What I Bought in 2023, and Fashion Resolutions For 2024

In what is becoming an annual blog tradition, kicking off another year of personal style blogging by looking back on what I bought last year and confirming if I stuck to my fashion budget.

What I Bought & How Often I've Worn It

Just like last year, the majority of what I bought in 2023 was preloved. And unsurprisingly, after the year that was 2023, being somewhat of an emotional shopper, I find myself with a long list of purchases to share. I had a massive declutter and re-evaluation of my wardrobe that resulted in a lot of pieces leaving, as I searched for new pieces that fit into my lifestyle a bit better. I donated a lot and sold some things at local fashion markets too to make space for all these new buys. Last year I bought 18 things. This year, I added 54 things to my wardrobe. Mostly accessories, but still, a lot of shopping!

Of course, everything I bought has been worn at least twice. I set myself the goal of wearing everything I buy at least twice in the month I buy it, to make sure I'm buying things I'll actually wear and use and that work in my wardrobe. It's always interesting to look back on what I bought and see how much wear it actually all got over the year too.

Things Bought New:

• Target animal print ruffle hem mini skirt - 8 wears
• Target classic denim skirt in white - 6 wears
• Cle The Label Amelia tank in indigo - 5 wears
• Cle The Label Charlotte tee in ombre rose - 4 wears
• Kisschasy United Paper People 2023 tour band tee - 3 wears
• Kmart linen blend textured black tank - 4 wears
• blue and yellow daisy resin earrings - 3 wears
• Kmart teal tank - 3 wears
• Kmart short sleeve cotton modal tee in tulip pink - 2 wears

Opshop and Preloved Buys:

Things that I picked up from a rare browse on ebay, or a lucky opshop find or buy at the second hand markets.

Accessories:

• thrifted wood and marble bead thrifted necklace with white string - 9 wears
• thrifted gold and pastel blue beaded necklace with grey string - 4 wears
• thrifted multi strand multi colour disc bead necklace with tassels - 4 wears
• thrifted wooden geometric bead necklace - 8 wears
• thrifted yellow beaded statement pendant long necklace - 5 wears
• thrifted wooden yellow tassel necklace - 8 wears
• thrifted silver and turquoise multi strand necklace - 3 wears
• thrifted metallic clay bead necklace - 7 wears
• thrifted flat peach statement bead necklace - 6 wears
• thrifted flat navy statement bead necklace - 15 wears
• adjustable coral flat bead necklace - 6 wears
• red multi strand beaded statement necklace - 3 wears
• gold beaded statement multi strand necklace - 4 wears
• thrifted pastel pink and wooden hexagon bead necklace - 8 wears
• thrifted chartreuse necklace - 2 wears
• Mimco gunmetal twisted bracelet stack - 5 wears
• thrifted red dinosaur skeleton earrings - 6 wears

Cover Ups:

• thrifted Kmart blue and pink palm print cover up - 2 wears
• thrifted no label tropical print tassel cover up - 7 wears
• thrifted Cotton On maroon wanderlust floral border cover up - 5 wears
• thrifted Cotton On navy zig zag cover up - 3 wears
• thrifted no label leopard print cover up with waist tie - 2 wears
• thrifted Shein black floral print cover up - 2 wears
• thrifted pastel Paisley print cape - 2 wears

Winter Pieces:

• thrifted Dotti black cocoon cape cardigan - 9 wears
• thrifted no label black and white leopard print cardigan - 7 wears
• Witchery black belted moto leather jacket - 8 wears
• thrifted pink ombre tassel scarf - 2 wears

Tees:

• thrifted black scoop neck H&M tee - 5 wears
• thrifted Kmart short sleeve cotton modal tee - 4 wears
• thrifted Marcs navy lurex detail foil tee - 4 wears
• thrifted target crew neck tee coral red - 2 wears

Jeans and Shorts:

• thrifted Atmos&Here white straight leg jeans - 4 wears
• thrifted Kmart turquoise linen shorts - 3 wears
• thrifted red denim shorts - 5 wears
• Nobody Denim mustard short shorts - 2 wears

Dresses and Skirts:

• Orange Sherbet Zoe tiered dress in geranium print pink - 6 wears
• thrifted no label floral print babydoll dress - 4 wears
• thrifted colourful geometric print maxi dress - 4 wears
• thrifted peach and white floral print tiered sundress - 6 wears
• thrifted JayJays white maxi dress - 2 wears
• thrifted ruffle hem leopard print midi skirt - 5 wears

Preloved Bags:

• Rebecca Minkoff quilted maxi Edie crossbody in Porcini brown suede - 3 wears
• thrifted Rebecca Minkoff vintage Cupid satchel in dark navy blue - 38 wears
• thrifted Stella McCartney Falabella fold-over tote in midnight black - 13 wears

No surprises there that I focused a lot on accessories and cover ups when shopping! They are great final pieces to add to staple outfits to make them seem a little different each time.

I made the most of the special "fill a bag" sales and 50% off days at my local opshops to have a browse and quite often come away with a new purchase or two. And of course all the items I donated from my wardrobe resulted in a few more browses where I'd often pick up a necklace or accessory!

Of course I already hit over 30 wears with my thrifted Rebecca Minkoff vintage Cupid satchel in dark navy blue. It is SUCH a good sized bag and being a neutral it goes with everything, so again, no surprise it was my most worn item of everything I bought this year. Definitely a go-to bag for me. One of the volunteers came up to me in the opshop the other day to say she remembered my excitement over my bag find when I stumbled across it and wanted to see if I'd found any other awesome finds since! I was able to share with her how much I still love and enjoy wearing the bag - even if I wasn't wearing it that day she spoke to me. Benefits of a personal style blog and a daily diary of outfit photos to look back on!

Sticking to My Fashion Budget:

The best thing is that my total spend comes up to $441, which shows that while I doubled what I bought last year, I was able to be well under budget by shopping preloved more often and searching for things second hand before buying new.

Fashion Resolutions For 2024

These fashion related goals for 2024 are very similar to last year, as I feel they worked well for me then too.

Continue to not buy any more hangers. When I set up my wardrobe room of my dreams, I replaced all my hangers with velvet ones. And I refuse to buy any more hangers. If something enters my wardrobe, something has to leave to make room. This has been working well for me so far.

Shop second hand more - there is already so much stuff in the world, I don't need to add to the demand for it by buying new when there are plenty preloved pieces out there to discover.

Buy less - this was my goal last year and I didn't meet it, buying a lot of items in 2023! But I'm hoping I can meet this goal this year as I'm very content with the state of my wardrobe at the moment.

Spend no more than $1,000 on fashion - something I've been able to do consistently the past few years, thanks to frequenting opshops rather than retail stores.

Start up my 30 wears series again - something that became tricky as I worked through my wardrobe this year and sold or donated older pieces. I'd love to hit 30 wears with more of my wardrobe this year though. I still think we should aim to wear everything we buy at least 30 times. It minimises the environmental impact that went into making clothes and it's better for the budget to rewear more often.

Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for your spending on fashion in the year ahead?

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

What I Bought in 2022, and Fashion Resolutions For 2023

Just like last year and the year before, I'm looking back at all my fashion related purchases over the past 12 months. Seeing if I came under the spending goal I set myself in 2021, and how much I've been wearing all of the things I bought.

What I Bought & How Often I Wore It

It's always my goal to wear things twice in the month I purchase them. This stops me having items taking up space in my wardrobe unworn for weeks, and ensures I'm buying practical pieces that work for my current lifestyle. I don't always achieve that goal. Once again this year I went to the pre-Christmas sale at the opshop where I filled a bag of toys, clothes, books and games for just $10. It meant I had a lot of great value clothing items added to my wardrobe at under $1 each, but also sadly no time to wear them all with just a week and a half left in December! Giving myself a pass for that though, I know I will get a lot of wear from these pieces in the new year, just as I did with the pieces I picked up last year.

Opshop and Preloved Buys:

• thrifted no brand navy grid print scarf - worn 3 times
• thrifted Eb&Ive black wooden bead multi strand statement necklace - worn 5 times
• thrifted Ghanda midi slink skirt in green mini blossom - worn 4 times
• thrifted Kmart pastel soft culotte shorts in floral print - worn 3 times

• Chloe Marcie medium shoulder bag in nut - worn 22 times
• Mica Bag - Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB side zip tote in pale lilac hand painted by Sheila - worn 9 times

• Rebecca Minkoff yellow mini 5 zip - worn 8 times
• Rebecca Minkoff olive mini Darren  - worn 6 times

• thrifted Forever 21 wine ribbed knit jumper - 0 wears
• thrifted Kmart dusty rose cami - worn once
• thrifted Kmart black and white embellished cover up - worn once
• thrifted Kmart rust button up linen blend skirt - worn once
• thrifted Kmart fuchsia linen blend shorts - worn once
• thrifted Kmart cumin linen blend pull on shorts - 0 wears
• thrifted No label chambray tie strap cami - worn once
• thrifted Cotton On orange and white stripe The One crew neck tee - worn once

Things Bought New:

• Silver chain handbag strap - worn 3 times
• Kmart long sleeve black tie neck dress in floral wisteria print - worn 4 times

The least worn were those late December opshop finds, naturally. Just not enough days left in December to wear them all when I bought them! I'm pleased to see I wore everything else a good number of times, and of course the Chloe Marcie bag was my most worn purchase of the year, which was fitting as it was such a big splurge!

Fashion Spend For 2022 - Under Budget!

This year was an interesting one, in terms of things I bought I don't think I've ever added so few items to my wardrobe in a year before! I only bought 18 things. All of them were preloved buys expect for 2. The floral Kmart dress I picked up in the store clearance sale, and I bought a new handbag strap as well. Everything else was an opshop (thrift store) find or a preloved find online. I'm really pleased I shopped second hand so much this year, it was one of my goals!

Although I didn't buy a lot I did have a few splurges in there, meaning that I spent more this year than last year. In 2021, I bought 26 items, and spent $580.63.

This year, I bought 18 items and spent $943.84.  Under my $,1000 budget and 36 item goal I set last year! And if you exclude the massive over $800 splurge on the Chloe Marcie bag, it would have been a very low spend year instead. Definitely felt like treating myself though, even if that one item took up most of my budget.

Fashion Resolutions for 2023

Much like last year, I have the same goals for my fashion spend in the year ahead:

• Spend Less - $1,000 limit, but always trying to see how little I need to buy, and working on reducing impulse buys.

• Shop Second Hand More - it would be good to have an entire year of nothing more than preloved additions to my wardrobe, although I'm certainly not going to turn down a retail sale bargain if I see it! Just like this year, having the majority of my fashion purchases being pre-loved will achieve this goal.

• Buy Less - I bought under 20 items this year, would be good not to buy more than 20 next year!

Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for your spending on fashion in the year ahead?

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

Wardrobe Additions And Yearly Fashion Spend For 2021! Fashion Resolutions for 2022

Since I had fun doing this post last year, I'm looking back on this year's fashion purchases too, seeing how I stuck to my 2021 budget, and setting some fashion goals / resolutions for the year ahead.

What I Bought & How Often I've Worn It

I was surprised to look back on what I bought in 2021 and see that I bought just 26 items, as I felt I shopped a lot! It does average out to nearly an item every 2 weeks so it's not such a low shopping year. I focused on accessories and more second hand shopping, and with continuing to work from home most of the time and dress casually, I added a lot of denim and tees to my wardrobe.

Opshop and Preloved Buys:

• thrifted Marc by Marc Jacobs Dr Q Convertible clutch in electric violet - 4 wears
• Rebecca Minkoff Love Too in deep teal croc embossed leather - 16 wears
• Chloe small Ethel bag in light khaki (most expensive purchase of the year) 15 wears
• Rebecca Minkoff quilted jumbo Love bag in cobalt - 7 wears
• Chloe small Paddington in 2006 blanc - 6 wears
  
  
• thrifted rust ruffle tiered skirt - 4 wears
• Nobody Denim Piper vacation skirt in black distressed denim - 4 wears
• thrifted Target black stretch denim skirt - 2 wears
• Target navy and white striped shift dress with frill sleeves - 3 wears
• thrifted Kmart short sleeve godet skirt linen blend dress fuchsia - 3 wears
• thrifted Jeanswest black cropped butt lifter jeans - 0 wears, December purchase
• vintage Haneli metallic gold knit jumper - 2 wears
• thrifted blue Kmart stich detail knit - 0 wears, December purchase
  
  
• thrifted Mix Apparel clover designer inspired necklace - 4 wears
• thrifted gold large double circle necklace - 3 wears
• thrifted orange bead statement necklace - 2 wears
• thrifted purple wooden bead statement necklace - 3 wears
• thrifted Eb&Ive turquoise wooden bead multi strand statement necklace - 1 wear
• checked purple pashmina scarf - 0 wears, December purchase

Things Bought New:

• Cotton On The One fitted v tee in washed red clay - 2 wears
• Cotton On The one fitted v tee in eddy stripe white / red terracotta - 3 wears
• Cotton On The One fitted v tee in washed summer mango - 4 wears
• Cotton On The One fitted v tee in washed poolside blue - 4 wears
• Nobody Denim Cult high rise skinny ankle jeans in charred grey - 2 wears
• Kmart white chunky platform sneakers - 7 wears
• Mimco D-Vine medium wallet in balsa - countless uses!

The most expensive buy was the Chloe small Ethel bag in light khaki, which was $120 preloved, and the cheapest item I bought was $1 - a lot of the thrifted things were just $1 each, even the jeans. 

There were some surprises with what I bought this year in terms of how frequently (or infrequently!) things got worn. I was on track to have everything worn at least twice, as I have the "wear things twice in the month I buy them" rule I put in place to make sure I'm actually buying things that work for my wardrobe and life right now. But then I went to the opshops in December with my son to check out their special sale and picked up a couple of things, including winter pieces!  There was no chance of me wearing everything before the end of the month. I figured for $1 each though I could break my wear twice when I buy it rule. As you can see above the winter pieces I bought in the middle of summer definitely have no wears, although after Christmas I did squeeze in some wears of the more summery pieces I thrifted in December.

Surprisingly the most expensive buy, the Chloe Ethel, is only the second most worn piece I bought this year, the Rebecca Minkoff Love Too bag was worn one time more for a total of 16 wears.

December Opshop Haul:

---

Fashion Spend For 2021 - Over Budget!

My spend in 2020 was the lowest it has ever been in the years I started tracking, $483.59. This year despite trying to spend as close to that figure as possible, I spent more than that. It means that for the first year since I've been tracking it, it's the first time I've increased my annual fashion spend on the year before. In 2021 I spent $580.36. That's $96.77 more than last year.

This total includes $235 of gift card spend. So $345.30 minus the gift card spend, but I always include gift card spend in my total each year.

Despite spending almost $100 more this year than last year, I bought fewer items. I think that the high number of bags I bought is the reason for that! While I bought less things, I spent a bit more on the bags I did buy.

Fashion Resolutions For 2022

Spend Less

Much like last year I'm a little unsure what to set my budget for in 2022. Again I'd like to have an under $1,000 fashion spend (which I achieved in 2021) but I'm not sure if I'd be able to spend less than the $580.36 I spent in 2021. It's a good goal to aim for though!

Shop Second Hand More

I really liked the sustainable fashion balance I had this year, with fewer things bought new in retail stores and more preloved finds from eBay and the opshops. I'd like to have a similar or even better balance in 2022, and continue to shop second hand more often. Second hand fashion is the most sustainable way to shop. It's also better for my budget goals, and for the environment!

Buy Less

In terms of items to add to my wardrobe wish list, I don't really have any! I think it will be a varied 2022 with what I buy, whenever I get lucky with preloved finds and make some impulse buys. I don't have a list of things my wardrobe really needs at the moment, so it will hopefully be another year of under $1,000 spending, and a year I buy less than 26 items. I haven't bought anything in the boxing day or January sales either, when I usually buy a lot, so starting off with no spending is a great way to start the year.

What was your spend like in 2021? Do you track your fashion spend and set fashion resolutions?

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

2020 Fashion Spend Wrap Up and Yearly Budget For 2021

Happy new year! Keeping with the spirit of 2020, my fashion spend for the year was unexpected! I was proud of how little I spent last in 2019 but also thought I wouldn't spend so little again. Then of course the pandemic happened and we learned 2020 was the year for surprises! Today I'm sharing what I bought last year, how I tracked against my budget, and what my spending goals are for 2021.

Here's What I Bought In 2020:

Bags:

• Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford zip satchel in twilight
• Rebecca Minkoff Leo envelope clutch in champagne gold
• Rebecca Minkoff Jean MAC cross body bag in fig

Other Accessories:

• Fashion Scarf Girl colourful print scarf in green
• Fashion Scarf Girl lush forest scarf
• thrifted blue statement beaded necklace
• thrifted gold and cream multi strand pearl necklace
• thrifted gold and marble statement necklace
• Thrifted Adidas Superstar sneakers

Tops:

• Jeanswest Vickie button back tank in enamel blue
• Jeanswest essential v-neck tee in elfin yellow
• Jeanswest Sophie navy v-neck tee 
• Cotton On "The One" fitted v tee in Cole stripe white moonlight
• Cotton On The One Deep V tee in marle nep white body black
• thrifted Kmart black and cream stripe tee
• Kmart short sleeve textured dolman top in marigold

Kimonos/Jackets:

• Jeanswest Melanie floral kimono
• Jeanswest Kensley tie dye summer poncho kimono
• thrifted black Emerson anorak
• thrifted digital print no label kimono
• thrifted Supre black sheer floral kimono

Dresses:

• Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey dress in amber
• Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey dress in Fuchsia
• thrifted Kmart white and navy long sleeve stripe tee dress

Bottoms:

• Jeanswest harper skinny pant in Russet
• thrifted navy viscose no label maxi skirt
• thrifted Tree of Life ochre maxi skirt

Most Worn: the Jeanswest Melanie floral kimono (last worn here) was worn 8 times in 2020, but I did buy it in the January sales right at the start of the year.

Least Worn: Cotton On The One Deep V tee in marle nep white body black has only been worn once, because I bought this right before Christmas so haven't had much opportunity to wear it yet.

Best Deal: The $3 Adidas Superstar sneakers, a lucky opshop find, are probably the biggest bargain of the year!

Fashion Spend For 2020 - Under Budget!

This was the lowest spend year since I've been tracking my fashion spending! I spent a total of $483.59 this year, on 27 fashion items. That works out to an average of $17.91 per item, or slightly more than buying a new item every two weeks. The $483.59 total includes a $134.99 gift card spend, so $328.60 without including the gift card spend.

In contrast I spent $633.18 in 2019, including gift card spend, on 43 items. Despite being sure I wouldn't spend less than that, I managed to this year! I'm pleased to see I spent less than intended this year as one good thing to come from 2020. I also bought fewer items as well that helped keep the cost down.

Even when I did 7 months with no fashion purchases back in 2017 I spent over $1,000 that year so I'm really pleased to have spent less than $500 this year.

One thing to note is that I didn't include the $88 New Balance sneakers in my spend for this year. I class them more as a medical choice than a fashion choice as if I didn't have my knee injury I wouldn't need or want to buy these, and from the Instagram poll most people agreed. I am still under budget even if you include these but just wanted to disclose why they weren't part of the total or in the list above.

How I Stuck To My Budget:

I think that reduced fashion spending isn't anything ground-breaking for most people this year. It hasn't been a year that has called for a lot of new outfits or necessitated buying new things. Hubby and I were luckily able to keep our jobs and work from home in 2020, although I know others weren't as lucky and restrictions and lifestyle changes are still in place in other countries and even in other parts of Australia. Here's how I spent less this year despite being lucky to still have an income:

• Staying home more and working from home means more pyjamas and loungewear (and I certainly didn't need to buy any more of those!) and less wearing of actual clothes, so while I have bought new things now and then it hasn't been the big hauls of the past. 
• There has been less window shopping as we have been shopping in person a lot less. I did notice an uptick in spending in the later half of the year when we were out of Iso and I started going to shops again though. 
• I've spent less time browsing opshops (thrifting) too which has resulted in less clothes for myself, due to a lot of my favourite stores permanently closing after Iso or changing opening hours so they are harder for me to get to. I've also gotten back into reading this year thanks to my neighbour starting up a virtual Iso book club so I focus on the book section instead of clothes or accessories when I do venture into an opshop.
• Most of my online ordering through the year was essentials, treats for the boys or Christmas presents and while I occasionally added an item or two to an order for myself I rarely did that. 
• When I did buy, I made the most of sales and rewards. When I was buying things for the kids if I got a rewards voucher I would sometimes use that towards something for myself. Cotton On is good for this where you get a $10 voucher after spending $100. It brought things like my $20 tee on sale for $13 down to just $3 after applying the $10 voucher. I also got quite a few rewards vouchers as bonuses from David Jones this year which made the already massively reduced Rebecca Minkoff bags I bought even more affordable. (For example, the Rebecca Minkoff Leo envelope clutch in champagne gold was on final sale, reduced from $140 to $34 and that was without rewards vouchers.)

All that combined lead to a year with less spending without a lot of conscious effort on my part, just a reduction in shopping opportunities, and less interest in shopping in general with so much going on in the world. I know from my previous 6 months without shopping challenge that browsing less and occupying my time with other things is the most effective way to help me shop less, as I don't suddenly see things I "need". I'm also willing to wait until the final reduction days of sales before I buy, as if things sell out it just wasn't meant to be!

Goals And Fashion Budget For 2021:

I'm not feeling confident about setting a goal for 2021 as we all know nothing is guaranteed! I'd like to have another under $1,000 fashion spend this year though. To help achieve this I'm going to continue browsing fashion stores less. While there have been no cases here for over 104 days in Queensland I am still preferring online shopping as we don't have a vaccine available in Australia yet. I have been visiting shops a little more regularly the past few months with life returning to normal, but nowhere near as much as I used to.

I'm mostly hoping that I can buy fewer clothes this year to help keep the spend down, focusing on achieving my 30 wears posts by rewearing more of what I already have until I achieve 30 wears with more things in my wardrobe. If I can buy less than the 27 items that I bought this year in 2021 I'll be really happy, this is my main goal.

I got some new clothes for Christmas that helps with my "buy less goal" too, I have lots of new outfits I want to wear heading into the new year without much January sale shopping. I have spent some Christmas money and gift cards in a couple of boxing day sales though, but nothing has arrived yet to know if it's a keeper to include in the budget.

Did you spend less on fashion in 2020 too? Have you set any fashion spend goals this year? 

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

30 Ways To Wear: Gold Marc By Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats & 2019 Shopping Review, 2020 Budget

For this month's 30 ways to wear post I'm also sharing how my "spend less on fashion" year went in 2019, and my spending goals for 2020!


These little metallic Marc by Marc Jacobs mouse flats definitely deserve their own 30 wears post. It's not a style that's made any more, you can find some on eBay and other resale sites though. I bought them on sale back in 2013 for $166, and they've been worn 92 times since then. (So currently $1.80 per wear). I think I'm definitely getting my money's worth from them! While they are showing a little wear they are still very comfortable and wearable and I expect them to be around for a while yet. Even if they could do with a bit of a polish!

It's such a talking point when people realise I'm wearing little mouse shoes, they are too fun for me to ever think of giving them up, even if they are discontinued and the Marc by Marc Jacobs brand isn't around any more. I like to wear them whenever I know I'll be meeting new people as they are a cute conversation starter. The metallic gold goes with absolutely everything too, I had a hard time putting this 30 wears post together as I wear them with so many colours!

I decided to show you 34 outfits, with different styles of clothing I've worn these flats with rather than focusing on colour combinations to try. I hope it inspires you to try something different with a similar pair of flats you own - I find bold bright shoes tricky to wear but these fun novelty metallic gold ones are very versatile! Much more versatile that you'd expect from a pair of shoes with mouse ears and whiskers!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats with Dresses

Ballet flats and a dress is a staple outfit for a hot day - and add a blazer, a more structured bag maybe, and it's perfect for the office! I had a hard time picking my fave dress and mouse flats outfits to share here as I have worn this outfit combo a lot!

Metallic Gold Ballet Flats with Skirts

Of course just as I wear my mouse flats to the office with dresses, I like to wear them with pencil skirts too, another work staple for me! You can match the metallic flats to something else gold in our your outfit, like how I've matched the necklaces or gold hardware on the bags in most of these outfits. They can also be worn on their own, like in the first outfit, where the only gold touch is the ballet flats.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats with Jeans

Simple mum style for a busy day with the kids - ballet flats and jeans! I like how printed, flared or colourful jeans all work as well with these shoes as much as skinny jeans do. Being metallic, I also feel they dress up the stay at home mum outfits a little more thank classic black ballet flats. My kids love that the shoes have little ears and whiskers too!

Gold Mouse Flats in Pregnancy

While my pregnancies with the boys both ended with massive heatwaves and my feet swelled up massively with the heat and humidity, there were some days in pregnancy (second trimester and early third trimester) when I could still wear these shoes. I think the elasticated sections helped them stretch out a little, and they were still comfortable to wear.  It's not always possible to wear the same pair of shoes all 40 weeks of pregnancy, but I love looking back at my baby bump pics and seeing how I could still wear my pre-pregnancy pieces, even if they were just accessories!

---

Where to Buy Marc By Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats:

---

Similar Posts in the 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear black ankle boots
• 30 ways to wear gladiator sandals

2019 Fashion Spend and 2020 Budget

Last year I set a simple goal, I wanted to spend less on fashion than I had the year before. In 2017 I spent $1,696.53, in 2018 I met that goal and only spent $1,014.44.

For 2019, I also met that goal and only spent $633.18 on fashion over the year (this includes a $158.99 gift card spend). For 2018, I'd spent $664.44 without gift cards and so I'm pleased to see I spent less than that in 2019 even with gift card spend included.

I had an average spend of $52.27 a month which is pretty good (my average spend in 2018 was $84.54 a month). Despite spending less, I bought more in 2019, with 43 items for the year so average of $14.72 each. Most of my gift card spend went to house things which is why I don't have a nice round figure for gift card spend on fashion.

How I spent less:

• We had our big Europe trip at the start of the year as well as the move into our house when the build was finished.
• We had a few things in mind to buy for the new house which reduced my budget, and I used most of the gift cards I got for Christmas (stores like Kmart and David Jones) on things for our new house.
• I usually spend a lot in the January sales, but with the house build going on, studying for a big exam and saving for our Europe trip my mind was occupied with other things!
• I focused on the 30 wear series more and on rewearing what I had instead of frequently buying new.
• I shopped in the opshops more frequently and in high street stores less and although I couldn't resist all the sales I used my gift cards as much as possible when I did shop in the big shopping centres.
• I had the 2018 previous spend figure of $1,014.44 in mind when spending anything on fashion to keep me on track, and I noted down my spend each month to know where I stood.

2020 Budget:

For this new year, I'd love to spend less on fashion than I did in 2019. $633.18 is a pretty low figure for me and one I'm very impressed with, but I'm not sure I could meet that again! I'm going to try meet that figure, but give myself a $1,000 budget similar to what I had in 2019 and I'll see how I go with spending less than that this year. If I can get less than $633.18 I'll be really impressed, but under $1,000, similar to the budget I had last year, and I'll be happy.

What's your fashion budget for this year?

Note: This post, like all my posts, was written and scheduled in advance. I had to add this note in though given the horrible situation unfolding in Australia, especially with it looking bleaker every day. So soon after my last note, once again the country is consumed with bushfires. We are safe from the bushfires, as are our family and friends for now.

For ways to help those not as fortunate, see here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-01/bushfire-relief:-how-you-can-help-frontline-services/11835156 

Linking up with Fancy Friday, Mutton Style, On Mondays We Link Up.

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

30 Ways To Wear: Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag & 2018 Shopping Review & 2019 Budget

A new 30 ways to wear post, as well as a review of what I bought last year and my fashion budget for 2019!


I love handbags, and I have a lot of them! But I frequently sell some to have funds towards something else I want more. This Chloe Marcie hobo bag was a bag I loved, but rationalised I didn't wear as much as my Balenciaga day hobo bag, so I decided to let it go. I did hit 30 wears before I sold it, so I've dug through the blog archives for some older photos of my wearing it. I wonder if I'll cringe as much looking back at outfit pics now in a few years as much as I am looking back on these pics now? 😂

30 Ways To Wear: Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag In Nut

Like many of my bags that I've now sold, I find this tricky to calculate cost per wear on! I bought it at a Reebonz offline sale, after wanting it for a while. I got a really good deal on it, so much so that I managed to sell it for almost what I paid for it. So you could calculate cost per wear based on the price I paid, or take that price minus the amount I got when I sold it and calculate it on around the $100 difference. I'm never sure what to do in these cases.

Inability to calculate cost per wear aside, I'm happy with the use I got from this bag. It held up really well, still looking like new when it eventually left my wardrobe, and I was pleased to look back at these old pics and see that I had hit 30 wears with it. I do sometimes regret selling it, but I know it wouldn't have gotten much more wear if it stayed in my wardrobe longer!

Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag In Summer

The handle drop on this bag is quite large, especially as the leather of the bag sags down a bit when the bag is full. It makes it an easy bag to throw over your shoulder in summer as it doesn't feel too tight or irritating to wear. The neutral colour works with all kinds of summer brights too!

Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag With Winter Layers

Being a neutral brown, this 'nut' shade is perfect for adding to winter outfits. I've picked similarly coloured scarves to wear with the bag in each of these layered outfits, but you can see it would work well without any matching as it looks great with black winter layers!

Chloe Marcie Hobo In The Office

Printed dresses or pencil skirts, I found this Chloe Marcie bag worked so well for the office. Again making the most of the neutral shade I could wear it with brightly coloured or printed pieces, or just let it compliment a neutral outfit. It's a rather structured hobo shape so doesn't feel too casual for work.

Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag With Jeans

As you can see in these photos, before I gave up my blue jeans I used to wear them a lot! The Chloe Marcie bag just works so well with denim, it's an easy choice when wearing jeans. I wore it a lot with skirts and dresses as you've seen in the earlier photos, but it was still a go-to with jeans too. Really versatile bag.

Chloe Marcie Hobo With Printed Outfits

Because this 'nut' shade is a nice neutral colour, it made the bag my default neutral piece to wear with prints. Something like a printed dress, or just a little print like a skirt or top, the hobo bag works nicely with all different prints and colours.

Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag In Pregnancy

Despite only having this bag during my pregnancy with my eldest boy, it was worn enough times for me to be able to include it as a category here in my wrap up. You know I love looking back at my bump pics when doing these posts! I wore the bag a few times in the second and third trimester as you can see. It isn't a heavy bag so was nice to wear during pregnancy, the braided strap is really comfortable on the shoulder.

---

What's In My Bag: Chloe Marcie Medium Hobo Bag In Nut

---

Where To Buy:

This hobo style of Marcie has been discontinued, but there are still some places you can buy second hand! All the bags above come with authenticity guarantees even though they are preloved.

---

More Posts in The #30 Wears Handbag Series:

If you're looking for more outfit inspiration with this bag, you can see all 30+ ways I've worn it in my blog archives. I've included some links to other handbag related 30 wears posts below too. You can find the full post series by clicking here.

• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag
• 30 ways to wear Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Love bag
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga black Part Time bag
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB Tote in plum purple

---

2018 Spend And Goals For 2019

My last shopping haul for the year!

My Total Spend in 2018

I totalled it up, I bought 30 fashion items (clothing and accessories) in 2018. In 2017 I spent $1,696.53, my goal in 2018 was to spend less than that. I achieved that as I spent $1,014.44 if you include gift cards, which works out to $84.54 a month. If you don't include gift card spend, I only spent $664.44. I'm really pleased with the figures and that I met my goal!

How Do I Do It?

I'm a fashion blogger with a love for expensive things (handbags 😂) without a big budget and slight shopaholic tendencies! I did a 6 months without shopping in 2017 which I ended up stretching out to 7 months, and really made me evaluate what I was buying and why.

I also continued to work on this 30 wears challenge! Every month I have to find something in my wardrobe I've worn 30 times or more to make these posts. This makes me focus more on ways I can rewear things I already own and makes me less likely to turn to a store for inspiration when looking or something to wear. Looking through my blog archives for ways I've worn things before often gives me ideas of things to try from past outfits!

My Goals For 2019

Same as last year, my goal for this year will be to spend less than I did last year. To make things easy on myself, I'll include the gift card spend. So 2019 will be the year of spending less (again), rewearing more, and hoping I don't go over my $1,014.44 budget! Wish me luck!


Linking up with Style Sessions, Lizzie In Lace, Fancy Friday, Sunday Reflections, Weekday Wear, On Mondays We Link Up.

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

December Purchases and 2017 Spend: Yearly Budget

Not too many purchases to share with you for December! I hope 2017 has been a good year for you, and 2018 is even better!


I did end up purchasing something off my wishlist from Rebecca Minkoff in the Cyber Monday sale, but as it didn't arrive until December I've included it in this monthly wrap up instead of November's purchases. With an extra 35% off and the items I wanted already reduced before the discount, I got a bargain! Both items together and shipping were still much less than the bag at full price. I love the Rebecca Minkoff sales!

What I Bought:

Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon worn 4 times
Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap worn 3 times
Jeanswest Brianna basque hem tank in black (gift card purchase, worn once)

How I Wore It:

It's easy to achieve my goal of wearing things twice in the month I buy them with accessories, they are frequently reworn. While I technically bought the bag and guitar strap in November, as they didn't arrive until December I count that as the month they arrive. Since I bought the tank in the post-Christmas sales at Jeanswest I didn't get a chance to wear it twice, but a good basic black tank like this is sure to get a lot of wear over the coming months.

Fashion Spend For The Year

See what I bought in August, in October, and in November.

In January I set myself the goal of 6 months without shopping. And I exceed that, managing 7 months without shopping in the end. I was curious how much more I'd save this year as a result. This year I spent $1,696.53. Only $127.58 less than last year.

Not the massive savings I'd expected, but I did excitedly splurge on an expensive bag that to be honest made up most of the total spend! I'm still pleased I managed to spend less this year, even with the splurge on the drool-worthy bag!

What I'm doing in 2018

I'm not doing another 6 months without shopping. I did have a lot of fun with it in the end. It was amazing that I could change my shopaholic ways and not only achieve but exceed the goal I set myself.

While I'm not setting myself another no-shop challenge, I am continuing with my #30wears goal. This means continuing to blog my daily outfits so I can look back and tally up how many times I've worn things, with the goal of sharing monthly something I've hit 30 wears on. The only way I can continue to do this with my clothes (I've hit it with so many of my shoes and bags already!) is to buy less.

So 2018 will be a buy less and rewear more year. You're likely to keep seeing the same few pieces on frequent rotation as I get closer to 30 wears of them. Also going to try to spend less in 2018 than I did in 2017, and continue the reduction in my spending.

Blogaversary

2018 also marks 6 years of blogging for me and 1165 posts, wow! Hope you're having as much fun reading as I am writing. I don't see myself stopping blogging any time soon, it's nice to have a little relaxing time to myself each day to browse blogs and write posts while the boys sleep.

Thank you all for your clicks, comments, shares and follows over the past few years. Have a happy new year!


Linking up with Weekend Wear, Flashback Fashion, Friday Favourites, Style Elixir.

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

Festive Outfits: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and 2016 Budget

Although there is a fairly large pile of outfit photos waiting to be posted I figured I'd best share my festive outfits before 2017 arrives. Also wanted to share the spending total for 2016 as my last post for the year too.

My 5 year blogaversary is this weekend, so come back Monday for a special post to celebrate. You can enter my Charlotte Tilbury giveaway on youtube in the meantime.

What I wore:

Dress: festive glitter Santa tee

Shorts: Jeanswest Trinity Bermuda denim shorts (currently on sale, 40% off!)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Mulberry Lily in maroon metallic suede leopard (get it in pink!)

Why I wore it:

The traditional Christmas tee for our family Christmas eve celebrations. I've worn this tee every year since we started the novelty Christmas tee tradition. Even while pregnant!

I have been playing along with two December style challenges on instagram so brought out this pretty but rarely used Mulberry Lily bag to meet the December Wear What Where challenge. It was last worn 3 years ago! I wear it so sparingly as it's so delicate being metallic suede, and it's so special to me. The glitter in the tee was perfect for the DAREcember challenge too.

A nice casual and comfortable outfit for a day down the coast listening to Christmas music, doing Christmas craft and of course making Christmas cookies! One of which toddler T left out for Santa that night.


Last worn: Santa tee, Bermuda denim shorts, Havaianas, Mulberry leopard print Lily bag. 

Other ways to wear: Christmas tee trio, Bermuda denim shorts and khaki tank, Mulberry leopard print Lily bag and maxi dress. 

---

What I wore:

Dress: Kmart Tropicana sleeveless tiered maxi dress (new purchase)

Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bracelets: the usual plus gifted Tous pink and cream bracelet
Bag: Chanel vintage quilted lambskin flap (same in pink, and beige)

Why I wore it:

This was my outfit for Christmas day. After present opening and lunch and naps for the boys we headed over to the in-laws for the afternoon and dinner.

I got this dress after seeing it on two people on Instagram in quick succession. My sister called as I was scrolling through and she had just left Kmart, so I asked her to go back and get it, ha! I wasn't sure how practical it would be for breastfeeding in, but the adjustable straps kept coming undone and sliding off my shoulders unprompted anyway! I spent more time pulling it up than pulling it down for feeding. I'm hoping it behaves a little more and the straps stay in place next time I wear it, as it really is such a pretty dress.

Last worn: Havaianas, vintage Chanel bag. First time I've worn the dress as it's a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: vintage Chanel bag at 39 weeks pregnant.

2016 Budget

As this is my final post for the year, an update on my spending budget.

In 2014 I set myself a goal to wear everything I buy at least twice in a month after buying it. I was frustrated by how many items I was discovering in my wardrobe with tags on! Earlier this year I changed the goal to wear things twice in the month I buy them. It meant I spent less near the end of the month as I had to be really sure I was going to wear things twice in quick succession. It was a good tool to slow my spending even more.

There were some exceptions to the wear twice in a month rule. Most recently, a stunning trench coat I picked up for over $100 off in the Cyber Monday sales that is not going to get worn in a Queensland summer!
The items I bought early in December weren't worn as much as they could have been after staying in hospital with baby boy for two weeks. I have bought a lot at the end of December in the boxing day sales that probably won't even arrive until January so anything I keep from those orders will fail that test too. I'm still pleased with how this rule has helped me think more critically about what I've bought over the year though, and will be continuing to use it.

What I bought in December:

• Kmart Tropicana sleeveless tiered maxi dress (worn once, above)
• Jeanswest Monica MAC trench coat in Indigo (not worn)
• Jeanswest Tory textured shirt (worn once)
• Jeanswest Luxe maxi jersey skirt (not worn)
• Jeanswest Peri drape sleeveless jacket (not worn)
• Atmos & Here Amorita jersey assymetric skirt (not worn)
• Atmos&Here Arlette Jersey Wrap Dress (not worn)
• Atmos&Here Avery chambray shirt dress  (not worn)

Some of the above might be returned if it doesn't fit or work as well in my wardrobe as I imagined, but I've included it in the total spend in case I keep it all.

What I Bought in 2016

My monthly spending posts for the year: January, nothing in February or March, April, May, June, No buy July, August, No Spender September, October, November.

Over 2016, I spent $1,824.11. The majority of that was in the first 6 months of the year, but it works out as an average of $152 a month. Doesn't sound a lot, but when you add it up it looks pretty large! For 2017, my goal is to spend less. I'm pleased I spent less in the second half of the year. January (post-Christmas sales!) and June (start of winter) were my biggest spending months in 2016.


Did you track your spending for the year? How did you go?


Linking up with Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Budget Bloggers, Friday Faves, Let It Shine.

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