Shein White Crochet Trim Kimono, Monochrome Printed Shorts Outfits

A while back Shein asked me to pick a few pieces for another collaboration. I picked out a navy swing dress as well as this white crochet trim kimono. I love my printed kimono collection, but wanted something a little more plain to pair with some of my printed shorts for summer.

What I wore:

Jacket: Shein lace trimmed crochet inset white kimono C/O

Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
Tank: Cotton On 'eternity' tank in charcoal marle
Shorts: Jeanswest Parker printed shirred short
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bracelets: the usual Lovisa rose gold beaded bracelet stack
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

This was supposed to be a quiet day at home with the boys, but ended up with us getting their grandparents to babysit at the last moment as I had to go into the city with hubby in the morning. I am so very thankful that we live nearby to our parents, they help us so much.

I took the chance to wear a proper necklace instead of a teething one for a change! The rose gold heart matches nicely to my rose gold bracelet stack. The first time I wore these shorts I paired them with a bright tank, but when I bought them I was thinking about wearing them with greys for a monochromatic kind of outfit. I've worn the shorts with grey tees before, but I really liked this fitted grey tank. Even if it took me a while to accept my post baby bulge in tight clothes at first!

First time I've worn this kimono, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it. As mentioned above, it came free from Shein. It actually arrived super quickly via courier, which I wasn't expecting. It did however arrive completely crushed, as expected! Nothing a quick wash and couldn't sort out. This kimono is an air-dry only one, no ironing needed, which is a bonus. Threw it in the washing machine and left it to air dry.

In terms of quality, it had a couple of loose threads I had to cut before I wore it, but no more have appeared since, even after the wash. I like the crochet detail, it was quite popular on Instagram too. The pretty detail on the back is definitely the best thing about it, I don't have any kimonos like that. Even with the detail on the back and the crochet trim, it's so easy to wear as it's a neutral white that goes with everything. Great if you have printed shorts like these that might be tricky to pair with printed kimonos. Pleased to have added it to my summer wardrobe.


Last worn: grey tank, Parker printed shorts, studded sandals, Louis Vuitton neverfull. First time I've worn the kimono as it's a new arrival.

Other ways to wear: grey tank and Paisley skirt, Parker printed shorts and turquoise tank, studded sandals and little black dress, Louis Vuitton neverfull at the beach.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey tank in third trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Louis Vuitton neverfull at 38 weeks.

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Printed Shorts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Shein lace trimmed crochet inset white kimono C/O
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tank: Kmart navy ribbed tank
Shorts: Jeanswest 'Scarlette' printed shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

Squinting like crazy in these pics! I'd gotten excited when the sun was behind a cloud, setup the camera and tripod and then just as I went to take the pics the sun popped out again, ha!

As the previous day (above) hadn't gone according to plan, we fitted more Christmas fun into this day. We spend the morning in the pool as it was so hot, and then baked some Christmas tree brownies in the afternoon, before taking a walk around the local Christmas lights in the evening. It feels strange to be writing about Christmas so close to the end of January, but I've been so behind with blogging pics!

I've worn the navy tank and printed shorts together before, it's a combination I really like. With the white in the print on the shorts I thought the white kimono was a good layer to tie it all together really nicely.


Last worn: crochet trim kimono (above), navy tank, printed shorts, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wear: navy tank and yellow accessories, printed shorts and floral kimono, Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap and red and Green Christmas outfit, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in second trimester.

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White Kimonos Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A kimono is a fun light layer to add to summer outfits, to get the benefits of a complete piece on your outfit without overheating. If you have a lot of printed pieces in your wardrobe, consider a block colour kimono in a neutral shade like this white one. It doesn't have to be boring though, even with a neutral colour you can get fun details like lace, crochet or tseels to add a little more interest to your kimono and outfit.



Did You Know: I have a YouTube Channel! Full of pregnancy style ideas, handbag reviews and ways to wear inspo, along with a lot of what's in my bag videos: Away From The Blue YouTube.


Linking up with Oh Hey Girl, Style on the Daily, What I Wore, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Weekend Wear, Flashback Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Passion for Fashion.

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Print Mixing: Floral Kimono With Stripes and Polka Dots Foil Print Tees

I love this floral kimono, and I've been wearing it a little more than usual lately to meet a challenge I set myself at the start of the year to wear more pieces in my wardrobe 30 times.

As I recently got two new foil print tees, I took the chance to wear it with them for a little bit of print mixing: floral with stripes and polka dots. It helped me hit 30 wears of the kimono too!

What I wore:

Jacket: Somedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
Tee: Jeanswest Anika foil stripe tee in white and silver
Shorts: Jeanswest Sara distressed hot short
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey

Why I wore it:

I've worn this floral kimono with stripes before - stripes are my go-to for print mixing as they really go with everything! When I got this striped tee in the Jeanswest sale I knew I'd wear it with this kimono, i think the grey of the kimono and the silver foil stripes go together nicely. With the busy print mixing on top, I stuck with a neutral pair of shorts on the bottom - another Jeanswest sale purchase! I continued on the grey and silver theme with the grey Rebecca Minkoff love bag with silver hardware. I really liked how this outfit came together, perfect for a quiet Saturday running a few errands.


Last worn: floral kimono, black denim shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag. First time I've worn the striped tee on the blog as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: floral kimono worn 30 ways, stripe tee, black denim shorts and burgundy tee, studded sandals and denim shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and boho dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: kimono and maxi skirt in second trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.

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Floral Kimonos Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Somedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Shorts: Jeanswest Sara distressed hot short
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold
Nails: OPI Fire Escape Rendezvous

Why I wore it:

Once again I'm realising I've worn this tee to my Australian Breastfeeding Association group - it gets worn there quite a lot, haha! I wore this to a topic I'd really been looking forward to - we had a first aid presentation from St John's ambulance. When Toddler T was little, I'd gone to a first aid course for babies and felt quite confident with everything baby first aid related.
A few months ago, when Baby Boy fell ill, everything went out the window and I panicked. I barely remembered what to do and had to ask the 000 operator to tell me each step to do as my mind was blank. Instinct kicked in and I did a few things but couldn't remember what to do next, it was scary. It wasn't until we were out of the ambulance and in the hospital when we were asked if we had done a first aid course that it all came flooding back to me, and I started remembering what we'd been taught.

I asked the presenter to cover the topic again for me and it was nice to know I'd done the right thing calling the ambulance. I picked up some other useful tips and advice from her too, that I hope I'll never have to put into practice!

Outfit-wise, I thought the polka dots and floral print was something very different for me. I don't have a lot of polka dot pieces in my wardrobe. Really liked this combo though - I think the gold foil polka dots on the tee work just as well with the floral kimono as the silver stripes on the tee above. And the mustard yellow micro Regan bag is a nice combination with the yellow on the kimono as well as the navy tee. I've worn this tee and bag together before.

I usually do a purchase review after wearing everything I buy twice. The goal is to learn what works and doesn't in my wardrobe, so I make wiser purchasing decisions in the future.

I love these shorts (even if this is the fourth wear, I forgot to do the review earlier). I already had a couple pairs of black shorts, but I got rid of them as I was worried they were too short. These are still short shorts, but slightly longer than the ones I had before, and still just as comfortable (perhaps even more so!). A classic pair of black shorts is essential for Brisbane summers, I'm really pleased I bought these, and thankful for the Christmas gift card I used to buy them!


Last worn: floral kimono (above), polka dot tee, black denim shorts (above), gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: floral kimono and chambray dress, polka dot tee and mustard cardigan, black denim shorts and a dress, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: floral kimono and maternity shorts.

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Foil Print Tees Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

You don't have to stick with neutral basic pieces when wearing colourful printed kimonos. Stripes and polka dots are fun to try print mixing with. If you're unsure, picking similarly coloured pieces like the silver stripes and grey kimono is a good way to go, and keeping it simple with just two prints and having the rest of your outfit plain makes it easy. The benefit of having one of your pieces being a printed kimono is that if you are unsure when leaving the house and later change your mind, you can easily take that layer off!


Linking up with Fabulous Friday, Fab Favourites, Trend Spin.


I hope that you have a very merry Christmas and enjoy spending time with your friends and family on Monday as we reflect on the greatest gift of all, God sending Jesus.

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Long Sleeve Dresses For Summer And Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere

Thanks to my friend who gave me the idea for this post! I take photos every day, and you can always see on Instagram what I'm wearing, but for my blog posts I like to try group my outfits together into a similar theme. When my friend told me she had to snap up a similar piece to my floral dress, I realised it would be a good theme for a post.

Both of the outfits below feature long sleeve dresses for summer. I've included where to find similar pieces under $50 too.

What I wore:

Dress: Zaful floral print ruffle hem dress in ginger
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

We had a planned day out at Seaworld, and it was supposed to be a warm day, but we woke up to it being cold and wet in Brisbane. I decided instead of sandals to wear my Converse to keep my feet warm. I regretted that decision when we got to Seaworld, it turned into a glorious sunny day! This dress is a loose, swing style so it's perfect for not overheating, but socks and shoes was a bit much for my feet! Very comfortable for a day walking around at Seaworld though.

The boys had a blast going on all the kids rides. Toddler T even went on his first roller coaster (after settling for the kid's coaster despite him asking many times to go on the big rides). It was so sweet to see him so excited - he dragged all of us on it with him and kept wanting to go on again and again.

It's the second time I've worn this dress, and I do a purchase review with everything after I wear it twice. My usual rule is to wear something twice in the month I buy it, but with this dress it took over a month to arrive and got here right at the end of October so there wasn't enough days left to wear it then! I did manage to squeeze in this second wear by November though. I'm just very behind with blogging.

When the dress arrived I was unsure if the quality was worth the $28.93 I paid for it given all of the threads it had coming off of it. It also arrived crushed, so I had to spend a while ironing it before I could wear it, and I hate ironing. The more I wore it though, the more it grew on me. And I was thrilled to find after that first wear that when you wash it and leave it to air dry (as I do with most of my clothes) it actually has a nice crinkled texture you can see here - no ironing required! This dress is definitely a winner, even if I will have to spend time cutting loose threads off as they appear! I'm looking forward to wearing this more over summer, and it will layer up beautifully in autumn and winter too.


Last worn: yellow floral dress, white Converse, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: yellow floral dress and aqua bag, Converse and maxi skirt, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere for travel.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse and maternity shorts, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and maternity pencil skirts.

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Long Sleeve Dresses for Summer Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Happiness Boutique turquoise and coral pendant necklace (C/O)
Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Shoes: Purple high top Converse look-a-likes
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

Not as fun of a day when I wore this, no theme park trip! I just did the daycare dropoff and pickup and worked from home in between. A nice comfortable dress like this was just what I needed.

I don't often wear this dress with the sleeves down like this - it has little tabs so I can roll up the sleeves and keep them in place and that's my preferred way to wear it. For something different though, I thought I'd leave the sleeves down.

Despite a dress being an easy and quick outfit option, I did spend a few minutes in the morning worrying about what necklace to wear. Tried on a few but none of them looked quite right so I settled on this one. A compliment from Ruth on Instagram made me happy as I hadn't been loving the combo, I was pleased to see someone liked it.


Last worn: navy printed tunic dress, purple high tops, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere (above).

Other ways to wear: navy dress and denim jacket, purple high tops and skinny jeans, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: tunic dress belted in third trimester, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and maternity denim.

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More Long Sleeve Dresses For Summer Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Long sleeves in summer has the benefit of extra sun protection, and if you pick light fabrics, they are still very breathable despite the heat. Cotton, viscose (the blue dress), rayon (the floral dress) or linen are good options. You can also roll the sleeves up too if you find them too warm. Light long sleeve dresses also work perfectly for bikini cover ups at the beach.

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Want a Long Sleeve Dress to Wear On Christmas Day?

There's still time to order and get your purchase before next week!

• If you're in the US, take advantage of Amazon's fast shipping with Amazon Prime.
• In the UK, ASOS has some super fast shipping options too.
• The Iconic has next day delivery to many Australian cities and some cute long sleeve dresses!

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Linking up with Style on The Daily, Fashion Frenzy, Oh Hey Girl, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear.

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Skinny Jeans, Printed Tops and Colourful Cardigans

Easy spring stay at home mum style for me has quickly become jeans, colourful cardigan and a fun bright bag. It's simple to pull together and I always feel confident in it. No matter how great you feel or think you look though, there are days of motherhood that are far from perfect.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Top: Jeanswest Florence print long line tank
Jeans: Nobody Denim Siren skinny super high-rise jeans in power black denim (C/O, on sale!)
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC (on sale, 25% off!)

Why I wore it:

Cooper was being so cute I had to include this pic on the blog! He was staring at me intently while I was trying to take outfit photos this morning for some reason. Adorable.

I loved this outfit. I had time to do my hair in the morning, and an incredible day planned out down the coast for a girly day of shopping (I still have lots of gift cards I'd planned to spend to celebrate the end of #6MonthsWithoutShopping). I wasn't sure if it would be warmer on the coast so took a cardigan, although I did take it off in the middle of the day. My tank ended up untucked too.

Sadly, the outfit was the only thing I loved about this day. This is the perfect example of photos never representing real life. I could talk about how much I liked the colour combo, it's simple and perfect SAHM style for a fun day of shopping....but nothing turned out how I expected. Just a reminder that no matter how great something looks online, you never know the full story!

Long story short, just before we went out shopping I had one of those slow-mo moments of motherhood where you see something happening but are too far away to stop it and time seems to slow down. Baby Boy fell face-first from a height onto his nose. Lots of screaming, tears and blood later we headed to the nearest doctors. More screaming during the x-rays, a half-hearted attempt at shopping and then we went home. Thankfully nothing broken, and I was in the best company all day, but I felt so horrible for not being able to stop the accident and for derailing everyone's day off plans.

Could have been a lot worse, and will be a funny story later I'm sure. Right now it's not so funny when everyone gasps at your baby's bruised face and asks what happened!


Last worn: purple cardigan, printed tank, Nobody Denim skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, printed tank and shorts, Nobody Denim skinny jeans and striped duster, black ballet flats and wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardigan in first trimester, printed tank in third trimester, ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt.

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Black and Grey Skinny Jeans Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This was a much less eventful day! This pic was taken a while ago, as you can tell by Cooper's winter fur coat still being on!

It follows a similar outfit formula to the outfit above, so of course I loved this too. When I bought this polka dot tee I was thinking of pairing it with my mustard yellow cardigan. I love blue and yellow together, and really liked the mustard and navy. And of course I just had to wear my mustard yellow micro Regan bag if I was wearing the yellow cardigan!

This was a simple but colourful outfit for baby boy's planned specialist appointment.

As it's the second time I've worn this tee on the blog, my purchase review:
I like to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to see how it's working for my wardrobe and learn any lessons that could avoid shopping regrets in future. Sometimes though, there are impulse buys like this tee that prove I don't need to over analyse everything before I buy!

This was my first and so far only purchase with my end of #6MonthsWithoutShopping celebratory gift cards. I'd actually walked into Jeanswest to try on another top, and picked this up just to try it on as it was so soft. While I didn't get the top I originally went in for, I couldn't leave without this tee. I have lots of tees. I particularly have a lot of blue ones. But this is still a piece I keep reaching for, and I'm glad I bought it. An impulse buy that worked out nicely!


Last worn: mustard yellow cardigan, polka dot tee, grey skinny jeans, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: mustard yellow cardigan and little black dress, polka dot tee and maxi skirt, grey skinny jeans and purple cardi, black ankle boots and maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: black ankle boots and pregnancy announcement.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

Skinny jeans are a stay at home mum staple as they work for whatever life throws at you (even if your planned day out ends up consisting of sitting in doctor's waiting rooms). In the cooler months, it's so easy to add extra colours to these outfits with a bright cardigan. A bright bag that compliments the cardigan is a fun accessory choice, and something you can continue to wear as a pop of colour in your outfit as the weather heats up and the cardigans get packed away.



Linking up with Style Wise, Hello Monday, Modest Monday, Mix It Monday.

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Aztec Print Dress Worn Two Ways for Different Seasons

While I managed to complete my 6 months without shopping challenge (and even added an extra month!) there were a few things I was eager to buy as soon as the challenge was over in August. This cute tiered little black Aztec print dress was one of those pieces.

I'm wearing it for different seasons in the two outfits below. It shows how versatile the dress is, but also how crazy our weather was near the end of winter. Within a few weeks it went from winter, to summer to winter again. Now it's spring it's thankfully continuing to warm up again.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace (new purchase)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress (new purchase)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

When I first saw this dress I instantly thought of wearing it with tights, ankle boots and a mustard cardigan. I was lucky to find this one at the start of August as I'd missed out on my dream mustard cardigan in an opshop as I was doing my no-buy challenge! It was so good to be able to wear the outfit I'd dreamt up when I first saw this dress. I thought the green necklace was another nice touch of colour with the mustard yellow.

It was a bit of an eventful day for Toddler T. His first trip to the dentist (he did really well!) and then his first play. There was a local production of 'Going on a bear hunt', one of the books he loves reading.

We finished the day with dinner at the in-laws. I liked how well this outfit worked for everything in the day, and at night. It was really cold in the evening so I was glad I wore the tights!


Last worn: mustard cardigan, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan. First time I've worn the dress as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: mustard cardigan and grey maxi skirt, black ankle boots and rolled skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: ankle boots in second trimester.

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Little Black Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress
Shoes: Purple high top Converse look-a-likes
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink, 43% off!)

Why I wore it:

In complete contrast to the outfit above, this was a much warmer day. I added the cardigan because it was a little windy in the morning, but with 30 degree weather when we went for a walk in the park the cardigan quickly came off. It was nice to get a little taste of summer near the end of winter. I'm looking forward to wearing this dress again with Converse now it's spring in Brisbane.

While it's very similar to the outfit above, I think the beauty of a little black dress is that you can make it look a little different each time just by changing the accessories.

Since I like to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to see how it's working for my wardrobe, my review of this little black dress:

I love this dress. It swishes beautifully when I wear it, although as you can see I haven't been able to capture a pic of that yet! I stumbled across it in Kmart while looking for shoes for baby Boy, and I hoped it would be there once my no-shop challenge is over. When it was still there I figured I'd wait until it went on sale. After checking the stock levels each time I went in and constantly thinking about it I decided to go ahead and buy it at full price. It was only $15. I don't like buying things full price no matter the cost, but it was only $15 and it has now sold out in my size without being reduced so I'm pleased I got it. I have so many outfit ideas in mind for it!


Last worn: purple cardigan, Aztec print dress (above), purple high tops, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and pink tank, purple high tops and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag and pink maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi and stripes in first trimester, mini MAB tote bag in third trimester.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A classic little black dress in any style is widely regarded as a wardrobe staple. You can make it look different each time by changing the accessories you wear with it. Both these outfits followed a very simple formula, picking a colourful cardigan and similar accessories. Just like kimonos in summer and scarves in winter, cardigans are good for adding a little colour in those in-between seasons. To keep things simple, you can wear a colorful cardigan with neutral layers, like a little black dress.


Linking up with Friday Faves, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Weekend Wear, Flashback Fashion, Friday Favourites.

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Wearing A Colourful Bag to the Office with Textured Pencil Skirts and Black Shirts

After I completed 7 months without shopping, I celebrated in my usual fashion and bought a new bag! 😂 Although it's big and purple, I still think it's perfect for the office - you don't have to stick to neutral bags for work.

I wore it to the office the other week with a classic black shirt and textured pencil skirt outfits, wearing more of my office pieces that were packed away while I was on maternity leave.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dixie collarless jacket

Necklace: freshwater pearl necklace and long freshwater pearl strand necklace
Shirt: French Connection verity voile black short sleeve shirt (with Target grey marle tank top underneath)
Skirt: Cotton On 'Mica' mesh spot skirt in dusty pink
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs howlite and hematite beaded bracelets
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag (from my bestie's wardrobe!)

Why I wore it:

I felt really lady-like in this outfit! Which helped counteract some of the awkwardness I felt when I stepped back from setting my tripod up in the morning to get a blog photo and realised I'd just been standing in my bemused neighbour's way (you can see them jogging away in the background!). So awkward. I never know what to say when people see me taking outfit photos so I just kinda smile and shrug.

I've worn this top and pencil skirt together before. Back then I was hiding an early baby bump, this time around I'm using the outfit to disguise my mum-tum 😉
This pencil skirt was one I saw in a magazine a few years ago and thought it was nice, so I checked out the price details. When I saw it was called the 'Mica' skirt I just had to get my namesake. It's perfect for the office and one of those pieces I'm glad I impulsively bought. Despite the top layer being textured polka dots on a fine mesh, it's held up well over the years and I'm impressed by the quality, considering I bought it 5 years ago.

I hadn't planned a necklace to wear with this, I'd set out the clothes and thought I'd pick one at the last moment. I was still unsure as I was getting dressed until I added the tweed blazer I knew I had to go for my pearls. They are actually two different freshwater pearl necklaces! The shorter one is from my jewelry designer friend and I've worn it as a bracelet before.

Last worn: tweed blazer, French Connection shirt, grey target singlet, pink polka dot pencil skirt, Marc Jacobs black flats. First time I've worn the bag as it's a new purchase. 

Other ways to wear: tweed blazer and skinny jeans, black shirt and peplum skirt, grey target singlet and striped maxi, pink polka dot pencil skirt and striped tee, Marc Jacobs black flats and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: boucle blazer in third trimester,grey singlet in third trimester, shirt and pencil skirt hiding first trimester bump.

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Textured Pencil Skirts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs mauve square scarf
Shirt: Forever 21 sheer black ruffle detail shirt
Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

I've been wearing blue and purple together often recently! I really like the combination. This purple scarf was the perfect topper to my black and navy outfit, and tied in nicely with my purple bag.

This black shirt is another one that hasn't been worn for a while. It's button up so would work for breastfeeding, but it feels a bit 'fancy' for stay at home mum wear so it was packed away with all my office clothes while I was on maternity leave. It's a little hard to see in the pictures with all the layers but it's got a fun ruffle detail down the front. You can see it better when I previously wore it here, again with the same skirt!

This jacquard pencil skirt is one of my favourite textured ones - it's a very pretty design, even if the skirt rides up a little as I walk! A ruffle shirt, textured pencil skirt and purple accessories might sound a bit much for the office, but I think all the pieces work well together.


Last worn: navy macintosh, purple blanket scarf, sheer ruffle shirt, jacquard pencil skirt, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Balenciaga work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and striped dress, purple blanket scarf and chambray dress, sheer ruffle shirt and pink skirt, jacquard pencil skirt and grey tee, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: jacquard pencil skirt in first trimester, ballet flats and maternity jeans.

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Purple Tote Bags Under $200:

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How You Can Wear It:

Neutral bags are a good choice for the office, but if you have a relaxed work environment with a business casual or smart casual dress code, it's easy to add a little extra colour to your outfit with a bright bag. While there are some exceptions, my general rules for picking a bag for work are to:
Carry a neutral bag if -  I'm going to be travelling for work, either across the city or to another state, and I'll need to carry my bag into meetings.
Carry a bright bag if -  I'm going to be in meetings in the same building all day leaving my bag behind at my desk and I'd like something fun to look as I work.

Don't be afraid to add a little colour to your office wear with a bright bag.


Linking up with Style Sessions, Turning Heads, On Trend, Confident Twosday, What I Wore, Style on the Daily, Oh Hey Girl, Fashion Files.

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