank this time, with longer bermuda denim shorts and instead of a kimono I added the pink vest. I'd been thinking about wearing my pink blazer again, after seeing Lorna wearing hers so well, but it was a bit warm for that so I went with this pink vest instead.
Again I wore my Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag, it's such a good bag with the boys as the cross body strap makes it so easy to wear. I added this fun wooden statement necklace I got for Christmas too, it looks nice against the plain black tank. As the specialist's office is full of toys I didn't have to worry about wearing a teething necklace to entertain the boys. It's nice to wear non-silicone necklaces sometimes!
Add some colour to a denim shorts and tank outfit in summer with an extra layer. Kimonos and lightweight vests don't overheat you, but add a fun touch to your outfit.
The beauty of this printed tank from Jeanswest is that it goes with so much in my wardrobe. It's nice and light for summer and was perfect to wear on two very hot days during some of the heatwaves we had in Brisbane.
Wore this pretty tank for the first time to go out to dinner. I thought the chambray maxi skirt would be nice with the blue leaves in the print, and they are both light pieces which was perfect for the heatwave we were experiencing.
The red leaves in the print made me think of this little red saddle bag right away too. (See 30 ways to wear a red saddle bag here.) I really liked how this outfit came together. While the usual 'fashion rule' is to avoid pairing two voluminous pieces like this skirt and tank together, I've done it a few times. Sometimes you just want loose, comfortable layers, and on this super hot day it was exactly what was needed. I really liked wearing this outfit. So comfortable, and great for overindulging at dinner as the maxi skirt has an elastic waistband!
Had a fun day out planned with my mum and sister. Again, it was a hot day so I went with comfortable pieces like the printed tank and the pastel pink shorts. The tank has pink leaves in the print that match so nicely to the shorts. Just like last time I wore these shorts though, I managed to get them dirty. I'm kinda glad I thrifted these as they are confirming my suspicion that I'm just too clumsy to get white shorts or jeans, ha! It's annoying to have to try remove stains so often though.
The pretty necklace was a Christmas gift, I thought it worked really well with the neckline of the top.
There were just a few things I wasn't too happy about with this outfit. I think a different bag would have worked better, the black is a bit harsh with all the pastels. It looks okay, but I have other bags (like my metallic mini MAC) that would have looked better I think.
I also wish I'd gone for a different backdrop to show the outfit off better, it kinda blends in with the bricks. I was just looking for a shady spot to take a photo that morning though, didn't think about how it looked with my outfit. I always pick spots for their shade, I admire the bloggers that drive around looking for the perfect locations to match their outfits! It's too sunny to use my normal spot over summer, so I'm finding the shade where I can.
A multi coloured printed piece like this leaf print tank makes creating outfits easy. You can change up the way you wear it each time by picking clothing that matches different colours out of the print. Picking a colour out of a printed piece is a good way to pick an accessory too if you're unsure what would go best and you don't want something other than a neutral piece.
I love my soft printed shorts. They make summer dressing easy, particularly for a summer that's as hot as this one is. Take a pair of printed shorts, a similarly coloured top and you have an easy monochrome outfit that's perfect for beating the summer heat.
Even though I ended up 'redoing' one of the outfits a few days later as I didn't like the accessories!
Wore this for the longest drive I've ever done, a roadtrip to see my friend who had recently moved to Kilcoy. It's about an hour and a half from Brisbane, and there was roadworks so it took longer than expected. She told me it was an hour and a half and yet google suggested it had a shorter route, so I wasn't too worried when we set off slightly later than intended. I quickly realised Google was wrong when we hit our first patch of traffic! Thankfully my sweet friend let me stay a little longer so that the whole day wasn't taken up by driving, and our kids got some time to play together.
With the navy tank, printed shorts and Regan satchel bag I added the purple teething necklace to add just a little extra colour and stop my outfit being too monochromatic. While the tank and printed shorts are different shades of blue, I really liked this outfit. It was wonderful catching up with my friend too. The kids had a great time together, and it was nice to see them all before their sibling arrived (her due date was the very next day, but baby stayed in a little longer!).
No, you're not seeing double. I really did wear the top and shorts together twice. The first time I wore it, I wasn't sure on the shoes. I picked the ballet flats because it was a wet day and these ones are closed in and have rubber soles, good for the rain. But when I looked at the photos after I took them, I hated the shoes with the outfit. I was only working from home that day, with the daycare pickup and drop off, so I resolved to try the tee and shorts together again on Friday, but with different accessories.
I much preferred the studded sandals with the shorts, and as it was my day off I spent the morning at my ABA mother's group before going out for lunch and some shopping with my sister. So I prefered the days activities too, much nicer than working, ha!
Thought I'd include both very similar outfits to show you that if you're not enjoying an outfit, maybe all you need to do is change up the accessories! I really liked the colourblock tee with these shorts, the pink panel on the back added such a nice touch with the black shorts and I'll probably wear this combination again, with different accessories again.
Continuing the feeling of being so behind with blogging, two more maxi dress outfits I wore before Christmas! I actually ended up wearing these both on the same day - one during the day for my local ABA Christmas party, and the other in the evening for my office Christmas party.
As you can tell, my office Christmas party had a theme, ha! I'd been looking forward to the party this year. Last December I was on maternity leave, and although my boss invited me to the Christmas party it was when I was in hospital with Baby Boy so I had to turn it down.
It was a bittersweet night. It was wonderful catching up with colleagues outside of work, especially those that have moved teams while was on leave and I no longer get to work closely with. I loved getting to have a good chat again! However it was so sad too as inevitably discussion turned to last year's party, which I missed because of the hospital stay. Made me really miss my boys, and I couldn't wait to get home to them.
There was one funny moment where a colleague said I should have come along to the party last year anyway, and I had to explain that as I was Baby Boy's food source (breastfeeding) I couldn't leave him. While this beautiful pink maxi dress is a nursing dress, we don't need that feature now. Worked perfectly with the floral lei to tie in with the party theme, and I even wore my frangipani necklace (and a few other ones).
This vintage Chanel bag is one of my treasured pieces, and the cross body strap came in handy to allow me to hold food and drinks. I even wore wedges for a bit of extra height (although I regretted it a little when I got home, so used to flats now!).
This was what I wore during the day - we had our local Australian Breastfeeding Association Christmas party, where we play a sneaky secret santa. Everyone brings a gift under $10, we all draw a number, then the person with number 1 unwraps a gift. The next person can pick another gift to unwrap, or steal the first one. Lots of people involved their toddlers and asked their opinion so they got in on the game too, so much fun. Toddler T had a great time! We enjoyed making the brownies with the kit we won too.
As expected though, all the time with toddlers and yummy morning tea and presents everywhere, my dress looked a little worse for wear so I was glad I'd planned a different dress to wear in the evening!
This was the perfect Christmas party outfit though, dressy but casual at the same time. Maxi dresses work for so many dress codes! Last year I went in shorts and tee, anything goes really. I did feel a little over dressed for my afternoon dentist appointment, with the embellished dress and bag strap, but my dentist ended up complimenting me on it so at least it made her smile! :)
Maxi dresses are a great option for a busy mum - they are grab and go outfits! You can accessorise them with layers of delicate necklaces, or stick with a practical teething necklace for time with toddlers. Quilted bags look great with them, and a cross body option allows you to go hands free. Maxi dresses work for many different dress codes as they can be as formal or casual as you want. Nice to wear in the summer heat too.
A good fail-safe wardrobe option for me is a grey tee. With all of the printed pieces in my wardrobe, grey tees are staple pieces I can always pull out when I'm not sure what to wear with something. With brightly coloured printed maxi skirts like the ones I'm wearing before, a grey tee is a simple choice.
I realised I hadn't worn this grey tee for a while and decided to give it a last wear. When I'm not sure about something in my wardrobe or it's been so long between wears, 'the last wear' lets me find out if I still love something and it deserves to stay, or if it needs to leave my wardrobe. I had such mixed opinions about this when I wore it though! Wasn't too happy with it in the photos, but it is so soft, comfortable and I felt great in it all day. It's staying in my wardrobe for now.
I want to try it with something other than this maxi skirt - as I've mentioned before it's a slightly too long thrift find that I just roll up and wear higher on my waist so it's a lot of bulk together with a slouchy tee. I will need to get this skirt tailored, I'm sure it's a keeper now!
Wore this to run a few errands with the boys. I've worn yellow and red together before, and again I really liked the combination. I think the mustard yellow micro Regan bag works nicely with the bright red of the maxi skirt.
Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl Bikini: Kiargo 'Captains Bridge' striped bikini Skirt: thrifted tribal print maxi skirt Shoes: slim gold Havaianas Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull
Why I wore it:
Wore this for a much-needed relaxing beach day the week before Christmas. My first weekend after finishing up at work for the Christmas break, so some sun was just what was needed. I'd attempted no-heat curls the night before by plaiting my hair, but as you might have seen on Insta stories it didn't work too well! I ended up throwing my very frizzy and not at all curly hair up into a messy bun and hiding it under my sun hat at the beach. I got the chance to try out my new Tesalate towel at the beach too! They kindly sent me one, the 'this is love' towel.
Tesalate towels are 'sand free', and I was surprised to find that this claim is actually true! I tried to take a video showing how easy it was to flick the sand off the towel, but with my hands full with two toddlers it didn't happen. Trust me, it is sand free. No sand sticks to it, even wet sand. It washed well too.
The only downside is that after we went to the kid's water play area and sat down on the grass to dry off, it accumulated a few leaves on the underside of the towel. So it's good for not taking a bunch of sand home with you, but watch out for leaves and twigs!
I picked the grey tee to wear as I wanted something easy to throw on over my bikini, it was perfect. And my Louis Vuitton neverfull is frequently selected as my beach bag. It's nice to have a big bag to throw everything in when it doesn't fit in the baby bag which is filled with all the usual things plus towels for everyone! (That's another bonus of the Tesalate towel, it folds up so small!).
If you have a printed skirt you're not sure what to pair it with, try a grey tee. It's a classic neutral that goes with everything. Perfect for a casual relaxed day at the beach, or a busy morning running errands.