SAHM Life: Navy Dresses, Colourful Scarves and Mater Nappies

Talking about Mater nappies today, and sharing some dress outfits I wore recently. Because sometimes it's nice to break out of the stay at home mum default outfit of jeans and pull on a pretty dress!

Bright scarves make accessorising a printed dress really fun. As a bright and colourful scarf is bold enough on it's own, I try to wear it with a nice neutral outfit. In both of the outfits below I've layered up a navy printed dress with tights, ankle boots, and then a bold pop of colour with a scarf and my mustard Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

What I wore:

Scarf: Fashion Scarf Girl plain crinkle scarf in orange (c/o)
Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This is what I wore to go to the closing down sale of my favourite opshop. There was a big 'fill a bag for $2' sale which I was lucky enough to wrangle the morning browsing at while hubby stayed home with the kids. It was supposed to be a warm day, but it was a cold early morning start for me so I wanted a nice cosy scarf to add to my outfit. I thought this one was perfect, the orange really pops with the navy and the little mustard micro Regan bag was another touch of colour that worked so well with the dress.

Had a fun morning browsing, filling two bags full of things for the boys and I. You can see what we got here. After I headed to Kmart, picked up a pair of shoes I'd been lusting over, and was back home in time for swim lessons. We ended up going out for lunch after, so I was glad I dressed up a little in this dress. Although I was grateful for the tights underneath, this dress can seem a little short when you're constantly bending down to toddler level!


Last worn: Zara navy printed dress, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag. First time I've worn the orange crinkle scarf on the blog as it's a recent addition to my wardrobe.

Other ways to wear: Zara navy printed dress in summer, black ankle boots and maxi skirt, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: Zara navy printed dress in third trimester, black ankle boots in second trimester.

---

Mater Nappies Review

Full disclosure - I received these nappies to try from Mater for the purposes of reviewing them, after chatting with the brand at the Blogger's Brunch a few weeks ago. I've also used these nappies before when my little one was a baby.

What Are Mater Nappies?

Nappies developed by Mater Mother's Hospitals! They are part of Australia's first product range developed by a hospital. Welcoming over 10,000 babies a year into the Mater Mother's Hospitals around Australia, they know babies well!

Benefits

The nappies are made from ultra-soft breathable material, dermatologically tested and proven not to cause skin irritation. The toddler nappies have double leg cuffs and provide triple protection against leaks, as well as a super-absorbent core.

Our Experience

As mentioned above, I've tried Mater nappies before. When my youngest was hospitalised as a baby almost 2 years ago (see pic above). During our extended stay at the Mater the hospital provided the nappies for us to use. I liked them and had no issues with them. When we went home though, we also went home with a bunch of medical equipment and a baby with a NG tube - both things we needed training on before we were discharged. We went back to our usual nappy brand we had lying around as it was easier and life continued on. Talking to the ladies from Mater during the Bloggers Brunch, I told them a little about my son's story and decided to give the nappies another try now he's bigger.

We found that the Mater nappies didn't leak - I think that's the biggest plus right there! During some of the time we were trialling the nappies, my little one was on a course of antibiotics so you can be assured they were tested to the max!

Will I Repurchase?

Yes! They are not only a product that works for us, I also like that the proceeds from the sale of the Mater Baby Products go to support Mater Little Miracles, funding specialist life-saving care and research for babies in Australia. If you're interested, you can get them online here or find a stockist here.

---

What I wore:

Scarf: Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

Since I liked the outfit formula above so much, I repeated a similar one again, as I like to do! This time, I picked a bright yellow Love quotes scarf to go with the striped navy tee dress, but I kept the bag and ankle boots the same. These ankle boots are the most comfortable I've ever owned, I was sad to see the brand shut up shop a couple of years ago!

While the linen scarf is a bold bright yellow and the Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag is more mustard, I think the two different shade worked well together in this outfit.

Wore this for a fun day out shopping with my mum and the boys. I got some early Christmas present ideas for the boys as we went around the stores. It was such a good day out, even if I didn't buy anything for myself. I'd been eyeing a dress in Jeanswest for an upcoming wedding, but I was a bit disappointed when I saw it in person. I did like this outfit a little more than the one above - the dress is a more mum-friendly length, with the hem longer in the back!


Last worn: yellow Love quotes scarf, navy stripe tee dress, black ankle boots (above), Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag (above).

Other ways to wear: yellow Love quotes scarf and tie dye maxi dress, navy stripe tee dress in spring, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: yellow Love quotes scarf in second trimester, navy stripe tee dress, black ankle boots in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and maxi skirt.

---

Orange and Yellow Scarves Under $50:

---

How You Can Wear It:

It's easy to stick to neutral outfits in winter, as you're guaranteed all your layers will go together! But it's nice to add a touch of colour through bright accessories. I love my colourful handbags, but a bold and bright scarf is another fun way to accessorise. Bright citrus colours like orange and yellow are a great pop against navy outfits.


Linking up with Oh Hey Girl, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Fancy Friday, Friday Faves, Trend Spin.

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

Some items in this post were provided to me for review purposes. As always: all thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own.

30 Ways To Wear A Purple Cardigan: #30wears Outfit Challenge

This 30 wears post has been a while coming, after I hit 30 wears on this cardigan in spring last year. It just didn't feel right to post about it over summer though. Now the weather is cooler and it's officially winter here in Brisbane, I'm happy to share some of the 30 ways I've worn this cardigan in the past. I even managed to find some of the ways I'd worn it before I had the blog so I could share that with you for something different.

30 Ways To Wear: Purple Cardigan

The past few times I've done a 30 wears post I've managed to calculate the cost per wear. Unfortunately, I bought this cardigan so long ago, I can't remember what I paid for it. I've only photographed my outfits consistently every day since I started this blog in 2012 so I'm not sure exactly how many times I've worn this. There have been over 33 times I've photographed it and I'm pleased with that. The earliest pic I could find was winter 2011, so it's at least 7 years old and still going strong.

---

How To Wear a Purple Cardigan Video:

---

Belting A Cardigan

One of my early blog pics there in the middle! It's fun seeing how things have changed. I used to have to balance my camera on the BBQ and use the self timer, so often it wasn't aligned properly. I much prefer the other pics, taken with my camera remote and tripod.
No matter what the photos look like, I love each of these outfit ideas though. I really like the way this cardigan looks belted. It's something a bit different, and good in the middle of winter as it keeps you warm as the cardigan stays closed in place. It makes the draped pieces sit really flatteringly too and almost creates a peplum effect as you can see in the last photo.

Colourful Cardigan and Matching Bag

Each season, Balenciaga come out with new colours for their bags. I always take a liking to the pinks, but the 2005 magenta is my favourite pink. As you can see in the photos above, my current magenta Balenciaga Day bag isn't the only magenta bag I've had, the old selfie in the middle is back when I had the same colour in the city style too.

With the touch of pink in this purple cardigan, and the touch of purple in the pink bag, the cardigan and bags are a nice combination. They aren't a perfect match, but the shade is close enough together that I like the almost matchy-matchyness.

Purple Cardigan With Blue Tops

It's not just similar colours I like wearing this purple cardigan with. Blue and purple is a combination I frequently wear, so I really like navy tops with this cardigan.
Of course that last outfit there is my favourite, it was Baby T's first outing after we got home from the hospital. Even though I'm exhausted, my postpartum tum is on display, and we were going to a clinic for breastfeeding help, it was still a comfortable outfit and my favourite photo of the post!

Purple Cardigan With Pink

Another frequently worn colour combination of mine is pink and purple. With the bright purple colour of this cardigan, it's easy to introduce just a little touch of colour through a small bag like this neon pink mini MAC I'm wearing in the last two photos. If you're feeling bolder or particularly colourful, you could wear it with a pink top too, like I've done with the ombre tank in the first outfit.

Purple Cardigan With Purple Accessories

You'll know from reading my blog (or looking at some of the outfits I've already shared!) that I like my colourful handbags. They are fun accessories with an outfit. And while the deep plum purple of these Rebecca Minkoff bags in the outfits above doesn't match the pinky-purple shade of the cardigan, I think they compliment each other quite nicely!
Even if your accessories aren't a perfect match to a colourful cardigan, it's good to give the combination a try - as you can see I loved the little purple MAB tote bag with this cardigan so much I've worn it quite a few times!

Colourful Cardigan With Neutral Outfits

If you're completely stumped about what to wear with a colourful cardigan, throw it on over a neutral outfit. It can be something as simple as a grey tee like in the first picture, or a monochrome black outfit like the last photo. It also works well with cream and neutrals as you can see in the middle there. I'm also employing my previous tip above of wearing a purple bag with the cardigan in these last two photos, but you could easily stick with a neutral brown like the Chloe paddington bag in the first outfit.

Colourful Cardigan and Printed Tops

The fun thing with a bright, single colour cardigan like this purple one is that it's so easy to wear with printed pieces in your outfit. The lack of print on it means it will go with anything. Stripes is my favourite combo, as you can see here! But a plain cardigan will go with any print you want to wear.

Draped Cardigan and Maxi Skirts

With a loose, drapey waterfall cardigan you'd usually follow the 'one fitted, one flowy' rule to balance your outfit. But I like the casual outfit created with a long maxi skirt and this long cardigan. It's a nice way to wear a maxi skirt outside of summer! And as you can see from the last picture, a cardigan is the perfect piece to wear when babywearing, soft for baby to cuddle up to when he's in the carrier.

Purple Cardigan and Dresses

The last way that you can wear a purple cardigan is with dresses! I smiled when I put this picture together as it shows off some of the other things I'd mentioned above! A purple cardigan with purple accessories, a neutral black dress, with blue, and with prints. Just like it does with with maxi skirts, a cosy and colourful cardigan is a nice way to make a spring or summer dress work into autumn, especially when paired with ankle boots!



I really like the beautiful purple shade of this cardigan, and I find it so easy to wear. One of those purchases that's proved it's worth in my wardrobe. I have had to spend a little more than what I originally paid on it after I accidentally snagged it and got a hole in it. Thankfully my tailor repaired it very affordably, and this cardigan will continue to be worn and loved in my wardrobe for a long time still.


Hopefully these outfit ideas gave you some ways to wear a purple cardigan, or even just a colourful cardigan, that you own. If you don't have one, it is very versatile as you can see from the outfits above, so I've included some similar pieces below you can shop.

---

Where To Buy Purple Cardigans Under $50:

---

Want more outfit inspiration? All of the 30+ ways I've worn this cardigan on the blog.




Linking up with Flashback Fashion, Lizzie In Lace, Flashback Fashion, Style Wise, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Hello Monday, On Mondays We Link Up, On Trend.

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

30 Ways To Wear: Bermuda Denim Shorts: #30wears Challenge Outfits

It's a little odd sharing ways to wear denim shorts in autumn, but in Brisbane the weather usually takes a while to realise it's autumn and start cooling down, so even in March these shorts were still on frequent rotation!

My goal for this past summer was to reach 30 wears with at least one pair of shorts. After buying a lot of new pairs at the start of summer, it proved harder than I thought, as I wanted to wear all my new ones. I mention this every now and then, but 30 wears doesn't sound like a lot until you actually try do it it. You need to wear something every other week for 14 months to hit 30 wears for example. I've had these shorts for 16 months so I'm feeling pleased I managed to reach 30 wears with them.

#30wears: Jeanswest Bermuda Denim Shorts

I bought these bermuda denim shorts in the Jeanswest sale back in November 2016. They have been a summer staple for me since! They were a part cash part gift card purchase. If you don't include gift cards in cost per wear, they were $6.98 so that's 23 cents a wear! If you want to count the gift card, they were $27.99 in the sale so that's 93 cents a wear. Both under the $1 per wear that most people seem to aim for. I'm pleased I got these. They are the 'Trinity' bermuda denim shorts.

When I stopped wearing my blue jeans (haven't worn a pair since June 2017!) I did wonder if I should stop wearing these for a bit too. They are just a shorter version of blue jeans after all! I have so many summer clothes though that I didn't feel these denim shorts were worn so often that I was in a rut with them. It's been interesting staying away from my blue jeans for a while, but I have lots of other colourful denim options so I'm not missing them too much yet. I'll be interested to see how long it is before I reach for them again!

Bermuda Shorts and Tee

A simple and classic summer outfit, a pair of denim shorts and a tee. I think this is a universal summer outfit for most of the world, and definitely a go-to for me. You can also see my love for studded sandals in this set of photos, ha! To change things up a little, sometimes I'll add an extra layer and throw a kimono on top.

See more: 30 ways to wear studded gladiator sandals.

Denim Shorts and Kimonos

As mentioned above, I love my kimonos, and denim shorts and kimonos are an easy summer option! I love the simplicity of a colourful tee or tank and shorts with a fun printed kimono, it adds an extra layer to your outfit, a little more interest, and is a good way to change things up slightly. All of these 5 kimono outfits look different, but follow exactly the same formula.

See more: 30 ways to wear a floral kimono.

Bermuda Shorts and Printed Tanks

With plain blue denim shorts, it's a good opportunity to wear some printed pieces. I have a lot of printed tanks and it's good to wear them with these shorts as you don't have to worry about matching, they are a blank base to whatever you wear.

Denim Shorts and Print Mixing

Just like the set of outfit ideas above, this is another way to wear printed tanks. The denim shorts mean you can be more adventurous on top, and they are a good base to try some print mixing with. These photos combine the printed tanks and kimonos ways to wear together in one outfit, and were a lot of fun to wear.

Bermuda Shorts and Pink Vest

I like to layer a little in summer, but every now and then I want something different from kimonos. This is where this dusty pink vest comes in. It's a nice light summer layering option as it adds a splash of colour to an outfit without adding any extra warmth, perfect for making a plain tanks and shorts outfit a little more interesting.

Denim Shorts and Green Tanks

It's easy to see what my most-worn top is with these denim shorts! 3 out of the 4 outfit ideas above are the same tank, just with different kimonos! I've really embraced wearing green and blue together, and so wearing a green tank with these blue denim shorts has been a frequent outfit. Khaki green looks just as good as this bright emerald green.

Monochromatic Outfits with Bermuda Shorts

With blue shorts, a blue top is a no-brainer for a quick monochrome outfit. Just like the green tops above, again you can see some repeats here. The navy wrap top has been worn twice with the shorts, just swapping out the accessories to make it look a little different. If something works and you love it, I'm a big fan of repeating the combination again! As someone who loves blue, monochromatic outfits with navy tops and blue shorts make me happy.

Bermuda Shorts and Long Sleeves

Of course shorts aren't just for summer. You can easily wear them in spring and autumn too. In Brisbane it's not that cold for most of the year, so it's easy to wear shorts frequently! A simple way to wear shorts for slightly cooler weather is to add a long sleeved top (even though the first long sleeve outfit pictured is with a dress). If a long sleeve top on it's own isn't enough even with the longer length of the bermuda shorts, you could add some closed in shoes too to make yourself a little warmer. Converse are my usual go-to!

While I'm not a shorts in winter person, I do try and wear my shorts as much as I can through the year - the mild Brisbane weather makes that achievable!

---

30 ways to wear Bermuda Denim Shorts In Video Format

This month I did a little something different and modeled a few of the outfits so you can see what they look like on.

---

Bermuda Denim Shorts Under $50

---

Want More Ways to Wear?

Browse the archives to see all of the 30 + ways I've worn these shorts.

While denim shorts are a wardrobe staple and you're likely to have a pair you love already, I hope this post gave you some different outfit ideas or inspiration and some different ways to wear your shorts.


Linking up with Trend Spin, Turning Heads, On Trend, Confident Twosday, Style File, Fashion Frenzy, Style On The Daily, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion.

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

30 Ways to Wear a Grey Maxi Skirt: #30Wears Challenge Outfits

A 30 wears post with this classic grey marle jersey maxi skirt is so overdue. It's been worn nearly 50 times (48 exactly!) since I bought it in my third trimester four years ago.

The #30wears challenge is committing to wearing things you buy at least 30 times. As I take daily outfit photos, I have over 6 years of outfits to look back on and see all the different times I've worn things. Blog labels and searches in the archives come in helpful for pulling these posts together, and it's fun to see how many things I've hit 30 wears on.

#30Wears: Grey Marle Jersey Maxi Skirt

It's no secret that I love maxi skirts, and I've posted a few #30 wears posts featuring some of my maxi skirt collection (see them at the end of the post).

Maxi skirts are for petites too! I got lucky with this Target one, the perfect petite friendly length with no hemming required. It was $25, so that's 52 cents a wear so far on it. It's got a lot of life left in it still, and it's not going anywhere from my wardrobe. Not bad for an impulsive pregnancy buy four years ago!

Maxi Skirt and Graphic Tees (and a Tank)

A plain grey maxi skirt makes it easy to wear fun printed graphic tees, as it's a great neutral base. Even though one of these is a graphic tank instead of a tee, you can see it's still just as simple to wear. A nice easy outfit to pull together, the graphic top adds interest that the plain skirt lacks.

Maxi Skirt and Long Sleeve Tops

Maxi skirts work well in cooler weather with long sleeve tops. The long skirt protects your legs from the cold and keeps you cosy, and a longer sleeved top is an extra layer for a cooler day. If it's really cold, a scarf makes you even warmer. Again, you can see in these three outfits that the plain maxi skirt base means you can add fun printed scarves, bright colours, or even a top with embroidery detail, without your outfit feeling too overpowering.

Maxi Skirt and Layers

Sometimes you need a little more than a long sleeve top with a maxi skirt. As I wear my maxi skirts year-round, I've worn them with all kinds of layers. You can see the variety in these outfits, with a denim jacket, cardigans, a blazer, and a kimono. I've also worn this skirt in the middle of winter with a leather jacket when it's been really cold. These layering options are great pieces to add in spring or autumn when it's too cool to wear a skirt and top on it's own.

Grey Maxi Skirt And Summer Outfits

A maxi skirt is really made for summer though, it makes summer dressing easy. And if you have babies or toddlers, the long maxi length means you can run around with them and not worry about things being too short or showing more than you intended when you bend over to pickup the kids, or something they've dropped for the tenth time that day, ha!

Grey Maxi Skirt and Monochromatic Outfits

Lots of colourful outfits so far, but you can go completely neutral with a grey skirt and create a monochrome or monochromatic outfit. I like the two shades of grey together on the end there, but with the black v-neck tee is my favourite. I'm still sad that tee didn't survive through too many incorrect wash cycles on the washing machine and had to leave my wardrobe.

Jersey Maxi Skirt In Pregnancy

Since I bought this maxi skirt while I was pregnant, it makes sense that the most frequent way to wear it has been with a baby bump. It's been so nice having this piece that I could wear through my third trimesters with both my boys - and still be wearing and loving it afterwards. I'm impressed the elastic has held up too, they were pretty big baby bumps near the end!

Jersey Maxi Skirt Postpartum

Forgiving jersey material, a soft stretchy elastic waistband, all the things I loved about this skirt in pregnancy make it a great postpartum choice too. Much nicer pulling this on in the newborn days than attempting to squeeze into something with buttons, a zipper, or zero stretch! Having something you know will still fit and make you feel great makes getting dressed easy after being up all night with a newborn, and anything to make parenting easier is a winner!

Grey Maxi Skirt for Travel

I've gone on about how great this jersey maxi skirt is to wear, but the material is perfect to travel with too! It's comfortable for a long day of sightseeing, it can be crumpled up in a carry on bag and doesn't need ironing at your destination. For pregnancy travel (the middle pic) it was wonderful, and for running around Sydney with two toddlers (the left and right photos) it works just as well.

It makes me happy to have a piece in my wardrobe that's wrapped around my baby bump for both boys that's still going strong. It's nice to put together a post like this and see the bumps at different stages. So many fun memories attached to the times I've worn this skirt. I'm enjoying continuing the 30 wears challenge this year as it's great putting these posts together.

---

Grey Jersey Maxi Skirts Under $50:

This Target skirt is no longer available, but above are some great alternatives, all under $50!

---

30 Ways to Wear a Grey Maxi Skirt (In Video Format):

---

More Posts in the #30Wears Series:

Perfect if you're looking for more ways to wear outfit inspiration! Alternative, see all the 48+ ways I've worn this skirt in my blog archives.

• 30 ways to wear a black maxi skirt
• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear gladiator sandals
• 30 different ways to wear striped maxi skirt
• 30 different ways to wear skinny jeans
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear a printed leather jacket
• 30 ways to wear black ankle boots in multiple seasons
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a classic denim jacket
• 30 ways to wear white and navy stripe maxi skirt
• 30 ways to wear a floral kimono
• 30 ways to wear a pink maxi dress
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag

Linking up with Passion for Fashion, Lizzie In Lace, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, Hello Monday, On Monday We Link Up, Modest Monday, Wardrobe Wednesday.

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

Soft Shorts and Printed Kimonos with Black Tanks

When people asked what to get me for Christmas, I suggested kimonos and necklaces, and was lucky to receive the beautiful ones I'm wearing here. Kimonos are the perfect layer with soft shorts for Brisbane's summer heat, especially when paired with the new necklaces that I got too!

What I wore:

Jacket: gifted The Kindness Kimono 'Dream Catch Me' print
Necklace: gifted Zatini red pendant necklace
Tank: French Connection feather foil singlet
Shorts: Jeanswest Tessa olive embroidered shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

When I unwrapped this Kindness Collective kimono, I thought of these olive shorts right away. A black tank, bag and Havaianas made sense with the black in the print too. I really loved this outfit! It gave me the chance to wear another new piece, this lovely red necklace I also got for Christmas.

My mother in law got me this kimono and was so excited to tell me about the good it does too. Every kindness kimono purchased donates a reusable sanitary kit to help keep girls at school and women at work, and the kimonos are made from remnant fabrics.

It was another day for hubby and I to get things done as we ran around fitting in some errands after a swim, while the boys spent some time with their grandparents. I managed to film some YouTube videos too, a very productive day. I have such a hard time trying to find a quiet time to film them when the boys are in the house, and it's so rare to be at home without the boys! I really want to try more videos this year, so recording a few was helpful.


Last worn: metallic tank, olive embroidered shorts, Havaianas, Balenciaga part time bag. First time I've worn the kimono as it's a recent addition to my wardrobe.

Other ways to wear: metallic tank and printed shorts, olive embroidered shorts and florals, Balenciaga part time bag and dress in winter. 

Perfect for pregnancy: Balenciaga part time bag in second trimester

---

Soft Shorts Under $50:

---

What I wore:

Jacket: gifted Jeanswest Jamie printed kimono
Necklace: gifted silver ball multi chain long necklace
Top: Jeanswest Brianna basque hem tank (new purchase)
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 Regan Satchel Tote in moon with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

I bought this Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap and the Regan satchel bag together, so it was only a matter of time before I added the strap to the bag. I really liked the combination.

This combination of printed shorts and kimono together I'm not too sure about though! I wanted to wear both with the new black tank I picked up in the Jeanswest sale with one of my Christmas gift cards. I'd debated them in front of the mirror as I was trying to pick which one to wear and thought that as they are such similar shades of blue, they might look okay in the same outfit. While hubby was unimpressed, I decided to give the combo a try anyway. I don't think I'll be rushing to repeat this print mix, but I'm pleased I tried something new.

Another day of trying to get things done, with another YouTube video filmed despite facing memory card and camera battery issues - it wasn't as productive a day as I'd hoped, ha! Included the video I filmed below. You'll recognise the outfit, although I took the kimono off at home.





Last worn: blue printed shorts, Havaianas (above), Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap, Rebecca Minkoff Regan tote. First time I've worn the black tank and navy kimono as they are recent additions to my wardrobe.

Other ways to wear: blue printed shorts and ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap on Love bag, Rebecca Minkoff Regan tote and tee dress. 

---

Printed Kimonos Under $50:

---

How You Can Wear It:

Soft, relaxed fit shorts and loose voluminous kimonos are the perfect light layers for a hot summer day. You can keep things neutral with blacks and olives, or try something different and wear another print with your kimonos. Wondering how versatile a printed kimono could really be? 30 ways to wear a floral kimono!


Linking up with What I Wore, Style on the Daily, Thursday Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday.

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

30 Wears: Pink Maxi Dress From Mothers En Vogue (Maternity/Nursing Dress)

Happy New Year!

The 30 wears series will continue in 2018, as I had so much fun doing it last year. Each month I'll show you 30 ways I've worn one of the pieces from my wardrobe in an effort to wear more of what I already own, and enjoy what I have instead of constantly buying more.

Kicking off this year's posts with a favourite, my 'Havana' pink maternity/nursing maxi dress from Mothers en Vogue. I'm surprised it's taken me so long to hit 30 wears with this piece, if you've been a regular reader you'll know I wear it often. Through 2 pregnancies and afterwards it always makes me feel great. It's one of the pieces heavily featured in my pregnancy style book too! One of those maternity pieces I'm keeping in my wardrobe, even though my pregnancy days are behind me.

#30 Wears: Pink Mothers En Vogue Empire Waist Maxi Dress

It's tricky to calculate cost per wear on this dress as I received it courtesy of Zibibo back in February 2014. It's nearly 3 years old. 'Courtesy of 'means I didn't have to pay anything for it, although as I said when I got it, it made me rethink my normal budget for a maternity piece as it was certainly worth the $129.90 retail price. 30 wears in almost 3 years means wearing it about once a month on average, which is impressive for such a statement piece and given how many dresses I have already.

All dresses that come into my wardrobe are judged against this dress. If they don't make me feel as good as this dress does, they don't stay! To have a piece that works for pregnancy and breastfeeding, for casual through to more formal events, is such a lifesaver when you're having the 'don't know what to wear' panic before an event.

Pink Dress and Gold Belt

This gold belt is a very common accessory! The gold glitter belt works perfectly with the bright pink of my maxi dress, and you'll see it pop up many times in the photos below. Belted over a baby belly, or even just belted over my left over mum-tum, a belt is a frequent go-to with this dress.

PInk Dress Unbelted

The best thing about a maxi dress is that it's an instant outfit. While I do like belting this maxi dress, sometimes you just want the simplicity of a maxi dress and not worrying about accessorising or belting it. As the empire waist on this maxi dress is elasticated, the belt is more for show than function anyway.

Scarf as a Belt

When I do want to belt this pink maxi dress but I want something other than the go-to gold belt option above, I try to mix things up a little with this Louis Vuitton bandeau scarf worn as a belt. I love how the colours in the scarf compliment the pink dress, it's got pinks and purples and orange in the print.

Pink Dress and ColourFul Bags

A bright pink maxi dress sounds pretty in your face, and when I ordered this I considered the grey one instead as I wasn't sure I could pull off so much pink. Every time I wear it though I'm so grateful I went with the colourful option. It's just so cheerful with all that colour. You don't need to stick with neutral accessories when wearing a bright dress. I like pairing the bright pink dress with colourful bags! Blue, purple or yellow, a colourful bag works nicely. As you can see I particularly love the pink and purple colour combination.

Pink Dress and Denim Jacket

I like this combo a lot, as you can see by my wearing it 4 times! The outfit with the printed snood is easily my favourite of all of these ones though. It was the first time I wore this dress without a baby bump, and I found it perfect for those early postpartum days. In spring or autumn a denim jacket is a great layer with a maxi dress, and you can add a printed scarf to keep you cosy if it's really cold.

Pink Dress and Layers

It's not just denim jackets that make good layers with maxi dresses! I like to wear cardigans with my maxi dresses, and for something different, a kimono. You can even try belting the layer over the top of the dress too, as I've done in two of the photos above.

Pink Dress in Pregnancy

This Mothers En Vogue dress is a combo breastfeeding and pregnancy one, and it does both those things so well. With a nice bit of stretch, it easily covered a growing baby bump, even right through to the final days of pregnancy. It was nice to have something pretty I could pull on and feel good about in, no matter the size of the growing belly!

Pink Dress and Special Events

Pregnant or not, this beautiful dress has become my default for special events. Christmas day, birthday parties, date nights. I think everyone needs that one staple piece in their wardrobe they can pull on for an event that makes them feel special. For me, this pink dress is it. I love how it turned out to be the last thing I photographed for the blog before giving birth to baby boy, it's such a cherished piece and that makes it even more so.

---

Pink Maternity Maxi Dresses Under $50:

Some of these are nursing ones too!

Non-maternity Pink Maxi Dresses Under $50:

---

Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane and the chance to see the baby bumps across two pregnancies. This dress really has been worn to so many things, and accommodated all of the pregnancy and breastfeeding related body changes so well 😂 Want more outfit inspiration? Browse through all the times I've worn this MEV dress on the blog.

2017: A year of 30 wears posts

• 30 ways to wear a black maxi skirt
• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear gladiator sandals
• 30 different ways to wear striped maxi skirt
• 30 different ways to wear skinny jeans
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear a printed leather jacket
• 30 ways to wear black ankle boots in multiple seasons
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a classic denim jacket
• 30 ways to wear white and navy stripe maxi skirt
• 30 ways to wear a floral kimono

Linking up with On Mondays We Link Up, Turning Heads, Trend Spin, The Style File, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Fashion Frenzy, Oh Hey Girl, Style on the Daily, Fashion Frenzy, Fun Fashion, Flashback Fashion, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Modest Monday.

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