Although last month when I shared my purchases I said I was pretty wardrobe content and didn't expect to be buying anything for my wardrobe in May, I stumbled on some sales ...
All of these were impulse buys! I got sucked in by a Facebook ad for the Salty Crush warehouse sale (nothing over $39!) and knowing my sister loves the site and has bought me a few dresses from there I couldn't resist checking it out, and picked up two pretty dresses.
Then after thinking I definitely wouldn't buy any more, I walked past the 3 for $10 jewellery sale at Collette and just had to pick up some statement earrings. I got 6 pairs for $20 which is a great bargain in my eyes. Yes, as my mum said, I didn't really need 6 new pairs of earrings, but it's not that much more than what I'd pay at the opshops for the same, and statement earrings are something I tend to wear more often in the winter months, as I layer with scarves which hide necklaces.
How I Wore It:
I haven't included the outfits I wore the earrings in, although they will pop up on the blog in the next few weeks. Simply because it would be a little hard to spot the earrings in this photo collage! But I have worn all the earrings at least twice in May, the month I bought them, as is my goal for everything I buy. As you can see I managed to get two wears from both dresses too! The Jaase mini dress has long sleeves and is roomy enough that I can layer a slip underneath so I'm hoping that I will be able to wear it a little more before winter weather really arrives in Brisbane. The long sleeved maxi dress is a little thin but it's layered up well so far for autumn days, and it means it will work in spring too!
The earrings and dresses are getting me lots of compliments, and are all things I'm very glad I added to my wardrobe, even if they were all impulse buys.
Now that Brisbane is having a little bit of cooler autumn weather at last, thought that this cosy black and navy striped shift dress with 3/4 sleeves was the perfect piece to feature for my latest 30 ways to wear post!
30 Ways To Wear: Atmos & Here Navy and Black Stripe Shift Dress
Cost Per Wear
I picked this navy stripe tee dress up on sale at The Iconic for $26.36, back in July 2014. So I've had it in my wardrobe almost 11 years! At 32 wears, it's down to 82 cents a wear. And it's still going strong, it will be worn in the cooler months for years to come.
It has taken over a decade to get more than 30 wears, but I credit that to it being a dress I can only really wear on cooler days, and it not being one I could wear when breastfeeding. I definitely think of it as a staple in my wardrobe though and look forward to wearing it in the colder months.
Out of the 32 outfits I've made from this dress, here are my 30 favourite ways I've worn it so far.
Navy Stripe Tee Dress With More Blue
I love wearing multiple shades of blue together in an outfit, and as you can see from these 4 outfits, the dark navy dress is perfect with blue jackets, scarves, bags and even shoes.
Striped Shift Dress With Boots
As this striped dress is quite thick with the long 3/4 length sleeves, I wear it most often on colder days. it means it's the perfect temperature to wear some boots with it too! Sometimes with bare legs and ankle boots, other ways I've worn it include with taller boots and leggings.
Navy Stripe Dress With Yellow
The neutral navy and black stripes on this dress make it the perfect backdrop for a nice bright scarf, and as you can see from each of these 4 outfits, yellow scarves are a bit of a go-to for me with this dress. And sometimes I add a little yellow bag for even more bright colour against the neutral navy.
Navy Striped Tee Dress With Red
Navy and red is not a new combination, but like the colour combinations above, it's one I reach for a lot with this dress! I love the pop of a nice bright red accessory against navy, from something small like a belt or necklace, to something larger like a bag or scarf.
Navy and Purple
Of course it's not just colourful scarves that look good with this dress, although as you can see from the last 3 of these outfits I do like wearing printed purple scarves with this dress! In the first photo though you can see even a small pop of a lighter lilac purple can look good against a navy dress.
Navy Stripe Dress With Pink
Blue and pink has to be one of my favourite combinations, and I have worn an awful lot of pink bags with this neutral dress. it's a very fun pop of colour! But again, wearing this in cooler weather, I find pink scarves brighten it up nicely, and I really liked that middle outfit with the blush pink blazer over the dress.
Navy Striped Shift Dress With Green Accessories
I think blue and green should definitely be seen together! Navy is a really nice shade of blue to wear with green, and it works well with different shades. The olive bag, green necklace and darker green bag all look good against the dress.
This is an overdue post! Over Lunar New Year we stayed at Tangalooma with the in-laws, on the beautiful Mulgumpin Island. Last time hubby and I were there was for our honeymoon and I have no idea why it took us so long to visit again, it's the best place. Most of the time I was in a bikini, but I did also wear a few dresses for dinner and sometimes as a cover up over my bikinis. I packed light, with one bag, my big Neverfull tote, and just a few dresses. Didn't even take my camera so just Instagram pics from my phone.
What I wore:
Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat Dress: thrifted peach and white floral print tiered sundress Bracelets: the usual Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur Neverfull
Why I wore it:
This dress makes such a good cover up! Perfect for a lazy day by the pool. It was suitable for going out for lunch as well. We did have a little rain shower, which didn't bother the kids as they were already in the pool! And thankfully this dress dried quickly when the sun came back out.
Necklace: thrifted gold and pastel blue beaded necklace with grey string Dress: thrifted no label pastel floral print babydoll dress Bracelets: the usual Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur Neverfull
Why I wore it:
Another great cover up, I've worn this dress to a pool party before as it's nice and light. It's a quick drying viscose and such a lovely print. As you can see in the photo, it was a bit of a rainy start to the day! We headed out to the pool anyway and thankfully the sun came out before we went scuba diving round the Tangalooma wrecks. It was a little scary as with the wind and the earlier rain the waves were really high, but under the water around the wrecks was just stunning, so many fish! We had the best time.
It stayed dry all afternoon, and hubby and the kids enjoyed the pool while I had a very indulgent beachside massage. Absolute bliss.
Necklace: double circle hammered pendant necklace Dress: thrifted colourful geometric print maxi dress Bracelets: the usual Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur Neverfull
Why I wore it:
While we missed the evening's kookaburra feeding there were still some of the birds hanging around after the event, so I tried to take a pic with them. This kookaburra quickly figured no more food was coming and flew off though!
I wore this fun geometric print maxi dress with my Louis Vuitton Neverfull and the gold statement necklace when we all went out for dinner. The barman even managed to knock up a mocktail for the kids that was similar to the 'welcome drinks' I enjoyed when I came to Tangalooma as a kid.
Another simple tiered dress for dinner. I picked this one, also another great bikini cover up, to wear out for dinner and for our dolphin feeding. The waves were pretty high and we had to go waist deep into the water so I figured a light dress like this one would be best as it would dry quickly afterwards.
Did get a little difficult walking into the surf trying to hold onto my son, a fish for the dolphin, and the dress that was floating up around me! But once we got further into the water the wetness held it down. It was so fun feeding the dolphins again. There's a pod of local wild dolphins that come up to Tangalooma pier every night for food and the dolphin we fed was the son of the dolphin that my sister and I fed a couple times as kids, and that my husband and I fed on our honeymoon! Such a special thing to share with our boys.
I purchased this dress in 2014 and it quickly became a favourite, so I'm surprised it's taken me 10 years to hit 31 wears with it! It is a super cute dress, and certainly should have hit 30 wears sooner! It's good to finally get to that goal and put this post together for it.
30 Ways to Wear: Jeanswest Boho Navy Tile Print Dress
Cost Per Wear
I bought this dress back in the pre-Christmas sales at the end of 2014. It was an impulse buy from Jeanswest. Sadly I didn't note down all my purchases back then, so while I know it was on sale and had an extra 40% off, I'm not sure how much I paid for it to calculate cost of wear. I still think I got my money's worth from this dress though! I got 31 wears from it over the years and it still looks good as new.
I love the blue tile print, the relaxed style and the peasant top with the tassels and the cute crochet detail. With blue being my favourite colour and something that works so well in my wardrobe, I've worn this dress in quite a few different ways over the years. Even if there were some years it didn't get worn at all as it wasn't the best dress for breastfeeding in!
While tying the tassels on the top or leaving them untied alters the neckline of the dress to change the look slightly, there are a few other things I've worn this dress with to make it a little different each time. Here are 30 of the different ways I've worn it:
Belting A Printed Dress
The easiest way to change up any dress, especially one with a defined elasticated dress like this one, is to belt it! I used this trick in pregnancy as you can see in the middle there to hold the dress in place over the baby bump.
Printed Dress With Boots
Tall boots work well with this above the knee dress, but ankle boots are definitely my favourite with the dress! The tassels and boho tile print make ankle boots something I frequently reach for when I'm wearing this dress, and makes it work into spring and autumn.
Boho Dress With Sneakers Outfits
Of course you can easily dress this down with a pair of sneakers too! While the boots above are a favourite pairing, I wear a lot of Converse with this dress, and I haven't found a pair of sneakers yet that don't work with it to create a casual outfit.
Layered Printed Dress Outfits
This dress has 3/4 sleeves but it is a light viscose so it needs a little extra layering in cooler weather. A denim jacket is an easy choice with a printed dress for spring or autumn. Another layering formula I've tried is making this dress more formal for the office by adding a blazer.
Boho Summer Dress In Winter
This is a lovely navy print dress and despite the longer sleeves, works so well in summer with the light viscose fabric. I find that it layers nicely in winter as well though! Adding a slip underneath, a cosy leather jacket, fleece lined tights or tall boots, even a scarf, and it works well for the milder snow-free Brisbane winters.
Navy Tile Print Dress With Pops Of Colour
I am a big fan of adding extra colour to an outfit with accessories, and this printed dress is no exception! In this set of photos, and in others in the post, you'll see I love a bright bag against the navy print. Anything works! From greens to oranges, or even a pink and purple necklace like in the second photo.
Blue Bag And Navy Printed Dress Outfits
Blue is my favourite colour so if I'm already wearing one shade of blue I'll happily reach for another to compliment it! With this navy dress, I've worn a few blue bags over the years. Anything from a storm blue to a periwinkle blue, and of course navy, blue bags look great with the navy print.
Red Bags With Navy Tile Print Dress
A red bag is a fin pop of colour and as you can see from these 3 red bag outfits here they really make a statement with the navy tile print! Just like the other colour combinations I've shared above, there's something about navy and red that always looks good.
Navy Printed Dress With Pink Bags
Saving the best for last - blue and pink! Just like the other accessory combinations I've shared, with the navy print, any shade of pink from a light pastel to a bold fuchsia works nicely with this dress. While I do love a little crossbody bag with this simple summer dress, a big bold pink bag like the Balenciaga ones in the first and last photos looks good too.
I'm thrilled I reached 30 wears with this cute tropical floral print shift dress. Tee dresses are such a staple for me in my wardrobe, and this one always gets compliments. It's such a lovely print!
30 Ways To Wear: Tropical Floral Print Tee Dress
This is a fun dress, and with all the different colours, from the green background to the colourful tropical floral print, it's really easy to find pieces to wear it with in my wardrobe. It has the added benefit of being a nice light tee dress, perfect for spring, autumn and summer in Brisbane, it's one of those pieces I find myself reaching for fairly often. I have layered it up a little for cooler weather too, but the warmer weather is definitely when this gets worn the most.
I like the grey contrast sleeves - it has a grey panel on the back too, which makes it really easy to wear as you just focus on pairing things with the fun bright print and the rest is a muted neutral.
Cost Per Wear
While I have reached 30 wears on this dress, it's not quite at a dollar per wear goal so many people aim for. I bought it online from The Iconic back in September 2014, and with a discount code and it being on sale I snapped it up for $39.98. They had the same print in a shirt and I deliberated between the dress and tee, rationalising the dress was the better buy as I could wear it as a top too, which I have done a few times. So versatile, and it's currently at $1.33 a wear, with a lot of life left in it and a permanent place in my wardrobe. It may have gotten very little wear in the breastfeeding years, but I've certainly made up for that now with how often I reach for it.
Here are the 30 different ways I've worn this dress so far:
Floral Dress with Matching Colourful Handbags
Such an easy way to wear a colourful handbag with a bright dress - just pick a bag that is a similar colour to one of the colours in the print! Even if (like the burgundy crossbody bag in the middle) it's not an exact shade match.
Floral Print Dress With Blue Bags
Blue is my favourite colour and I have a lot of blue handbags! When I'm not sure what colour to wear with something, any shade of blue is an easy go-to.
Green Floral Print Dress With Pink Accessories
Pink and green is not a colour combination I wear a lot, but it's fun to try now and then. From a very subtle look with the blush pink sandals, or something a little bolder with the pink crossbody bag, pink accessories look great with this green printed dress.
Green Shift Dress Worn With Yellow
This is another example of matching something colourful to the colour in the print of the dress - the mustard cardigan and scarf, and little yellow crossbody bag look so good with the yellow in the floral print.
Floral Shift Dress Layered To Wear As A Top
I am so glad I bought the dress rather than the tee, as this dress can be worn as a tee so easily! I really like tucking it into skirts as it's a bit bulky trying to tuck it into shorts. It makes this shift dress office suitable if you tuck it into a pencil skirt, especially if you throw a blazer on top.
Layering A Printed Shift Dress
It's not just skirts you can layer this dress with - in the cooler weather I like cardigans, blazers, and of course the ever classic leather jacket to add some warmth to the short sleeved shift dress.
Wearing a Floral Shift Dress With Sneakers
Dresses and sneakers are a fashion staple and something I wear a lot of with my knee injury. I feel I default to sneakers a lot - and luckily this dress looks great with every style I have tried!
Floral Dress and Ankle Boots
Spring means the dresses, bare legs and ankle boots outfit combination is often on repeat! While I don't have a large collection of ankle boots, the different colours of the ones I do have all work well as neutrals with this colourful dress.
It's been a while since I've shared a dress for a 30 ways to wear post! Last dress I hit 30 wears with was a colourful floral maxi dress. This month's post features a much more neutral piece, a cute two tone grey skater dress I picked up on sale at Asos.
30 Ways To Wear: Asos Grey Skater Dress
It won't come as a surprise that this neutral grey block colour skater dress is a really versatile piece to have in my wardrobe! It has taken a little while to hit 30 wears with it though. I always seemed to pass it over for more "exciting" dresses in my wardrobe. The crew neck and the light grey are things I know don't work for me that well so it's not something I'd rebuy now. But I certainly made it work over the years and I'm glad I hit 30 wears with it!
Cost Per Wear
I picked up this dress on sale for $23.53 at Asos back in July 2014. After just over 7 years I've finally hit 30 wears on it. It is a really versatile dress you can easily dress up or dress down, and the neutral grey goes with everything, but I think the length of time it's taken it to hit 30 wears shows it hasn't really been a staple for my wardrobe. At 78 cents a wear though I've definitely gotten good value for money from this dress, and it's a piece I can easily pass on as it's still in perfect condition!
Skater Dress In The Office
Working in a business casual office environment (that's even more casual post-Covid) means I can easily take a knee length dress like this in a casual tee fabric and just add a blazer or tweed jacket on top to make it instantly office appropriate! I find adding a statement necklace and bold bag works well too, to easy layer up for a day at my desk.
Skater Dress and Boots
This is a dress that's light enough to wear on its own in summer, but also layers so beautifully for cooler weather. It's fantastic with ankle boots and bare legs in autumn, and with leggings and tights for winter. The grey lets you add a pop of colour with cosy winter scarves too as it goes with so many colours!
Grey Dress and Pink Accessories
Grey and pink is a colour combination I wear a lot! I like carrying pink bags with this grey dress, they really pop. A pink scarf works just as well though, as you can see in the middle there. Any amount of pink works well with a grey dress.
Skater Dress and Statement Pieces
While there is a bit of colour blocking with this dress with the light grey top and darker grey skirt, it's still such a good neutral block grey piece. It means you can wear it with other statement pieces without worrying about it making your outfit "too much". I love a nice statement accessory like a bright printed scarf, necklace, or bag, of you could keep it really simple like I have there in the bottom left and just add a bright belt for a bit of a statement touch against the dress.
Grey Dress and Red Accessories
As with the grey and pink above, grey and red is another combo I enjoy! Red scarves are a firm favourite with this dress, as you can see, but a red bag or red statement necklace work just as well! It's a great way to add colour to a neutral piece and make it work a bit better for me, as the pale grey isn't the best against my face on its own.
Grey Skater Dress And Winter Layers
I like getting wear from my dresses year round, and the great thing about this little grey skater dress is how easy it is to layer for cooler weather! The neutral grey goes with everything, allowing for bright scarves or even bright scarves and jackets to be layered on top. It works well with tights and leggings too.
Skater Dress and Kimonos
A pretty printed kimono is my favourite cover up for an outfit, and just with the winter layers above, again the neutral colours of this dress come in really helpful here to allow you to try any combo of prints or colours on top! It works equally well with the neutral striped duster in the bottom right, or the more colourful floral duster in the middle there. Adding a kimono like this over a neutral skater dress is a great way to brighten up your outfit.
A 30 ways to wear post for today's Weekday Wear Link Up! So pleased I've hit 30 wears on this Kmart coral floral print tiered maxi dress. I think it's the perfect way to showcase that you don't need to spend a lot of money to have clothes that last. Even if your budget restricts you to buying fast fashion from brands like Kmart you can minimise the environmental impact of your shopping by buying less and rewearing what you own. The most sustainable item of clothing is the one already in your wardrobe.
30 Ways To Wear: Kmart Tropicana Floral Tiered Maxi Dress
This pretty maxi dress was an impulse buy back in 2016, something I'd seen on Instagram on a few Aussie mums and had to get myself! I think it was a great impulse buy in the end! I knew that with all the different colours in the print it would go with so much, and I've been able to dress it up and dress it down over the years.
Note that this dress has broken and I have repaired it. One of the straps snapped off. But it was easily reattached and it's pretty impressive that its lasted this long with just that small fault. It really has been a staple in my wardrobe. And while I don't see it being worn and shared on Instagram now by the people who inspired me to buy it in the first place, I know it will continue to be a go-to piece for me for a long time yet, and still frequently reworn.
Since edging closer to and finally reaching 30 wears with this dress, it's made me realise I'd rather buy less (even at those bargain Kmart prices) and pick pieces I'd be happy to wear over and over again when I do buy. This dress proves even cheap Kmart or fast fashion pieces can go the distance in your wardrobe!
Cost Per Wear
This floral maxi dress was a cheap and cheerful $25 at Kmart back at the end of 2016. With 30 wears so far, that works out to 83 cents a wear, pretty good! I've never had a problem trying to think of more ways to wear this dress, it goes with so much and even though my go-to is to layer over the top of it, it is perfect worn on its own as well. Here are all the ways I've worn it, with the Weekday Wear Link Up at the end.
Coral Floral Maxi Dress and Yellow
Coral and yellow are a really nice combination! In each of these 3 outfits I'm wearing a slightly different shade of yellow with the coral maxi dress but it works so well, even though there is no yellow in the print.
Coral Floral Maxi Dress and Pink Bag
Coral and pink is a combination I was unsure about trying at first - even with the pretty pink flowers in the print of this dress! But I'm glad I gave it a go. Like the yellow above, all these shades of pink went great with the floral print.
Tiered Floral Maxi Dress With White Layers
If you're ever unsure what colour to wear with a bright printed piece like this, go with neutrals! Again there is no white in the print on this dress but these white toppers (and the white Louis Vuitton damier azur Neverfull) compliment the print nicely.
Matching Accessories To The Print In A Floral Dress
With all the pretty shades of blue in the floral print, of course I was going to bring out my matchy-matchy side and pair this dress with blue accessories! Blue, navy and turquoise are easy choices - from a big bold scarf to a little blue or turquoise tassel necklace.
Tiered Maxi Dress and Light Layers
When it's just a bit too cool for a spaghetti strap maxi dress, a light layer like a denim jacket or a waterfall jacket is perfect for keeping the chill off and keeping your shoulders covered. Ideal for autumn or spring!
Floral Maxi Dress Layered For Winter
This coral maxi dress is a very summery colour, style and print. But with the mild Brisbane winters it's easy to layer this up a little bit for a colder day! Knits, leather jackets, boots, scarves, layer easily with this dress and it's nice to wear something so colourful and cheerful in winter.
Knotted Tees Over Floral Print Maxi Dress
As you've seen from all these outfits, I do love layering a tee over this maxi dress! A knotted tee on top is an easy way to change up the look of a dress no matter how many times you've worn it.
Dressing Up and Down a Coral Floral Print Dress
Sometimes simple is best - this dress looks great worn on its own. Dressed up for Christmas day or a birthday party, or dressed down with converse or over a bikini for the beach. A floral maxi dress like this really is a wardrobe staple! Add a different bag, necklace or shoes and you've got the same dress working again for a different day!
Where To Buy Similar Floral Print Maxi Dresses Under $56:
For more outfit inspiration, you can see all the times I've worn this dress in my archives, or browse the 30 wears series too.
Weekday Wear Linkup #119
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!
