Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC and MAB Comparison: With Striped Tanks and Shorts

When summer temperatures continue into autumn in Brisbane, you make the most of it and take the opportunity to wear some more shorts! The two soft, relaxed fit shorts below were purchased at the start of summer last year and they've been a great addition to my wardrobe. It's been nice to wear them into autumn as well. Add a classic striped tank, and you have an easy outfit for a stay at home mum.

What I wore:

Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Tank: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Shorts: Jeanswest Tessa olive embroidered shorts
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

Olive green shorts and green beaded necklace because even though we had a fairly uneventful day of errands, it was Saint Patrick's day so I wanted to dress the part just a little!

This tank is the piece I thought of wearing with these shorts when I first bought them. I loved this outfit, it was just as perfect as I imagined with the floral embroidery on the shorts and the striped tank. Stripes go with everything!

Just like stripes, this metallic silver mini MAC bag goes with everything too. Definitely one of my frequently worn pieces.

No extra layers needed with this - it was a really warm day and we even put the aircon on in the afternoon. More like summer than autumn!


Last worn: striped tank, olive embroidered shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag.

Other ways to wear: striped tank and pencil skirt, olive embroidered shorts and black top, studded sandals worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff metallic mini MAC bag and metallic tank.

Perfect for pregnancy: striped tank in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag and maternity shorts.

---

Video Comparison of the Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB and Mini MAC Bags:

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Tank: Atmos & Here Oregon stripe tank
Shorts: Jeanswest Parker printed shirred short
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Why I wore it:

A little extra layer here with the denim jacket. It was quite a wet day, so the jacket as an extra layer came in helpful as I stood outside the car struggling with car seat buckles and getting drenched every time I took the boys in or out, ha!

Just like the outfit above, I'd had this outfit combination in my head for a while. I thought the striped tank would work nicely with the black printed shorts, and just like the outfit above, I really enjoyed this combination.

Even with the blue denim jacket, I did feel the black tank and shorts together was a little too monochromatic, so I went with purple accessories. I hadn't worn this silicone teething necklace in a while and I saw it pop up on the Nibbly Bits instagram, so knew it was overdue a wear. The plum mini MAB tote is always the perfect pairing with it too, they match so well!

Unlike the day and outfit above, this was a bit of a hectic day, with daycare drop off and pick up, working from home, a specialist appointment and then a broken freezer adding to the broken fridge worries so we had to rush out at dinner time to find something for the boys to eat. I was glad when the day was over in the end!


Last worn: denim jacket, striped tank, Parker printed shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and little black dress, striped tank in winter, Parker printed shorts and colourful tank, studded sandals and navy dress, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote and black jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in third trimester.

---

Striped Tanks Under $50:

---

How You Can Wear It:

Stripes go with anything and make dressing easy. With a neutral pair of shorts, you can add some extra interest to your outfit with a striped tank. If your shorts are printed, adding a striped tank allows you to print mix. A good rule for this is to pick stripes that compliment the colours in the printed shorts, which lead to the last black and white outfit.



Linking up with Thursday Moda, Flashback Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear.

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

Knotted Maxi Dresses With Denim Jacket and Louis Vuitton Bag: Paddle Boarding On The Gold Coast

I have more maxi dresses in my wardrobe than any other type of dress, they are definitely my favourite! I wore maxi dresses below for two very different days, but the dresses worked perfectly both times. Maxi dresses just work everywhere!

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
Dress: Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Lovisa rose gold beaded bracelet stack
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

It was such a fun day out when I wore this. We had some family visiting who hadn't met the boys yet so it was incredible meeting up with them and introducing them! The extended family headed down to the Gold Coast, and went paddle boarding at Palm Beach. A rain shower arrived at the beach shortly after we did but it turned into such a sunny day, the boys had an amazing time meeting family and playing in the sand.

The neverfull bag is one I frequently take to the beach, although with the rain I did wish I'd picked a different bag. It was handy to have though, held everything I needed and had space to put my accessories in while I enjoyed the water and sand.

The knot in the maxi dress was perfect to stop the hem getting wet and dragging as I wore it on the sand. It's not the first time I've knotted this maxi dress. I like how it makes it look a little different when it's knotted.

When the skies started looking dark again, we packed up and headed out to have a BBQ at my cousin's place. As you can see in the video below, we left at just the right time! I quickly pulled my accessories out and put my jacket back on and felt suitably attired for a family BBQ on the back veranda in the rain.


Last worn: denim jacket, tie dye maxi dress, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton neverfull bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and jeans, tie dye maxi dress for a party, Louis Vuitton neverfull bag and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in third trimester, tie dye maxi dress at 38 weeks, Louis Vuitton neverfull bag in second trimester.

---

Paddle Boarding On The Gold Coast - Family Vlog

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Lovisa silver love knitted heart pendant necklace
Dress: JayJays feather print maxi dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

Not as casual a day out this time! I loved knotting the maxi dress above so much that I decided to do it again with this feather print maxi dress, which is on the longer side but I've still never had taken up.

Again with the denim jacket, although it stayed on much longer on this day as hubby and I had an appointment in the morning and most of the day was spent in the freezing aircon. No rain, even though I had my waterproof Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag instead of the neverfull tote I'd worn above. I kinda wish I'd taken the speedy to the beach and the neverfull to our appointment! I was glad of the denim jacket though, it was freezing in the aicon, and I needed it, even if I did take it off when we got outside.

Just like the first outfit, this denim jacket and dress combo has been worn together before, but I think if something works, why change it? I'm happy to keep rewearing combinations I like.


Last worn: bubblegum denim jacket (above), feather print maxi dress, studded sandals, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag.

Other ways to wear: bubblegum denim jacket and maxi skirt, feather print maxi dress at a wedding, studded sandals and shorts, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag and long sleeve dresses.

Perfect for pregnancy: bubblegum denim jacket in second trimester, feather print maxi dress in second trimester, studded sandals in third trimester, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag in third trimester.

---

Maxi Dresses Under $50:

---

How You Can Wear It:

A denim jacket is a great layer to add to a maxi dress for autumn - or even spring! As well as coming in helpful to keep you cosy on a rainy day sitting out on the veranda, it works to take the chill off the aircon when you're sat inside for too long! Knotted dresses are a quick petite style hack that makes any dress a perfect length. Even if your maxi dress is the ideal length for you already, adding a knot to it changes up the look of the dress a little and makes it feel new - even if the rest of the outfit is all pieces you've worn together before.

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

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

Boho Printed Dresses and Denim Jacket: Autumn Layering With Rebecca Minkoff Bags

To try and change things up a little bit, I set my shorts aside and decided to wear some of my dresses that haven't been worn yet this year. I've been neglecting my dresses and skirts lately! With some cooler rainy weather, it was the perfect opportunity to add a light layer. The blue denim jacket works well with both these boho dresses, even though they are different styles. Denim jackets are classics!

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Dress: Jeanswest 'Chelsea' printed dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black!)
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Why I wore it:

I like blue and purple together, so of course I've worn this purple mini MAB tote bag and blue dress together before. Although I don't have the baby bump this time!

I bought this dress 4 years ago and loved it so much, I wore it frequently and I was sure I'd be closer to 30 wears with it - this is only it's 14th wear! Having the blog to keep track of how many times I wear things has been eye opening.

No matter how many times it's been worn, I love this each time I wear it, and the blue dress and denim jacket work perfectly together. The purple bag is such a great accessory with it too. Wore this to run a few errands with the boys in the morning, with a trip to the library too.

The nice thing about this dress is that the ties at the neckline mean no necklace is required - really easy to wear!


Last worn: denim jacket, blue printed dress, gold mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff plum MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and pink shorts, blue printed dress layered for cooler weather, gold mouse flats in the office, Rebecca Minkoff plum MAB and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester, blue printed dress in second trimester, gold mouse flats and maternity pencil skirts, Rebecca Minkoff plum MAB in third trimester.

---

My Rebecca Minkoff Handbag Collection:

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

Another repeat here as it's not the first time I've worn this denim jacket and sundress together! Again, I liked the combo.

After a wet weekend, it was predicted to storm again. We had playgroup in the morning and a specialist appointment in the afternoon. Expecting it to rain, I added the denim jacket. Unlike the day above though, we weren't often in the aircon and I ended up taking the denim jacket off as soon as it heated up. Was such a humid day in the end. I was glad I'd worn such a floaty, light dress when I was sitting outside in the playground with the boys and left the denim jacket in the car.

Not the first time I've worn the mustard bag with the little black dress either, I love the way the mustard pops with the black.


Last worn: denim jacket (above), tiered little black dress, studded gladiator sandals, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket in double denim outfit, tiered little black dress and kimono, studded gladiator sandals worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester.

---

Boho Printed Dresses Under $50:

---

How You Can Wear It:

Denim jackets are a great layer to add to a light sundress if the weather is a little cooler. If it heats up, it can easily be removed. You can even tie it around your waist if you don't want to leave it in the car like I did with the second outfit.


Linking up with Friday Faves, Lizzie In Lace, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Hello Monday, On Mondays We Link Up.

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

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 

Tailoring Thrifted Pieces: Is It Worth It? Opshop Finds and Denim Jackets

While I'm not a massive opshopper (thrift shopper for my American readers!) I do like browsing when I can and occasionally getting a bargain. Back in October, my local store had a 'fill a bag for $2' sale. I took the rare opportunity to leave the boys home with hubby and have some time to myself to browse. I didn't try anything on, just filling my bag with things that looked good and I guesstimated would work.

I've shared before that I sometimes wonder if it's worth buying less than perfect pieces at the opshop with the idea of spending more to get them tailored to fit. But with two of the thrifted pieces I'm wearing below I decided to go ahead and spend more on getting them tailored. They worked out at 67 cents each so even with the average $14 tailoring price for both they were still bargains.

What I wore:

 

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Wilma teething necklace in pale daffodil
Tank: Jeanswest brown marle singlet
Skirt: Thrifted tribal print maxi skirt (new purchase)
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This beautiful tribal print skirt used to be a strapless dress. It looked nicely made, but you could see where the fabric had been pulled from someone constantly adjusting it. I couldn't get past the gorgeous print and colours, it looked lovingly handmade too so I added it to my bag, reasoning I could wear it as a maxi skirt. When I got it home and tested this theory out, I realised it was going to need a bit of elastic sewn in to keep it in place as a skirt. Luckily my tailor was happy to do that for me. While it's not quite maxi skirt length, and is more an ankle grazing length on me, I adore it. I've never seen anything like this in the stores and being cotton it's sure to get a lot of wear over summer.

It's made me think about getting my red maxi skirt fixed up - it's a bit too long (#petiteprobs!) but I usually just get around that by wearing it higher on my waist.

Wore this out for an errand filled day with the boys, trying to cram everything in before a predicted storm was due to arrive. Thankfully it passed right by us. I did a little detour in the morning and stopped by the Jeanswest sale again, and picked up another little something which you'll have already seen in my November purchase post.


Last worn: denim jacket, brown marle tank, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan. First time I've worn the skirt as it was a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and maxi dress, brown marle tank and wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket and hidden baby bump, brown tank in third trimester, gold Havaianas and maternity bermuda shorts.

---

Denim Jackets Under $50:

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee:  thrifted mix apparel black space dye tee
Shorts: Thrifted pastel pink cotton shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey

Why I wore it:

Both the tee and the shorts I picked up at the same $2 sale! The super soft tee was perfect as it was, so no alterations were needed there. I got it to replace my black tee which I accidentally destroyed by sticking it in the wrong wash cycle one too many times!

When I saw these shorts I was drawn to the colour and felt positive when I saw the size label was my normal size. I threw them in the bag. After having my colours 'done' pastels were one of the things suggested to keep away from my face, so I thought these shorts would be a nice way to add some pastels to my summer outfits.

I was disappointed to get them home and realise that they were either labeled incorrectly or a different sizing standard, as they were much too big. After debating if I could belt them, I decided to go ask my tailor if she could do anything. And she could! I felt pretty good about giving these shorts a new life, slightly tapered off by then seeing very similar shorts on sale for less than half the cost of the alterations.

The way I see it though, I supported a charity buying them in the first place (even though it was just $2...), and supported a local business with the alterations. So I don't feel too bad that there are similar styles available cheaper. $14.67 is a pretty good price for a cute pair of shorts!

Wore these out to playgroup, where the boys had chocolate chip cookies and of course my shorts were smeared in chocolate. Hopefully these light shorts will fare better next time I wear them!


Last worn: denim jacket (above), black marle tee, black Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag. First time I've worn the pastel pink shorts as they are recently back from the tailor.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and printed maxi skirt, black marle tee and olive shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and floral maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in third trimester, Love bag and maxi dress in third trimester.

---

How You Can Wear It:

It can be tricky to find your size when op shopping. While there are ways around things being slightly too big like belting or wearing skirts higher on your waist, you can always alter something to make it fit. If you're not crafty or are a bad sewer like I am, finding a local tailor is a good idea. They can give you ideas and advice on ways to change garments and make them work for you. Something to try when you love something so much you don't want to leave the store without it. (Tia is my local tailor who I recommend if you're in the Brisbane bayside and this post was not sponsored, she doesn't even know I'm writing it).


Do you buy things knowing they will need alterations, or do you leave them on the opshop rack and hunt for other treasures that fit?


Linking up with Turning Heads, On Trend, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions.

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