Floral Print Dresses and Burgundy Crossbody Bag | Weekday wear Link Up

For today's Weekday Wear Link Up, two floral dresses for the office, both accessorised with my little burgundy Rebecca Minkoff Avery crossbody bag.

What I wore:

Earrings: neutral clay disc earrings
Necklace: terrazzo and wood rose gold bead necklace
Dress: Shein navy flower print flowy dress (c/o) 
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Avery crossbody bag in burgundy

Why I wore it:

This was a warm spring day so I appreciated the swing style of this dress, it's great in the heat! It also however developed another split along the seams after wearing it all day. I have lost count of how many times I have had to repair this dress! It's leaving my wardrobe now, I am done constantly repairing the stitching. I have lost count of how many times I've patched or restitched it. This is it's 18th wear. I was really trying to reach 30 wears with it to prove you could do that even with a fast fashion brand like Shein, but the quality isn't there. Even though I got this dress back in 2018, so I'd expect it to be a little higher quality than anything available from that brand at the moment.

Annoying failure of stitching side, I did like this outfit. The burgundy Avery crossbody bag is so nice with the red print on the dress, and I liked the way the neutral earrings and necklace looked together. Just can't keep repairing this dress over and over, it's definitely done.


Last worn: navy floral swing dress, neutral disc earrings, beaded necklace, white Converse, Rebecca Minkoff burgundy Avery crossbody bag.

Other ways to wear: navy floral swing dress and blazer, white Converse and jeans, Rebecca Minkoff burgundy Avery crossbody bag and matching jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse in second trimester.

---

What I wore:

Necklace: engraved interlinked silver circle family name necklace
Dress: Kmart teal floral print midi dress
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Avery crossbody bag in burgundy

Why I wore it:

This dress is only on it's 14th wear, but it's definitely going much stronger than the Shein dress above, as I haven't had to repair it at all yet. It was also only $12 at Kmart, so not exactly top of the range quality, ha! Kmart certainly isn't a trailblazer at paying a living wage to it's garment workers, but the company has been improving slightly to make some progress towards being more ethical (rating of 57 on ethical fashion guide). Shein on the other hand, doesn't even have a promise to work towards paying anyone in the supply chain a living wage. (Rating of 4/100)

I picked this dress to wear to work as it was another cool and rainy day. I added the boots too to be extra warm, although I regretted the decision in the afternoon. I left the office early to go see my sons get some awards at school, at which point the rain had stopped and the humidity was creeping up. I'd wished I hadn't worn the boots, as much as I'd loved them in the morning!

Tried something a little different with the burgundy bag with the teal floral dress. I've worn red bags with this dress before, so I knew I'd like these two colours together too.


Last worn: Kmart teal floral midi dress, silver personalised necklace, tall boots, Rebecca Minkoff Avery crossbody bag (above).

Other ways to wear: Kmart teal floral midi dress worn 2 ways, tall boots worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff Avery crossbody bag and skirt.

Weekday Wear Linkup #250

Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!

Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!

Subscribe for The Weekday Wear Linkup reminder emails

Email Address 

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

Rainy Day Style: Ruffle Camis and Skinny Jeans With Purple Balenciaga Work Bag

While it's still summer here in Brisbane, a few weeks back we were hit with some very un-seasonal weather. A sudden cold snap lead to the coldest February day in over 100 years! While most of my winter things are boxed away over summer, I managed to find pieces to make my cami tops more appropriate for the cold weather. I've been wanting to wear them more, before summer ends.

What I wore:

Jacket: Paper Scissors grey wrap cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Cami: Jeanswest Audrey tonal print tank
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

I didn't include this cardigan in the box of winter knits I pack away for summer, as I keep it out to wear in the office now and then. I was so glad I kept this as it was perfect for a chilly day. With the grey cardigan, grey skinny jeans and metallic silver flats and the neutral printed cami it all looked a bit boring, so the purple accessories were the perfect way to add a little bit of colour. It met the purple style challenge theme perfectly too!

I didn't expect to be pulling out my jeans so soon into the year, but I wasn't too upset at having a chance to wear these grey skinnies. They are the most recent addition to my denim collection after I got given them last year and a pair I'm sure will get a lot more wear over winter.

It was nice how easily this outfit came together. There was a break in the rain in the morning too, so we managed to get out and have our morning walk before having a quiet Saturday at home watching the rain fall outside.


Last worn: grey cardigan, printed cami, grey skinny jeans, metallic ballet flats, Balenciaga work bag.

Other ways to wear: grey cardigan and maxi dress, printed cami and red jeans, grey skinny jeans for flying with toddlers, metallic ballet flats and blue dress, Balenciaga work bag and fit and flare dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: printed cami hiding second trimester bump, metallic ballet flats in third trimester.

---

Ever Wondered How Many Jeans I have? :

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Cami: Atmos&Here 'Isla' ruffle cami in floral print
Jeans: Jeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
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:

A little bit of double denim. Again, I had the style challenge theme to dress to. This time the theme was 'indigo'. I'd planned a lovely navy dress to wear, but the weather made me change that pretty quickly to the denim jacket. With the black skinny jeans, it's an easy way to do double denim, and it kept me warm enough on a cold and rainy day. As did all the running around I had to do - after a week where things seemed to go from bad to worse, Friday was me trying to keep things together and get everything done to get to the weekend.

I'd picked this cami to wear as I've been trying to wear my camis more recently, and this one is one of my least worn. It's a cropped style, but being petite it's normal length on me. While I like this cami in the photos, I didn't feel very comfortable wearing it. The cropped length becomes more apparent when you've got your hands full with a wriggly toddler, and I found myself tugging the top back down a few times. While the ruffles are beautiful and the colours mean it goes with so much, it was just too fussy to wear. The back is cropped shorter than the front too and I found myself wishing I'd worn a normal length top many times when bending down to the boys, even though my jeans are mid-rise.

Looking at it, I'm thinking I should keep it, it's so pretty! But I know it's so annoying to wear it's not worth keeping around just for me to realise in a few months it hasn't been worn, to wear it again and feel the same frustrations. I have plenty other camis I enjoy wearing more, so this one is leaving my wardrobe. 5 wears in 3 years is pretty bad cost per wear, but it's time to let it go!


Last worn: denim jacket, botanic print cami, Jeanswest prima skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Balenciaga work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: denim jacket worn 30 ways, botanic print cami and stripes, Jeanswest prima jeans in winter, black ballet flats and pencil skirt, Balenciaga work bag in the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester, botanic print cami in first trimester, black ballet flats and maternity wrap dress.

---

Printed Camis Under $50:

---

How You Can Wear It:

Camis can easily be layered up for cooler weather! They are the perfect summer option with denim shorts, so they work just as well with jeans, with an extra layer like a jacket or cardigan to keep you cosy if it's cold.



Linking up with Passion for Fashion, Style Wise, Fab Favourites, Shoe & Tell.

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

#6MonthsWithoutShopping: Lessons From a Former Shopaholic

It's here! The end of June! After completing my #6monthsWithoutShopping challenge without a single fashion purchase, I think I'm officially able to call myself a former shopaholic!

I love shopping and bargain hunting a lot. Getting together with friends would be an excuse to shop, I'd shop during my lunch breaks, shop when a sale email came through....shop whenever I got the chance basically, and often that meant shopping more than once a week. I'm an emotional shopper too - happy, sad, bored, all were excuses to shop. My parents taught me the value of money so I wasn't spending huge amounts and never more than I earned, but I suspect I was shopping a bit more than average. Especially after discovering designer handbags 😂

How My Wardrobe Grew

Wardrobe at my parents 2008

My wardrobe expanded from a single wardrobe at my parents to a wardrobe and a half after getting married and moving in with hubby, then adding on an extra clothes rack and eventually taking over an entire room filled with clothes and bags. I routinely broke the clothes racks from overloading them! I had way too much stuff. It was when my 'wardrobe room' was turned into Toddler T's nursery that I did my first big declutter. I got frustrated at the amount of new with tags items in my wardrobe and resolved to shop better.

The year Toddler T was born I realised if I was going to be adding things to my now limited wardrobe space I'd best be sure I would get use from them - and so started thinking more critically about what I bought.

I attempted a few 'tricks' to help tame my wardrobe and my shopping.

• Started the 'wear twice in a month after buying it' rule. 
• Donated or sold everything I tried on in the postpartum days that I no longer liked the fit or practicality of (this was a mistake and I tried to avoid doing it after Baby Boy's arrival! Your body changes so much - wait a while!).
• Had a professional wardrobe detox session which helped declutter and reorganise my wardrobe.
• Changed my shopping rule to 'wear twice in the month I buy it' to force me to only buy things I'd want to wear so frequently.
• Attempted No Buy July in 2015 and successfully completed No Buy July in 2016.
• Set myself a clothing 'wishlist' to shop from.
• Started and completed 6 months without shopping.

Wardrobe 2012

Why #6MonthsWithoutShopping?

I covered it in more detail here, but basically it was another 'trick' to hopefully curb my shopping and help me use my existing wardrobe more, so I could wear more of what I own 30 times (idea from The True Cost movie). I wasn't sure I could do an entire year, 6 months seemed more reasonable.

Wardrobe 2014

How did I manage no shopping for 6 months?

I couldn't make it 31 days without shopping before, so I'm just as amazed as you are that I made it a whole 6 months without spending anything on fashion. There are a few things that helped make me successful this time around that I thought I'd share, in case you want to do your own no-shop challenge for any length of time.

• Major life change. I mentioned it briefly on the blog, but the later half of 2016 was a bit scary, particularly in December when Baby Boy was admitted to hospital. The next few months involved re-prioritisation and shopping was just not on my radar.

• Tell people about it. Of course I shared my intentions online on the blog, but I told everyone else about it. Friends, family, everyone was 'in' on it to help me with my goals. I'd meet up with them other places instead of defaulting to shopping as an activity.

• The long timeframe. I didn't want to be that person that caved in the first half of the challenge, and by then I'd had 3 successful months behind me so didn't want to invalidate it by buying something in the last 3 months. It actually got easier the longer it went on.

• Timing is everything. The challenge started in summer, and after an autumn full of heat-waves I was thoroughly bored and uninspired by my current wardrobe. When the temperatures eventually dropped, I got to unpack all my winter items and feel like I had something 'new' in my wardrobe. As I don't pack away much of my summer clothes, I wouldn't have had the same enjoyment if I'd started this in winter and had to box away half my wardrobe when it got warmer.

• Get another hobby. I've always said shopping was a hobby for me - instead I took that time and channeled it into something else. I recently started a volunteer job as an example.

• Limit your time. Similar to the point above, as Baby Boy grew and he and his big brother napped less, I had less time to shop. Instead of online shopping on the computer when they went to bed, I'd be trying to write a blog post or read the blogs I didn't get to through the day.

• Have a reward. I purposely asked for (and gratefully recieved) a lot of gift cards for Christmas. It was my 'reward' at the end of the challenge. Didn't make sense to spend money in my favourite stores when I had gift cards just waiting to be spent in July!

• Practice makes perfect. I didn't always meet my goals when I did No Buy July but I did learn more about my shopping habits - when I was inclined to shop and break the challenge and how I could avoid doing that in future. They were lessons rather than 'failures'.

Wardrobe 2015

What Next?

I have the gift cards ready to go, I've had 6 months to put together an updated clothing wishlist...but I'm not going to be marking the 1st July with some purchases. I'm going to do #noBuyJuly17 instead, making it 7 months without shopping.

Why another no shop challenge?

As I mentioned above, my parents taught me the value of money and I'd frequently buy bargain pieces to fit my budget. 30 wears and the 6 months without shopping has taught me the value of quality: to have a wardrobe that I love, that I wear often, and where every piece is something I'd want to wear 30 times. It doesn't matter if something was $5 or $50, as long as it's something that's actually getting worn.

I think I have so much further to go to really get value from what I already own in my wardrobe, so I'm not looking at shopping again any time soon. I calculated if I wore some things 30 times I'd have 11 years worth of outfits. Not really feeling the urge to add to that number at the moment! Buying more just means I'll wear the existing things I already love less.

I'm not saying I'm never going to shop again, just that I'm content with the wardrobe options I have at the moment and don't yet see the need to add anything new. I'd like to wear more of my recently unboxed winter pieces before I buy any new ones.

I'm definitely a former shopaholic!

Wardrobe 2017

Have you ever attempted a no-shop challenge? Do you find my tips useful? Or did you just scroll in amazement at my ever-changing wardrobe?

Linking up with Friday Faves, Mummy Mondays, Modest Monday, Hello Monday, Bloggers Linkup.

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

Wardrobe Inventory | 6 Months Without Shopping Update 2

Another month over, another month of my #6MonthsWithoutShopping challenge completed!

Just like last month, I managed to avoid the sales and stores most of the time. The continuing heatwaves meant playdates at home in the aircon and so there was no shopping temptations from meeting up in Westfield. Unsubscribing from emails from online stores has helped keep temptation at bay as well.

The biggest help in avoiding shopping has been the boys though! Their naps have gone from sometimes lining up to never lining up so it's extremely difficult to waste time online 'just browsing' shopping sites. That has been the major factor to make this month another easy month for avoiding shopping. I feel it's made me a bad blogger too as it's so hard to read other blogs but baby routines change so much, it's only temporary.


Two years ago I did a wardrobe inventory. I wanted to do one last year but never seemed to find the time. I'd like to make it an annual thing. In 2015, I had 101 accessories and 266 items of clothing.

Since then I have had many more declutter sessions, a wardrobe detox with a personal stylist and another pregnancy. I was interested to see how the count would have changed this year. The totals below doesn't include things like pieces I only wear for layering, pyjamas and loungewear.

2017 Closet Totals

Accessories:

30 scarves

29 bags

• 3 tote bags (Mulberry Bayswater, Louis Vuitton Neverfull, Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote)
• 1 travel bag (Louis Vuitton Keepall)
• 4 hobo bags (Balenciaga day bags in Truffle, Magenta and Tempete. Sarah Conners python bag.)
• 7 shoulder bags (Rebecca Minkoff MAM, Marc Jacobs Fran. Balenciaga sorbet city, black part time. Mimco Button Bag, Chloe Paddington, Guess)
• 11 cross body bags (Avalina leather. Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote, saddle bag, micro Regan, striped mini MAC, aqua mini MAC, metallic mini MAC, neon pink mini MAC, quilted Love. Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere, Mulberry metallic Lily)
• 1 vintage Chanel bag
• 2 clutches (Chloe paddington clutch, Balenciaga envelope clutch)

24 pairs of shoes

• 8 pairs flats
• 1 pair of wedges
• 3 pairs of heels
• 2 pairs of Converse
• 3 sandals 
• 2 pairs of thongs (flip flops)
• 5 pairs of boots

Clothes:

97 tops, including

• 15 fitted tanks
• 21 other tanks
• 24 nongrey tees
• 7 grey tees
• 9 long sleeve tops
• 6 shirts
• 5 camis

6 jumpers

8 cardigans

20 jackets, including

• 3 blazers
• 7 kimonos
• 3 leather jackets
• 2 trench coats

16 pairs of jeans

• 1 set of flares
• 2 printed jeans
• 13 skinny jeans

4 pairs of shorts

19 skirts

• 8 maxi skirts
• 1 a line skirt
• 10 pencil skirts

41 dresses, including

• 3 wrap dresses
• 11 maxi dresses
• 17 office dresses

Final totals:

83 accessories
211 items of clothing
294 pieces

My wardrobe had 367 items in 2015 so 294 is a step in the right direction! I do try to share my wardrobe edits on the blog when I've given something its last wear and it is leaving my wardrobe. Sometimes I never give pieces a final wear and I don't like them when I try them on or I remember I didn't like them last time I wore them and so I donate or sell them.

It's wonderful that I've managed to reduce the number of bags and scarves but I'm surprised I've increased the number of shoes I own! I'm disappointed I have so many dresses, after I got rid of a few at the end of the Frocktober challenge. It's good to see I've halved the number of grey tees though.

How Many Outfits?

Since I'm attempting the #30Wears challenge this year I thought it would be interesting to calculate how many outfits I'd have in my wardrobe if I tried to get 30 wears from everything. Keeping it simple as maths isn't my strong point, just looking at tops and dresses and not outfit combinations:

30 wears from 41 dresses is 1,230 outfits. Almost 3 and a half years of outfits. 
30 wears from 97 tops is 2,910 outfits. Almost 8 years of outfits.


And I frequently think I have nothing to wear, wow...😮

If I was to just focus on getting 30 wears out of everything I currently own, I wouldn't need to buy any new clothes for around 11 years. Somehow 6 months without shopping seems like a very short time. You can be sure I'll be looking back at these numbers when I'm tempted to buy something, to help me stick to my no-shopping challenge for the next 4 months.



I really liked looking at how my wardrobe has changed in 2 years and if you enjoyed seeing it too I'll attempt another inventory next year. If you've done a similar count please leave a link to your post in the comments, I'd love to read it.


Linking up with Fashion Files, Budgeting Bloggers, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday.

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

Purple, Jeans and Rebecca Minkoff Plum Mini MAB Tote Bag

First, #noSpenderSeptember results! After achieving #noBuyJuly16 and only buying two things in August, I decided to tackle a #noSpenderSeptember challenge, inspired by Beth from Almost Posh. I'm pleased to report that even with a trip to the outlets, I didn't buy any clothes or accessories. October is Buy Nothing New month and while I've considered doing another no-buy month I'm not going to commit just yet.

This year I tallied up my spend in June for the year and said it would be nice to spend less than that in the last 6 months of the year - so far I'm managing to do so! I think the change in weather bringing up new outfit options within my wardrobe has helped me feel more content with the clothes I already own.



When Brisbane started to hit proper spring temperatures I got all excited and declared it kimono season! I was quickly looking out my cardigans again not too long after though as we got some really wet weather.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers (on sale)

Jacket: Cotton On 'Gemma' cocoon kimono in Laos blossom navy print
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in washed lilac
Jeans: Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black or silver!)
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in blue and on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

There is not a single thing I'd change about this outfit, I loved every part of it. I wanted to try purple with this kimono, really liked the navy with the v-neck tee.

Took the boys to DFO (outlet stores) to pick out some cute outfits for an upcoming photoshoot. I got lucky when I visited the baby expo a few months ago and won a competition! The prize was a photoshoot and gift voucher. I'm looking forward to having some updated family photos, and wanted to try and get a little matching outfit for the boys.

Although there was a ton of sales and extra discounts and even a Jeanswest store, I stuck to my #noSpenderSeptember challenge and only bought lunch, I didn't buy anything else. I had no luck tracking down an outfit for the boys sadly.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, floral cocoon kimono, purple tee, skinny jeans, gold mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag.

Other ways to wear: floral cocoon kimono and a red saddle bag, purple tee and lace pencil skirt, skinny jeans and a long cardi, gold mouse flats and a maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag and shorts.

---

Where to buy the Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag:

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Tee: Cotton On Luxe pearl tee
Jeans: Sass and Bide pale grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black or silver!)
Bag:  Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was 'old faithful' so I figured these jeans that are over 10 years old would be a good thing to wear. I needed a cardigan to keep cosy as it was a really rainy day. You can't see that in the photos though. When a toddler distracts you as you are adjusting the exposure and you can't double-check the photos right away, you end up looking really washed out. ;)

This tee is leaving my wardrobe. I bought it in 2012 for $5 and it's been worn 7 times since then. I'm constantly looking at it in my wardrobe thinking I should wear it again. It's nice but it's a bit of a pain to wear (the back is completely sheer so I have to layer) and I have other tops I enjoy wearing more. Looking at it and thinking 'I should really wear this again' without actually wearing it was getting annoying too. Time for it to go.

Last worn: purple cardigan, metallic gold tee, grey jeans, gold mouse flats (above), Rebecca Minkoff purple mini MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, metallic gold tee and a pencil skirt, grey jeans and printed top, gold mouse flats and a pencil skirt, purple mini MAB tote and black maxi dress.


Linking up with Budget Bloggers, Let It Shine, Grace & Lace, Shoe & Tell, Hello Monday.

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

Purple Tees, Maxi Skirts, Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Mini Bag

Two easy and simple pregnancy outfits. Purple tees, maxi skirts, and my Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag.

Although I've been doing the Fox in Flats style challenge and posting and playing long each day in order on instagram, I'm still trying to pair similar outfits together to post on the blog. I'm much further behind with blogging than I am with instagram so it's easy to organise the backlog of outfit photos into similar pairings.

What I wore:

 

Necklace: Australian coin and crest necklace

Tee: Jeanswest 'Lucy' colourblock tee in orchid/grey marle
Skirt: AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

This was a double style challenge outfit! I tried to play along with #summerStyleFile as well as #DAREcember but couldn't meet every day of them both. The challenges were 'buns hun' and 'to the max' so it was easy to achieve them both with a maxi skirt and a messy bun. You can see my hair a lot better on the Instagram pic I shared. It's definitely getting to that point in summer where I'm tying my hair up more and more!

Simple accessories for a comfortable outfit as I worked from home.

This is the last wear of this purple tee too. It's nice, but I was looking up the last time I wore it and saw this is only it's third wear, where the other one I have (that's pink and grey) has been worn 5 times. It's obvious I have a favourite and don't need both, so it's left my wardrobe. I have other purple tees I wear more. If only I could apply the same thinking to my many grey tees!

purple tee and skinny jeans / purple tee and a striped maxi skirt

Last worn: colourblock tee, striped maxi skirt, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag.

Other ways to wear: colourblock tee without a baby bump, striped maxi skirt and a peach cami, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag for the office.

---

More purple tees under $50:

---

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)

Necklace: Jeanswest Taki necklace (C/O)
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in washed lilac
Skirt: Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

I really wasn't such a fan of this outfit! I'd previously worn the grey version of this tee to the office a couple of weeks before and loved the outfit. I felt comfortable and happy all day, so wanted to replicate that feeling by wearing the purple tee. The baby bump had grown though and I tugged at this shirt quite a bit through the day, feeling so uncomfortable in it. At least I was just working from home.

The maxi skirt I enjoyed wearing of course! It was the first thing I thought of for the style challenge of 'swishy', as my maxi skirts 'swish' around when I walk. If I'd just worn a different tee I would have been much happier in this.

I blog my outfit fails as much as the outfits I love though, as otherwise I'd never find an outfit 'good enough' to share. It's also a good way to reinforce to myself what didn't work and how to avoid it in future. After doing this earlier in my pregnancy and wearing something that didn't quite fit right just because I wanted to squeeze in another wear, it's a little silly that I'd do the same thing again. Need to take a few moments more to think through (and try on!) what I've planned to wear as things continuously change as baby grows.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, purple tee, black jersey maxi skirt, Havaianas (above), Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag (above).

Other ways to wear: purple tee and a lace pencil skirt for the office, maxi skirt and a graphic tee, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag and a printed wrap dress.

---

Shopbop have an extra 25% off all sale styles for a limited time only! Just use the discount code 'EXTRAEXTRA'. But hurry, it's just for 3 days!

Shop the sale here.

---

Linking up with Fun Fashion Friday.

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

Frocktober Weekend Dresses: Rebecca Minkoff Swing Bag in Canary Yellow, Stars and Stripes

Continuing on with blogging my Frocktober outfits.

I'm wearing a different dress each day in October, to raise funds and awareness for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. I've been posting everyday on the #Frocktober2015 tag on instagram and I'm just catching up on the blog.

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (classic style also on sale!)

Jacket: no label white drape jacket
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: French Connection star dancing jersey dress in red rust/almond
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Swing bag in canary yellow (on sale in black and on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

As well as setting myself the challenge of wearing a different dress every day in October, there is another style challenge on instagram (#myStyleOctober) I wanted to participate in. This was the first day I could see an outfit working, the prompt was 'belted' so I knew this belted jersey dress would be nice. I also finished up participating the #basicscheckin challenge by swapping out my bag from the red Marc by Marc Jacobs Ukita I'd carried the day before, as I thought this yellow one worked better with the dress. 3 challenges in one outfit!

It was a nice comfortable outfit for a day out shopping with my mum and sister - we were looking for a dress for a special event my sister had coming up.

When I was trying on jackets in the morning I thought this one looked really nice, but I'm a bit underwhelemed with it looking at the photos. Maybe one that was not as 'busy' would have worked better.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, white jacket, star print jersey dress, Chelsea ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff swing bag.

Other ways to wear: white jacket and skinny jeans, star print dress in third trimester, Chelsea ankle boots and jeans, Rebecca Minkoff swing bag and a yellow tank.

---

Shop more star print dresses under $50:

Shop striped dresses under $50:

---

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale in tortoise print!)

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: thrifted pearl and heart long necklace
Dress: Three Dots stripe maxi dress in pink
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus statement cuff gifted from my bestie
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Swing bag in canary yellow (on sale in black and on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

I've worn the bag and dress together before, it's a nice combination of colours. I really liked this outfit. It was perfect for a morning with hubby and toddler T, popping to the library, doing a little bit of grocery shopping and then going out for Sunday lunch as a family.

Almost a year ago I mentioned that I was thinking about getting rid of this maxi dress. I've decided to let it go now. It's a lovely dress, but I pick my other maxi dresses over it frequently. It's going to go into our Frocktober fundraising frock swap party at work, so will hopefully be replaced with another pretty dress!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers (above), denim jacket, striped maxi dress, Ikwetta sandals, Rebecca Minkoff swing bag (above).

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and colour blocking, striped maxi dress for a weekend getaway, Ikwetta sandals for a road trip, Rebecca Minkoff swing bag and flared jeans.



Linking up with Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions, On Trend Tuesday, Turning Heads, Wardrobe Wednesday.

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