Corporate Style: Colourful With French Connection Printed Dresses and Scarves

After I finished doing the two instagram style challenges at once, I was looking forward to not dressing for a theme. I wanted to wear some of my office wear that I hadn't worn in a long time, my printed French Connection dresses. The weather was a little cooler, so I layered up and added some scarves.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dixie collarless jacket

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina
Dress: French Connection 'Fast Rhonda' dress in black/caramel
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

I had decided in advance I wanted to wear this dress again, but as it's gotten a little cooler since then I had to add some layers. I thought that the print mixing with the dress and the blazer was a bit different, but looked okay, so I laid this out to wear the next day. As I woke up a little under the weather and I wanted to be cosy, at the last minute I added a scarf. Went with this plain one as I thought it was a nice colour with the orange in the dress, and I didn't want to add a third print to the mix.

I have three of these Cotton On pashminas. (Cotton On had them for $5 with any purchase for a while). I have a white one, a fuchsia pink one and this turquoise one. I can find the last time I wore the white one and the pink one, but not the last time I wore this one. I wonder if I really haven't worn it in the 3 years I've been blogging, or if I just tagged it incorrectly so I can't find it in my archives! No real reason why I haven't worn it more often, it's a great colour and being a nice basic scarf it will work with a lot of prints. I re-discovered it during my wardrobe detox, expect to see it again!

I've had this dress for years, even before the blog. It's been a year and a half since I last wore it though! It's definitely one of those office-only pieces in my wardrobe, and with it being so slim fitting I didn't get a chance to wear it during my pregnancy. I worried it showed off the developing baby bump in the first trimester, and by the second trimester, when I had stopped hiding the pregnancy at work, I couldn't even zip it up. It's good to be back wearing it again now, even if it does fit a little snugger around my belly than it did pre-baby ;)


Last worn: tweed blazer, French Connection sheath dress, orange wool jumper, Acne Pistol boots, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM bag. First time I've worn this scarf on the blog.

Other ways to wear: tweed blazer with printed top for travel, dark floral print dress in summer, pistol boots with denim shorts, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM with wrap dresses and a baby bump.

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What I wore:

Scarf: Nali feather print pashmina scarf

Jumper: vintage David Jones orange wool knit jumper from AWLQ vintage sale
Dress: French Connection 'Woodblock wonder' panache dress in white/geranium rose
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

This printed dress isn't as snug a fit as the one above, so I did get away with wearing it to the office in the first trimester, using the print to distract from the tiny little baby bump. I didn't wear this dress on my maternity leave either, I like this dress and it's definitely more forgiving than the one above, I could have fit into it earlier, but I'm happy to have it as an office-only piece as well.

Again, I had made up my mind that I wanted to wear this dress before I got sick. I was determined to still make it work though! I've worn this dress with a jumper over the top before, so thought that was the best way to go to keep my chest warm, instead of adding a coat and having to fiddle with lots of buttons. I added the scarf as yet another layer as I was beginning to lose my voice and wanted to keep my neck warm.

Beth pointed out on instagram that it was a very Queensland look - layered up on top but bare legs! I didn't think it was that cold in the morning to need to cover up my legs, but by the end of the day I was wishing I'd worn tights or pants. It was really chilly in the evening on the way home from work, as the stormy and wet weather started to set in.


Last worn: feather print pashmina, orange wool jumper, French Connection orange print dress, nude patent heels, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag (above).

Other ways to wear: feather print pashmina with polka dot dress, wool jumper with skinny jeans, orange print dress in summer, nude heels with a monochrome blue outfit, grey handbag with a neutral outfit in the third trimester.

Linking up with Whatcha Wearing, What I Wore, WIW, Style Me Weekly, Get Your Pretty On, Oh Hey Girl, Trendy Wednesday, The Wednesday Pants, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Look What I Got, What I Wore to Work, Fun Fashion Friday today.

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Rebecca Minkoff Aquamarine Mini MAC Bag: Maxi Dress for Dinner, Denim Shorts for Errands

Two more outfits accessorised with my Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag in aquamarine. And a special giveaway for my US readers! I wear this bag a lot, it's my go-to for weekends when I want to add some colour to an outfit, and it looks good with everything, from a maxi dress to denim shorts. While I do have a lot of scarves, and after my last handbag clearout on ebay I have more scarves than handbags, I think handbags are the best accessory to invest in. If you take good care of them, they can last years. I bought this bag back in 2012, and while it doesn't look as pristine as it did then it's still looking really good! Definitely a wise purchase.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers

Necklace: Roie Designs pearl and antique gold long necklace layered with Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel
Dress: Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
Shoes: Asos 'five star' leather sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC with python embossed leather in aquamarine

Why I wore it:

I used this outfit as the one I posted to Instagram for the 'I'm loving this look' prompt for the Fox Pack Style Dare outfit challenge, even though I'd worn it the weekend before the challenge started. The day of the challenge was a much needed stay at home looking after baby in pyjamas day. I still have pyjama days.
Hard to believe I once thought about getting rid of this dress! I was a bit happier to let things go from my wardrobe when I was pregnant though, I had to turn my walk in wardrobe room into baby's nursery so a big downsize was needed! Glad I kept it, it really is insanely comfortable. And I like it with this mini MAC bag, have worn that combination before.

This dress was good for a quiet day at home with DH, and then a family birthday BBQ in the evening. I wasn't sure what necklace to wear with this, and was trying a few on when I realised these two looked pretty good layered together! :) Baby T wasn't too grabby either so I managed to keep them on the whole day.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, tie dye maxi dress, Asos leather sandals, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: maxi dress on Christmas day, pink sandals with a red bag, aqua bag with a navy tunic dress.

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What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers

Scarf: Jeanswest tri-colour dip dye scarf
Tee: French Connection oversized khaki green tee
Shorts: Jeanswest black denim cuff shorts
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC with python embossed leather in aquamarine

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was 'khaki', so I wore my khaki tee. I don't really have a lot of this colour (or any greens) in my wardrobe. I've mostly wear this tee with blue denim, so thought I'd be a little different and wear it with my black denim shorts instead. I thought the scarf added a nice bit of colour, along with the mini MAC bag.

The pairing of the scarf and tee together is actually something that the personal stylist came up with during my wardrobe detox. I think it works really well! :) Certainly was a hit on Instagram with the other people participating in the style challenge.


Last worn: khaki tee, dip dye scarf, denim shorts, Converse, mini MAC bag (above).

Other ways to wear: ombre scarf with trench in winter, khaki tee with skinny jeans, aqua bag with a colourful printed tee dress.

As promised, I am hosting a special giveaway for US readers! Unfortunately it is US only at this time, apologies to my Aussie and international readers. I had the chance to share it with you all and thought I would even if it don't apply to everyone. It's a chance to win a Microsoft Surface tablet, thanks to the Mom's Affiliate network that I am a part of.


Note that this giveaway is only hosted on my blog, it is administered and run via Moms Affiliate. I have no input into the competition, other than providing you with a chance to enter. Details are on the post here, or you can fill in the entry form below. Good luck!


Linking up with Styled Up, Let It Shine, Shoe & Tell, Style to Inspire, Mix It Monday, Celebrate Southern, More Pieces of Me, Daily Express, Real Mom Style, Reasons To Dress, Turning Heads Tuesday, Style Sessions, What I Wore, Spotlight Weekly today.

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Corporate Style: Colourful Office Wear with Mulberry Alexa Bag

After my awesome wardrobe detox session with a personal stylist, I've been looking at my wardrobe differently. It's given me some more outfit ideas for old favourites, and a reason to re-wear some pieces that haven't been worn in a while. It's definitely generated a lot of inspiration for me with my wardrobe! Below are two outfits where I tried different things for my office wear. Quite colourful too with the pinks and blues and my lilac Mulberry Alexa bag.

What I wore:

Cardigan: Jeanswest black cardi

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: Asos satin singlet in pink
Skirt: French Connection 'Abby' twisted skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Bolla' black bow detail flats
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Mulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey

Why I wore it:

I had wanted to wear this pretty skirt to the office again, after last time I wore it when I was finding it tricky to wear casually outside of the office. Pencil skirts are not the most practical or comfortable choice for life at home with baby! Good for the office though. I wasn't sure what to wear it with when I saw the tank and remembered that when Maudie did my wardrobe detox, she loved this top. And I do too! I've always wanted to find more like it, but have never had any luck. It's something that's been on my wishlist for a while, I keep looking for similar pieces. So easy to dress up or dress down, it goes with everything. And even hides a second trimester baby bump!

Kept the outfit simple and comfortable with flats - the skirt is quite clingy so I wasn't comfortable adding heels into the mix. Good for a fairly meeting-free day in the office.


Last worn: black cardigan, pink satin singlet, French Connection stripe skirt, black flats, Mulberry Alexa bag.

Other ways to wear: black cardigan with a printed top, pink singlet hiding a second trimester baby bump in the office, striped skirt for second trimester office wear, black flats with a black maxi dress, foggy grey Mulberry Alexa with a black outfit.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket (new purchase)

Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: French Connection blue Paisley print dress
Boots: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bag: Mulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey

Why I wore it:

This dress was something I was thinking about donating, but I wasn't completely sure. It was one of my first dress purchases specifically for the office, back when I had just started my current job. Lots of fond memories. During my wardrobe detox Maudie wasn't overly impressed with the dress on me, but we spoke about it for a while and now I have a few different ideas for how to wear it. I won't let it leave my wardrobe just yet, although it definitely will be leaving at some point.

Was a little on the fence with this outfit though! I wanted to wear my new jacket and I tried on a few ideas in front of the mirror the night before, wasn't sure about the textured jacket with the printed dress...maybe a little too busy. In the end I couldn't make up my mind and decided I should just give the combination a go. I always tend to think my first few autumn layering outfits look a little off, takes me a while to get back into the layering mindset after the hot and humid Brisbane summers! Fashion is all about fun anyway, and it doesn't really matter if the outfits work or don't work I still get a chance to try again the next day! :)

One thing I did notice fairly quickly is that this jacket is not as ideal for the office as I hoped it would be. It's got zipper details on the sleeves, which are cute, but the zipper pulls are not the best when typing at a keyboard! So much noise...had to take the jacket off while I was at my desk. Something I hadn't thought about when I bought it! I like the mix of gold and silver thread through it though. Hoping the weather continues to cool so I can wear it more often.



Last worn: Paisley print sheath dress, Acne Pistol boots, Mulberry Alexa (above). First time I've worn the boucle jacket.

Other ways to wear: blue paisley print dress with pink accessories, Mulberry foggy grey Alexa with lilac and grey outfit.

Linking up with WIW, Because Shanna Said So, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Get Your Pretty On, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Wednesday, Trendy Wednesday, The Wednesday Pants, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Spotlight Weekly, Fun Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites today.

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Blush Pink Boyfriend Blazer. With Striped Tank and Shorts, LBD and Heels for the Office

As part of my shopping in March, I crossed an item off my want list, a pastel pink blazer! I was really excited to find one at a good price in the outlets, and excited to wear it. I'm worried it was a case of something looking great in the change room and not working when you get it home as neither of these outfits are really striking me as great outfits...sharing them anyway.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer (new purchase)

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: AT By Atmos&Here Orion stripe tank
Shorts: Jeanswest printed denim shorts
Shoes: Asos 'five star' leather sandals
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)

Why I wore it:

I was excited for a slightly cooler day so I could wear my new blazer! I really wanted to wear this with jeans but despite the rain it was extremely humid, so shorts it was.

Thought this dressed up a shorts and tank outfit nicely, although it does look a little odd in the photos. I think it's the length of the shorts and the blazer not working well together. We went out for lunch and a little bit of shopping.


Last worn: stripe tank, printed shorts, leather sandals, Louis Vuitton Speedy bandouliere. First time I've worn the blazer.

Other ways to wear: striped tank and paisley print skirt, printed shorts in summer, sandals with dresses, speedy bandouliere with skirts.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer (new purchase)

Scarf: Paris print silk scarf
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: French Connection fitted little black dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

Firstly, let me say that I know this outfit would have looked better without a headband. With running late, only having a few hours sleep, having a bad hair day and not having hair long enough to tie back, I had to go for a quick fix and settled on the scarf. Probably looked a little out of place in the office. I had one colleague tell me I "looked very 1930s". I just said thanks and that I'd take it as a compliment! It had been a tough night with an unsettled baby so I was more impressed I made it to work on time and less worried about the overall outfit.

Last time I wore this dress I was using the cut to disguise what I thought was a very visible first trimester baby bump. It has a little gathered section under the fitted waistband that's quite flattering and hides a slightly protruding belly! Works post-baby too ;)


I'm trying to review all my new purchases on the blog, to encourage myself to style things differently when I buy them and think about how they will work in my wardrobe, to make sure I'm not buying things that will just sit in my wardrobe unworn and adding to my overflowing closet. You can read more about why I'm doing this here.


As it's the second time I've worn this blazer, my purchase review:

This blazer is something I've been wanting for a while! It's a cute dusty pastel pink, and after seeing all the northern hemisphere bloggers with their pastel pink coats for winter I thought I'd buy into the trend for autumn. Don't really need a wool coat in Brisbane, a blazer will do. When I tried it on in store I tried it with a pair of skinny jeans and thought it looked good. A little creased and crumpled, but I reasoned that as it was spring stock it was bound to get a little creased from being in the outlet a few months. After wearing it once above, I quickly realised it was the material itself - it creases so easy. And dry clean only is not ideal for life with baby! Pastel pink is not the best colour on me (I now know after my personal stylist session), and the long-line boyfriend style length is not great on a petite frame.

However, I'm keeping this jacket. I really want to make it work! Even if I do have to iron it constantly, and neither of these are my favourite outfits. I know that when the cooler weather eventually comes to Brisbane (still in shorts in Autumn!) I will be able to wear it with jeans. And I could try belting it too, and wearing it with brighter scarves and tops to balance out the paler blazer. What do you think? How else would you style this blazer? Or should I just cut my losses and admit I was too overexcited by finding a pastel pink blazer to consider how it really looks on me?


Last worn: pastel blazer (above), French Connection LBD, black heels, Balenciaga Part Time.

Other ways to wear: black headscarf with black maxi dress, belted cardi over a LBD, ankle strap heels for a night out, black bag with grey outfits.

Linking up with Styled Up, Let It Shine, Style to Inspire, Mix It Mondays, Manic Mondays, Real Mom Style, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, What I Wore, Wardrobe Wednesday today.

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Corporate Style: Prints in the Office. Floral Cami and Pencil Skirt, Polka Dot Dress. Balenciaga Part Time

Back to regular outfit posts! Two more outfits I wore to the office. Both involving lots of black as it had been a tough week with baby T and I wanted simple, easy outfits.

What I wore:

Cardigan: Jeanswest black cardi

Necklace: Dogeared silver wishbone necklace (on sale!) layered with Dogeared 3 Wishes stardust bead necklace
Cami: Atmos&Here 'Isla' ruffle cami in floral print
Skirt: Asos tailored tab front pencil skirt in grey
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

This is what I wore on Saint Patrick's day. (Yep, I'm 2 weeks behind with posting what I wore!) I wanted to wear something with a little bit of green in it, as sometimes the office can get really into holidays. I didn't want to go overboard though, so I thought this printed top with the little bits of green worked nicely. I saw lots of people dressed up in very green outfits when I was walking through the city during the day, but sadly there wasn't a lot of green in the office. I was pleased I hadn't pulled together an overly green outfit! Went with all black accessories as that was easiest, and because I needed a cardi to cover the spaghetti straps of the cami for the office.

I've been participating now and then in the #RediscoverYourWardrobe instagram tag. This outfit was another one that met the challenge as last time I wore this cardigan was over two years ago! I wore it with black and white and some red accessories last time, it was a little more colourful this time around with the printed top. This skirt is another wardrobe oldie, last worn when I was 21 weeks pregnant and still hiding the baby bump in the office.

I was debating if I should keep these heels or not. They are very tall, but actually very comfortable despite the height. I wondered if the style was a bit dated though. I got these shoes in 2013 and while they are black, they aren't exactly a classic timeless style. I was scrolling through my instagram feed that day and saw an extremely similar pair being featured as a new style arriving at a store I follow, so I'm not worried any more. They will stay in my wardrobe!


Last worn: black cardigan, Atmos&Here cami, grey pencil skirt, black heels, Balenciaga Part Time.

Other ways to wear: black cardi with a neutral outfit, printed cami and colour blocked maxi skirt, grey pencil skirt worn with blue, Balenciaga black part time with monochrome outfits (and a baby belly!).

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What I wore:

Dress: French Connection spotty cotton dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bolla' black bow detail flats
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

This dress is another oldie! I last wore it in 2013, back when I was exhausted as I was suffering from really bad morning sickness. I wore it then as I was tired and wanted something to nice and easy to wear to the office. Tiredness is the reason I picked it again this time, although I was tired because I was sleep deprived with baby T and hadn't had time to pick out an outfit the evening before like I usually do. LBD, black accessories and I was done, off to work. Easy :) Although running late meant I didn't notice the messy hair, or have time to fix it before photos, ha!


Last worn: French Connection LBD, black ballet flats, Balenciaga part time (above).

Other ways to wear: polka dot dress with pink accessories, black Balenciaga with a pink outfit.

Linking up with I Feel Pretty, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Spotlight Weekly, What I Wore to Work, Fun Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Skirtista Diaries today.

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March Update and What I Learnt From a Wardrobe Detox

Thought I'd break with the standard outfit posts template to share my March wardrobe update. I made some purchases this month, and I got rid of a lot of things from my wardrobe. I even listed some on ebay! Also had my first session with a personal stylist, so I wanted to share what that was like with you all.

What I bought in March:

Emerson red skinny jeans (already worn here)
Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe

Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (already worn here)
Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer
Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Not bad considering the last time I bought clothes for myself was in December! You can tell I had a few Jeanswest gift cards to spend ;)

March was the month I returned to the office after maternity leave. As I did so, I got all of my old office clothes out of the 'for after baby' box they had been hiding in and - honestly - started to get quite frustrated that I didn't really have any space for those things in my wardrobe. The slow and steady wardrobe clear-out process got a bit more focused and ruthless over the month. There are so many considerations and emotions around going back to work, and tackling my wardrobe at such a time was probably not the best idea in hindsight. I was just getting more frustrated trying to turn my wardrobe into something that would work for my new lifestyle. So I called in the professionals! One of my instagram friends (@sophisticatedmumma) recommended a personal stylist who lived near me (@istyl). I've been thinking about having someone help me with my wardrobe for a while, and facing a big lifestyle change with returning to work after maternity leave seemed like an ideal time to get an expert!

If you are thinking about getting a personal stylist to come help you with your wardrobe, do it! If you're wondering, I always disclose my sponsored posts. This is not one of them. This is all my own words and I paid for the services with my own money. I didn't even mention that I was going to blog about it. The wardrobe detox was not as stressful as I expected, and was actually really fun. It helped that baby T and Cooper were on their best behaviour and that Maudie was happy working around baby and his needs through the day. She was a superstar.

What I learnt from my wardrobe detox:

• Babies never nap as long as you expect them too!
• You will be trying on lots of clothes so you want to dress appropriately (maybe matching undies) or set up a little hidden spot to change if you're feeling modest. Dancing around the room half naked asking for a little help struggling to pull off a pair of stubborn skinny jeans / needing to fix a zipper caught halfway up a dress might happen more than once.

• There are certain colours you can wear that can make you look incredible, and some that wash you out.

• If your wardrobe is full of colours that don't make you look your best, there are a few tricks you can employ to get around this. It isn't about buying a whole new wardrobe, but learning how to make what you have work for you.

• You'll never really comprehend how much stuff is in your wardrobe until you start going through it all.
• It is extremely frustrating realising just how many 'perfect for nursing' tops you had hidden in your wardrobe, after you've stopped breastfeeding.

• You will come up with the craziest justifications to explain oddities in your wardrobe. (Like why each and every one of your 14 grey tees is a complete essential and different from all the rest.) Thanks for humouring me Maudie!

• A wardrobe detox is very emotional. Saying goodbye to old pieces, and re-discovering old favourites. You might feel compelled to tell stories of when, where, and why you bought things. It's a trip down memory lane.

• Even you will be surprised with how stubborn you can be on keeping some pieces....and how happy you will be to toss others.

• If there are things you just have to have despite the expert opinion saying it doesn't work for you, you can get ideas of different ways to style the items to make them work a little better.

• Even an overflowing wardrobe can have 'gaps' in it.  It is really helpful to know what things you should look for next time you are shopping, and what you should avoid buying more of. (Like jeans!)

• Sorting things into piles of 'keep', 'tailor' and 'toss' is so much easier with an impartial third party helping.

• It's never about you. You look amazing. Your clothes might not be working to show off your best self. And that can be easily fixed.

• Hearing sincere and flattering compliments is always a good boost, especially after having a baby.
• Some things you might be considering getting rid of can stay and become stand out pieces in your wardrobe very quickly when you know how to wear them.
• Finding out why things make you look and feel good will help guide your shopping for the better.
• A few hours, a bin bag full of cast-offs and a little bit of wardrobe reorganisation can make such a positive difference.

If you're in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast I'd recommend Maudie as an awesome personal stylist. If a wardrobe detox isn't in your budget, try inviting a friend over and getting an honest opinion on some of the things you own. It's so helpful getting another view. I know some bloggers have check lists or flowcharts or things to help you do your own wardrobe detox too. Please feel free to link up any great advice you have or have come across in the comments.

As a result of my little spring-cleaning before my wardrobe session and a very productive couple of hours during it...there are a bunch of things that have left my wardrobe this month. I've included pictures of just some of them below, as they didn't all have a 'last wear' outside. You can find a few things on ebay. I'll be listing more as I find the time, and the rest will be donated to the Animal Welfare League shelter to end up in their op-shops.

Stripes, Skirts and Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere Bag in Damier Ebene

First up, have you shopped the Shopbop sale yet?!

15% off orders of $250+

20% off orders of $500+

25% off orders of $1000+

Just use code 'BIGEVENT15' at checkout.

It's been a while since my last style challenges, so when Vanessa posted her Style and Shenanigans Colour challenge, I was eager to give it a go again. I've posted my thoughts about style challenges before and I think they can be a good way to help me wear more of my wardrobe and not just go for the same pieces all the time. It was a short challenge, just 5 days long. Below are two of the looks.


Here's what I wore to spend the day with my mum:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Singlet: Jeanswest peach ruffle cami
Skirt: AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)


The challenge for the day was 'pastel central'. I thought this peach cami was perfect. I really like pairing cami tops and maxi skirts together, I've done it a few times now, nice and cool for summer. I am still so incredibly lucky my sister didn't want this top any more - a great piece for me I picked up in one of her wardrobe clear outs! Every now and then when we get the urge to clean our wardrobes we will let each other comb through the bags before taking them off to be donated. I've got some lovely pieces that way, and it has to be said I've got a few of my old clothes back that way as well, hehe!

I really liked this outfit - the only thing I didn't like was how the top slid up and bunched around my waist through the day, looked odd as the skirt is quite fitted around the waist. I'd maybe try belt it next time to see if that helps to keep it in place.


Last worn: Ray-Ban wayfarers, peach cami, striped maxi skirt, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton Speedy bandouliere.

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Here's what I wore to visit the doctors:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers
Tank: Glassons striped tank in black and white
Skirt: French Connection green and black printed skirt
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)


The challenge was 'jewel tones' like emerald green, so this green skirt was ideal! I tried to wear it a little differently and try a bit of print mixing, but I think it's too much. Maybe if I'd worn a plain bag with it it would have looked better. I just always wear this skirt with a plain black top, wanted to try something a little different. Seemed like a nice idea in the morning when I was getting dressed, but after looking at the photos I didn't really like how the outfit looked. Although people were encouraging on instagram, it's not one of my favourite outfits.

I haven't worn this skirt often. In the 3 years I've had the blog...this is only it's fifth wear. 1, 2, 3, 4 and now. To be fair, it is a fixed waist skirt that was impossible to wear during pregnancy. It's one of the pieces I bought back when I was starting out with my corporate wardrobe, and I wore it a lot. But over the years I started buying and wearing pencil skirts more, and it's just been neglected.

There is nothing wrong with the skirt - it's pretty, it gets compliments, it's good for my business casual office as well as days off...but I think it's time for it to leave my wardrobe. If I do want to wear a pleated printed skirt, I still have this one. I don't need two similar pieces that aren't worn often! I'm a little more adventurous with the other skirt too, I find yellow and black easier to wear than green and black. I don't just pick a black top to wear with it all the time!

Leaving my Wardrobe: French Connection Green and Black Printed Skirt

(Pics all the way back to 2008 before my blogging days, for your amusement! I really did like wearing this skirt with a plain black top...)


Last worn: wayfarer sunglasses (above), striped tank, printed skirt, Havaianas (above), LV Speedy B(above).

Linking up with What I Wore, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Wednesday, Trendy Wednesday, Spotlight Weekly, Fun Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Skirtista Diaries, Modest Monday today.

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