Frocktober: Printed Dresses, Sun Hats, Rebecca Minkoff MAM Bag. Weekend Wear

Two more Frocktober dress outfits. Some colourful printed dresses for the weekend, where we spent time out in the sun so my trusty sun hat was needed. I balanced out the bright prints with a neutral bag.

I spent October wearing a different dress every day to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. While I shared a picture every day on instagram, I'm just a little behind with blogging what I wore. I'll temporarily be back to blogging 3 times a week to get through the backlog of daily dress photos.

What I wore:

Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat

Dress: Asos red leopard print dress with dipped hem
Belt: C/O Poppywinkle brown weave belt
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes Kelly double tour bracelet in rubis
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey | Shop more Rebecca Minkoff bags

Why I wore it:

Had been planning to wear a maxi dress, but decided to wear this cute red leopard print dress instead. We are hosting a frock swap in the office to raise more funds for Frocktober, and I figured I could bring this dress to the swap. Wanted to give it one last wear before I did so. It's ordinarily a very flattering cut, but doesn't look the best with a baby bump. Belting it higher over the bump helped a little. I did enjoy wearing this out to a school fete, but I'll take it to the swap anyway and see if there is anything on the racks I prefer more.

I have a little red dress, I have a animal print dress, not really sure if I then need another that combines both of those things! I've gotten 9 wears out of it in the 3 years I've had it, so it's not as frequently worn as my other dresses. If there's one thing that Frocktober is showing me it's that I own many more dresses than necessary, I need to start getting rid of some! Swapping an old one for a new-to-me one is a good start.


Last worn: sunhat, red leopard print dress, braided belt, Ikwetta sandals, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM.

Other ways to wear: sun hat and denim shorts, red leopard print dress and a striped bag, braided belt with a shirt dress, Ikwetta sandals and a maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM and a maxi skirt.

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Although the Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Bag (MAB) has been continued, there are still some great Rebecca Minkoff bags available (including the 'sister' of the MAB, the MAB tote!).

Get these Rebecca Minkoff bags at Shopbop.

1: Rebecca Minkoff clutch bags | 2: Rebecca Minkoff satchel bags | 3: Rebecca Minkoff tote bags

You can find some Rebecca Minkoff bags in the 40% Shopbop sale on right now too!

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What I wore:

Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat
Necklace: House of Harlow 5 station necklace in black and silver
Dress: JayJays feather print maxi dress
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs (on sale!)
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey | Shop more Rebecca Minkoff bags

Why I wore it:

This was the maxi dress I had planned to wear the day before (above) when I picked the red leopard print dress instead. Was perfect for a morning out at a family friendly festival. This dress is one of the ones that the stylist suggested should leave my wardrobe during my wardrobe detox session. I know that I do have plenty of maxi dresses, but I refuse to let this one go. I'm much too attached to it. It's one of the older pieces in my wardrobe - so old I can't remember when I bought it - so I'm going to end up wearing it until it falls to pieces I think! It's one of those pieces that always works and looks great: pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, post-pregnancy and now in pregnancy again.

Same accessories as the day before. The sun hat protects my face and shoulders nicely from the sun on a day out and the grey bag goes with everything. I have no idea why Rebecca Minkoff discontinued this style, the MAM is a wonderful bag. There are still lots of cute Rebecca Minkoff bags (and I certainly own a few!), I just haven't found anything similar to the MAM.


Last worn: sun hat (above), feather print maxi dress, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff MAM (above).

Other ways to wear: sun hat for sightseeing, feather print maxi dress on the beach, Havaianas and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff MAM in the office.



Linking up with Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Flashback Fashion, Friday Favourites, Passion For Fashion, Fab Favourites.


This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Frocktober: Balenciaga Bags and SAHM Casual Daytime and Evening Printed Dresses

Continuing on with the Frocktober outfits. I'm doing a #31Days31DifferentDresses challenge and wearing a different dress every day in October to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Research.

Every donation helps! Thank you to everyone who is donating to this great cause.

What I wore:

Hat: white knitted beanie 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bracelets: the usual plus Edenborough Evans 'Ivy' silver cuff
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

It was a little chilly, so perfect time to wear one of my warmest dresses. And since it was Hat Day too, I was able to meet the #myStyleOctober challenge of 'hattitude' by wearing a cosy beanie. Layered up with a scarf as well as it got quite cold with the wind and rain.

I was so grateful to be wearing this dress, and not just for the extra warmth. The dress has a longer hem in the back that comes in helpful for toddler wrangling. I spent the morning at the accountants getting my tax done, having had to take toddler T along with me. Although he did sit there quietly 'reading' a book most of the time, every now and then he'd try running around. He managed to drop down and crawl under the accountant's desk at one stage!


Last worn: knitted beanie, skull scarf, striped tee dress, Chelsea ankle boots, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: knitted beanie in the office, pink skull scarf with blue and teal, striped tee dress in winter, Chelsea ankle boots and jeans, Balenciaga Part Time bag and denim.

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Shop more Balenciaga bags:

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What I wore:

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

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: Jeanswest grey snake print maxi dress
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

We went out for dinner in the evening with hubby's family, so I figured I'd wear one of my 'dressiest' dresses for the occasion. I'm trying to plan out the month so I'm not left with something completely inappropriate to wear near the end! Dinner out seemed like the best time to wear such a formal dress.

We weren't doing much earlier the day though, so I tried to dress this down a little, and settled on the denim jacket and casual bag. I've been wearing my Balenciaga bags a bit lately!

This dress hasn't been worn much - it's been almost 10 months since I last wore it! It's definitely staying in my wardrobe though. I just don't wear it much as I keep it for more formal occasions. I think it's perfectly okay to only wear a floor length formal dress a couple times a year. I expect my 'everyday' wardrobe to get worn a lot more though!


Last week I shared about the Shopbop sale, so I wanted to share with you all what I bought too. I picked up a couple things, after feeling like treating myself as I ended up doing #noSpenderSpetember!

What I bought:

• Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow
• Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, denim jacket, snake print maxi dress, Ikwetta sandals, Balenciaga sorbet city bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and a maxi skirt, snake print maxi dress at 39 weeks pregnant, Ikwetta sandals and a maxi skirt, pink Balenciaga sorbet city bag in the office.


Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, Trendy Tuesday, Turning Heads, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday.

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Corporate Style: Blazers, Colourful Pants and Printed Tops, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran Bag

Wearing some colourful pants to the office. Well, one pair of colourful pants, and sneaking in a pair of coloured jeans to work and passing them off as normal pants.

Since I'm doing the Frocktober challenge this year, I wanted to try wear something other than dresses to the office (I wore these back at the end of September). When I get around to posting my October outfits, it's going to be all dresses!

What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Top: Target ruffle sleeve dog print blouse
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

I've worn this top with red pants before, so it was an easy choice to try my burgundy ones. I really liked this outfit combination! The blazer and pants combo I've worn together before too, there was very little thinking required around this outfit. Nice and simple.

It was good to be able to wear these pants again, the last time I wore them I was in the accident and injured my knee. But it's healing up nicely!


Last worn: jersey blazer, dachshund print blouse, burgundy pants, camel flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: jersey blazer and jeans, dachshund print blouse and a pencil skirt, burgundy pants on the weekend, camel flats and a plaid shirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag and leopard print pants.

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Buy blazers at Shopbop (Starting from $40!):

Since I've previously shared some of the colourful pants available at Shopbop, I thought I'd show you the great blazers instead! There is a Rag & Bone blazer that's really similar to the one I'm wearing above, but it is on the more expensive side.

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Blouse: Jeanswest 'Ricky' ruffle front top in midnight
Pants: Jeanswest 'shale' super skinny jeans
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

I was looking for another pair of pants I could wear to work, so that I didn't end up wearing the burgundy pants above twice in one week! Apart from the burgundy pair, all my other pants are jeans and I don't have anything just for work after my wardrobe detox. Pants are hard for me to find, being petite. That's why I have so many jeans from Jeanswest - they just fit perfectly, so I'll keep buying them ;)

I have worn these jeans into the office before, so I decided to wear them that way again. They are quite a dark grey and you wouldn't really know they were denim just by glancing at them. They work nicely for my business casual office that is more casual than business.


Last worn: Zara black jersey blazer, polka dot ruffle tank, grey skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag (above).

Other ways to wear: black blazer and a striped dress, polka dot ruffle tank and red accessories, grey skinny jeans in summer, ballet flats and a pencil skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag and a little red dress.


Linking up with Let It Shine, Shoe and Tell, More Pieces of Me, Sincerely Jenna, Mix It Monday, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, On Trend Tuesday, Turning Heads, Wardrobe Wednesday.


This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Skinny Jeans, Colourful Scarves and Rebecca Minkoff Bags

Still posting more of my Fox in Flats style challenge outfits from May. As the temperatures started dropping, I had to add some scarves as well. It's a nice way to add colour in autumn or winter. They are also easily washable for life with baby, although I haven't yet found a way to stop baby grabbing and tugging on them sometimes!

What I wore:

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: Jeanswest 'Rowena' print tank
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC with python embossed leather in aquamarine (on sale here!)

Why I wore it:

I really liked the colour combination in this outfit! It's not the first time I've worn the bag and jeans together, but it's the first time I've worn the scarf and bag together. They go so well! I'll probably wear them together a few more times before winter is over...

The style challenge for the day was 'back track', so I wore this tank with the cut-out detail on the back. You can see it better on instagram. As I was taking the photos I was slowly realising it was much colder than I expected, much too cold for bare arms, so I had to run back inside and grab a jacket before we went out. Baby and I had planned to meet up with a mother's group in the park, but as I was running a little behind with all the errands I had to do that morning and I was worried how baby would cope in the cold, we decided to skip it and go home early.


Last worn: turquoise scarf, printed tank, purple skinny jeans, Converse, RM aqua mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: turquoise scarf with a printed dress, printed tank and maxi skirt hiding a second trimester baby bump, purple skinny jeans in spring, Converse and spring dresses, mini MAC and a maxi dress.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest brown marle waterfall cardi

Scarf: Supre neon pink leopard print scarf
Tee: Atmos&Here grey v-neck tee with rolled sleeves (on sale in black and in white)
Jeans: Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe
Boots: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was 'simple formula' which worked out well for me as it was another morning where I was running behind! The formula I went with was 'grey tee, skinny jeans and great accessories'.

I thought the scarf added a nice touch of colour, and some print mixing with the cardi. Just needed a cosy and comfortable outfit. Baby T and I went to the library in the morning, and then playgroup later on. It was good to be able to take off some layers as it heated up through the day.


Last worn: brown cardigan, neon leopard print scarf, grey tee, skinny jeans, brown boots, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wear: leopard print scarf with a more casual skinny jeans outfit, grey tee and maxi skirt, skinny jeans with printed kimono, leather boots with a dress, grey RM bag and neutral outfit.

Linking up with Pleated Poppy, What I Wore, Style Me Weekly, I Feel Pretty, Style Me Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Trendy Wednesday, Thursday Favourites, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Fashion Friday today.

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June Dress Week Style Challenge - Dresses, Tall Boots and Leather Jackets

As I mentioned my previous post, I'm participating in the June Dress Week style challenge on instagram. I'm a little behind with blogging the outfits, but I'm posting as quickly as I can (and skipping over some banked up Fox in Flats Style Dare outfit posts) so that I can blog together with Kiki from According to Kiki. We are participating in the challenge together on instagram. You can follow along with us, @kikimincks and @awayfromblue.

I skipped the style challenge for 'fan favourite' as baby T was unwell and wearing a dress was not the ideal outfit for a day at home with a sick baby. But you can check out Kiki's take on the look here! Below is what I wore for the 'boho beauty' and 'nautical nods' challenges.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest black leather moto jacket

Scarf: Sportsgirl animal scarf in violet
Dress: Jeanswest 'Chelsea' printed dress
Boots: Asos Cleo leather boots in black
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

This outfit was for the style challenge 'boho beauty'. It's winter here in Australia, although it's summer for the Americans who came up with the challenge, so I'm wearing a few extra layers...I tried to winterise my summer boho dress but really don't think I did the dress justice layered up like this. I preferred the last time I layered up this dress, for autumn. I think if I'd worn ankle boots, and maybe a different print-free bag I would have felt better about this outfit. Not too confident driving in my ankle boots as they have high heels though, so that's why I went with these.

This leather jacket has always been worn less than my others as it's a looser fit, and it works better with something fitted. I think a little bit of an outfit fail all round, although the idea seemed good in my head and in the mirror, I really didn't like it after looking at the photos. See how Kiki interpreted the theme better.

This outfit did made me smile though when I looked back through the blog to find the last time I'd worn the scarf. It was when I was 7 months pregnant, and just last week we celebrated baby T's first birthday! Time is flying by.


Last worn: black leather jacket, purple leopard print scarf (with a third trimester baby belly!), boho printed dress, tall black leather boots, LV speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: leather jacket to the office, leopard print scarf with a maxi dress, boho dress in summer, black leather boots with a grey dress in winter, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag for the office.

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket

Scarf: Alexander McQueen red skull-print modal and cashmere-blend scarf (on sale here!)

Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress

Belt: Supre red braided belt

Boots: Asos Cleo leather boots in black

Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

I wore this outfit for the 'nautical nods' theme. I thought the navy and the stripes worked well with the red accessories to be a little nod to nautical style! I'd actually had an office outfit planned with a different dress, but baby T was unwell so I wasn't able to make it into work. It was still going to be a striped dress with red accessories though, that's the closest any of my dresses get to a nautical theme! See Kiki do nautical here.

It was nice wearing this dress again - one of my favourites from last winter, it's cosy and comfortable. As baby T was feeling a little better, I had a bit more time to get organised and ready for our doctor's visit, so I enjoyed being able to dress up and meet the challenge. The only thing I didn't like about this outfit was the placement of the belt - I think I should have worn it a little higher, it hits me at an odd spot in the photos. The dress is a thick fabric too so doesn't really slouch over the top of the belt as much as I imagined. Maybe would have been better without the belt entirely, but overall I liked this outfit - comfortable and cosy.

Last worn: printed leather jacket, red Alexander McQueen skull scarf, striped tee dress, red belt, boots(above), LV speedy bandouliere (above).

Other ways to wear: leather jacket with office wear, skull scarf in spring, dress with a snood and brown boots, red belt with a nautical maxi dress, boots and skinny jeans, speedy bandouliere with shorts in summer.

Linking up with Styled Up, Shoe and Tell, Style to Inspire, Mix It Monday, More Pieces of Me, On the Daily Express, Real Mom Style, Bless Your Heart, Reasons to Dress, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, The Wednesday Pants, Wardrobe Wednesday, Style Sessions, Because Shanna Said So, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday today.

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Corporate Style: Scarves and Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote

I've only been back at work a few months, so I have lots of summery work outfit ideas. I'm trying to wear them and go bare-legged as long as possible. It's certainly warm enough to do during the day, but it is pretty cold in the mornings!

Two autumn work outfits, one that got a lot of love on instagram despite how much I hated it in person, and another I really liked!

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Grey and pink leopard print scarf from Paddy's Markets in Sydney
Dress: Leona Edmiston Jemima fern print dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

I really did not like this outfit. I liked the idea in my head, and it met the style challenge theme of 'a hint of pink' with both the dress and scarf...but it just felt really bulky on. It was all too much with the layers and the print mixing. Cosy with all the layers, just didn't feel very confident in it, felt a bit 'bleh'. Thankfully I didn't need the scarf indoors, and I was able to change as soon as I got home.

Everyone on instagram really seemed to love this outfit though! It even got more likes than Baby T's newborn photo! Maybe the print mixing didn't look as bad as I thought.


Last worn: trench coat, leopard print scarf, Leona Edmiston printed dress, ankle strap heels, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: leopard print scarf with skinny jeans, trench coat with jersey dress, ankle strap heels with pencil skirts, navy MAB tote with a monochrome blue outfit.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Tee: Thrifted valleygirl blue 3/4 sleeve tee (new purchase)
Skirt: vintage pencil skirt from The Thrifty Kitten
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

The next style challenge was 'powerful' and I don't really think I have any clothes that make me feel powerful. Confident I do though! Like most people, I tend to think heels make me feel more confident. Heels, a pencil skirt and a blazer is a staple work wear combination for me so I feel pretty confident in it.  Just might have been a little cosier with the trench coat on top rather than the blazer, as I was bare-legged. Winter temperatures are definitely here in the mornings!

This top is one of the new-to-me ones I got from the 'fill a bag for $2' op-shop sale. I wanted to wear it like this as I remembered the comment Kiki had made last time I wore this skirt about how nice it would look with cobalt blue. I've worn it with white, brown and purple before but this is the first time I've tried it with blue. This top isn't cobalt, but I did really like the blue with the printed skirt.


I'm always so grateful when you leave constructive criticism or outfit suggestions - it's good to get some ideas from an impartial third party about how things look, and some different things to try. As I learnt in my wardrobe detox session with the personal stylist, I'm not always using my wardrobe to it's full potential or dressing in the most flattering outfit combinations. But just like the terrible outfit above, I'll still share what I wore anyway - and think of different ways to wear things in future so I am back to feeling confident and happy with what I'm wearing.


Last worn: cream blazer, skull scarf, printed pencil skirt, nude heels, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above). First time I've worn the tee as it's a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: blazer with skinny jeans, tan skull scarf with red, printed pencil skirt in summer, nude heels with a printed dress, navy tote with printed dress and pink blazer.

Linking up with WIW, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, I Feel Pretty, The Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Wardrobe Wednesday, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Favourites, Look What I Got today.

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Post Christmas Sales, Curves and Cat Eyes Style Challenge Outfits

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! If you got some gift cards or some money you're looking to spend in the Boxing Day sales, check out the Sales and Discounts page. I've added some sales info to the bottom of the post too. Happy shopping!


Continuing on with my behind-in-blogging catch up posts, sharing more of my Fox in Flats DAREcember Style Challenge outfits.


Here's what I wore to have lunch with my colleagues:

Dress: Jeanswest floral wrap dress
Shoes: Balenciaga studded sandals in sorbet RGGH


As work starts to slow down a little around Christmas time, I took the chance to go into the city in the afternoon to have a leisurely lunch with some colleagues. I'm so thankful for my friend K organising everything for me, I just had to turn up. I was really nervous about how baby would behave, in a noisy restaurant while people were trying to talk and eat....but he did really well! Let me have a proper 'grown up lunch', smiling away and playing quietly as we chatted. I think feeding him before hand and being ready to feed him at the table if needed helped a bit.

The style prompt for the day was 'curves', and dressing post-baby curves is sometimes tricky I'll be honest! But a wrap dress flatters all curves - from little ones to large ones! The tie and the print helps draw attention away from the baby belly. Thought the dress was good for meeting the challenge for the day, and looking put-together enough for lunch with everyone dressed up in business attire.


Last worn: printed wrap dress, Balenciaga studded sandals.

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Here's what I wore to go to a Christmas party:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Necklace: Chanel necklace
Dress: JayJays feather print maxi dress
Shoes: Balenciaga studded sandals in sorbet RGGH
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey


The style challenge for the day was 'cat eyes', mentioning sunnies or eye-liner. I don't have cat eye sunnies and I couldn't find the lonely and very old eye-liner I have. I thought this dress kind of fitted the theme, as the peacock feather print has 'eyes' on it? Definitely stretching it with this outfit!

Was a comfortable and pretty outfit to wear to baby T's Christmas party though! We had a little catch up with the ladies from the mother's group who hadn't yet gone away for Christmas, and exchanged gifts for the babies. It was a lot of fun! I took the chance to wear my new handbag too, the Rebecca Minkoff Love bag. Mum got me it for my birthday, I'm so happy as I've been wanting it a while. Definitely wouldn't be able to get the Chanel boy bag, this is a cute alternative option I've been hoping for since I first saw it. Didn't really need a handbag, as I only popped out to the shops quickly before the party and could have just put my stuff in the baby bag, but wanted to use my new bag.


Last worn: wayfarers, feather print maxi dress, Balenciaga sandals (above). First time I've worn the handbag as it was a recent gift.


As mentioned, there are a few sales around! I'm keeping the Sales and Discount page up to date, but I've included a few below too to save you clicking through.

Christmas Maxi Dress Outfit, Casual Shorts and Print Mixing. Balenciaga Bags

Two more Fox in Flats Darecember style challenge outfits I've worn. The first is what I wore for an early Christmas, maxi dresses are always a favourite of mine for Christmas, forgiving after you've stuffed yourself with delicious food!

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Just a few more sleeps!


Here's what I wore to celebrate Christmas with hubby's family:

Dress: Jeanswest grey snake print maxi dress
Shoes: Asos 'five star' leather sandals (new purchase)
Bracelets: the usual plus silver charm bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga flat clutch GSH in 2010 Sang


A Christmas outfit already! As some of hubby's family were going overseas, we held a big get-together for an early Christmas. We exchanged gifts, ate a yummy Christmas meal and had fun celebrating early.

I'd made the decision this year not to buy a new dress to celebrate Christmas in, partly because we will be having so many Christmas get-togethers! I still hadn't decided what dress I'd wear to each Christmas event when I saw that the style challenge for the day was 'bare back', and this backless maxi seemed like a great choice for the party.

The clutch wasn't really necessary as I left it in the baby bag the whole time anyway, it just helped me feel a little more "dressed up" for the occasion. I wasn't sure about the pale pink sandals and the red clutch, but felt they were far enough apart that it didn't matter that they didn't match. I was eager to wear my new shoes!

It makes me really happy to see that the last time I wore this dress, I was pregnant and going for an evening out with hubby. Our last baby-free dinner date! This is a more casual and dressed down look then before.


Last worn: snake print maxi dress, Balenciaga flat clutch. First time I've worn the sandals.

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Here's what I wore to go out without baby T:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Tee: Cotton On 'Asher' short sleeve tee in white and grey marl deck stripe
Shorts: Jeanswest 'Scarlette' printed shorts (on sale, 40% off!)
Shoes: Asos 'five star' leather sandals
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete


My favourite of my style challenge outfits so far, 'print mixing' was the prompt and I knew stripes would be one of my prints. I do wear a lot more stripes now!

Wore this out to go into the city for the first time without baby T. He stayed at home as DH and I caught up after work to view the results of the family photo shoot we'd had a few days earlier. (I didn't get blog photos of my photo shoot outfit, it was just jeans and a tee). It was a really strange experience being in the city by myself! It was such a hot day I was glad I'd picked a simple outfit to wear as I got a little lost trying to find my way to the photo studio on foot.


So soon after the first wear above, this is the second wear of my new shoes, so my thoughts:

I'm really pleased I snapped these up in the Asos sale, I felt I needed a nice simple sandal option for those days when I want to be a little more dressed up than I am in my trusty Havaianas. I've owned a few Asos leather sandals, they always last a couple years and are super cheap, so I'm happy with this purchase and see the shoes being worn a fair bit. Hope you've enjoyed reading along as I analyse all my new purchases - it's certainly making me think more about things I buy and actually helping me to buy less, even though it's only been a few months since I started sharing my purchase reviews on the blog.

While I'm happy to have added the shoes to my wardrobe, this tee is leaving! I've worn it three times on the blog since I bought it (here, here and now), which isn't a lot for something I've had 2 years. It sounds good, a grey striped tee, and it was a bargain, so good that I picked it up and bought it without even trying it on. I've never been completely happy with it any time I've worn it, and this time around was the same, I worried it was sitting oddly or that the stripes looked weird...I have other striped tees and other grey tees I love more, so this tee is going in the donate pile. No point in holding onto and wearing something I don't love.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, striped tee, printed shorts, leather sandals (above), Balenciaga Tempete Day bag.

Linking up with Style Sessions, Real Mum Style, Celebrate Southern, Confident Twosday, Trend Spin Linkup, Style Me Wednesday, Watcha Wearing Wednesday today.

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