After hitting 31 wears with this grey tunic tee, it was definitely time to put together a post sharing 30 ways I've worn it.
30 Ways To Wear: Grey Tunic Tee
I picked up this tee from the opshop all the way back in August 2019. It was such a bargain, and so super soft. I'm not sure how much it was worn before I thrifted it, but it made it to 31 wears in my wardrobe. It will not get any more wears though unfortunately as although it's super soft and comfortable to wear, the fabric has some elastane in it. And over the years as I've worn this tee, the elastane has stretched out a bit. It's started to lose its shape and is showing its age, so it's not something I'm going to be able to achieve any more wears from unfortunately. It's getting a bit sheer with the elastane fading and stretching so it won't be staying in my wardrobe, and will be going into fabric recycling.
Cost Per Wear
At 31 wears over 6 years of owning this tee, I've definitely gotten good value for money. It was one of 9 pieces I got in the "fill a bag for $5" sale so it was technically just 55 cents. And so it works out to 1.7 cents a wear. Amazing for the budget, and also good for the environment that I could give this tee over 30 wears before retiring it.
Here's my favourite ways I've worn this grey tunic tee over the years.
Grey Tee With Green
Obviously, a grey tee goes with everything! I have called out a few different colours in these outfit groupings as I see I wear it with some colours more than others, and green is one of those colours I like wearing with neutrals like grey.
Grey Tee With Pink
I like a pop of pink with grey, it really stands out! The grey tee works with little pieces of pink like that bag or the scarf, or more pink like those jeans.
Grey Tee In Monochromatic Outfits
As well as wearing this grey tee with bright colours, I like to wear it with other neutral pieces like blacks and whites and more greys, to create nice monochromatic outfits. I do often add an extra pop of colour with these outfits, as you can see from the pink bags and the blue bag and scarf.
Grey Tee With Red
Another great colour pairing with grey is red, red really pops against the neutral grey tee.
Grey Tee And Winter Layers
A good basic plain grey tee like this is so good for layering with in winter. I love how it goes with everything so I can add printed or colourful scarves and cosy cardigans, blazers or jackets.
Grey Tee And Prints
Like you can see with the printed scarves above, a plain grey tee works well with larger printed pieces like the maxi skirts and the chevron print jeans.
Grey Tee and Shorts
While I've shared some layered outfits above you can't beat the simplicity of a shorts and tee outfit for warmer weather, and of course a grey tee works with any style and colour of shorts, like in each of these 4 outfits.
Grey Tee and Skirts
Another easy outfit formula, grey tee and a skirt. Much like the shorts, each of these skirts is very different, but a basic grey tee works with any style of skirt.
Grey Tee and Printed Cover Ups
The final set of outfits I want to share with this grey tee is one of my favourite ways to wear it. A plain grey tee and colourful fun printed toppers is a formula I often repeat. The colour and print never clashes with the basic grey.
I'm sad this tee has to be retired, but it was getting too sheer and shapeless with the faded elastane. It's not the first soft and stretchy tee I've had to let go of because the fabric hasn't stood the test of time sadly. It's definitely made me consider the fabric of what I'm buying in stores. Of course if I see a super soft and stretch tee in the opshop I won't pass it up, but if I see a new tee in store with elastane in it, it's not something I'm going to buy new as I know it will be unlikely to stay in good enough condition for me to get good value from the purchase.
It was such a staple in my wardrobe, as you can see in the photos it really worked in every outfit, and a grey tee is something I'll always frequently reach for. Just not this one any more.
Time for another 30 ways to wear post! Every month I pick something from my wardrobe I've worn 30 times or more and create a new post in this monthly series showing you some of the ways I've worn it. I hope to inspire you to think of more ways to rewear the pieces you own in your wardrobe, as I was inspired when I first heard of the 30 wears challenge in The True Cost documentary.
This month, it's this dark grey v-neck tee in charcoal. It was one of the pieces I first thought of back when I started this series, as I was sure I would have worn it 30 times, but I've only just managed to hit that figure this year, and that's with some pretty frequent rewearing recently. Still, if I had to pick, I'd say this is my favourite grey tee.
30 Ways To Wear: Dark Grey V-Neck Tee
Cost Per Wear
I bought this tee back in July 2013! Thanks to my order email from The Iconic I know it was a $30 tee reduced to $12 in the sale and then I had an extra discount voucher for my order so it worked out to just $9.48. At 30 wears to date that's 32 cents a wear. Pretty good cost per wear I think! Obviously, having this tee pre-kids and during my pregnancies and now after having my kids, it doesn't fit quite the same as it used to 7 years ago! However it is still super soft, stretchy and although it's maybe not quite as slouchy a fit as it was before I love how comfortable it is. I plan to wear this until it falls apart.
The other, lighter, grey tee I bought in the same order I've already done a 30 wears post on too. It was a good sale shop back then as I still have 3 of the 4 things I ordered and I've now hit 30 wears on 2 of them!
I think the reason it's taken me 7 years to reach 30 wears with this tee was a combination of not wanting baby spit up on my fave tee when the kids were younger, along with the habit I'm trying to stop of "saving" pieces in my wardrobe and feeling they are too good to wear on ordinary days. I've been really enjoying wearing this tee so much recently, in an effort to finally hit 30 wears with it and acknowledge its awesomeness in a post! So let's see the ways I've worn it!
Dark Grey Tee in Monochrome Outfits
I find true monochrome outfits really tricky to do, as I can never resist adding a little pop of colour with an accessory! I do like wearing this grey tee with other shades of grey and black for a monochrome look - before I start adding colourful pieces on top!
Dark Grey Tee In Layered Winter Outfits
This darker grey tee layers so well in winter - it's a neutral shade that goes with any layers I might add on top without clashing, and darker colours seem so perfectly suited for cold days! As you can see in these pics it works with all the extra winter layers with jackets, scarves an cardigans well.
Dark Grey Tee In Outfits With Colourful Statement Pieces
Of course it's not just winter layers that this dark tee works with! If you have a dark tee it's a nice outfit base to pair with some other bright statement pieces, even in warmer weather. Like over a floral dress, with neon pink accessories, a yellow kimono, cobalt leather jacket or leopard print pants! This neutral tee is a nice grounding piece to add when you're wearing one or more bright statement pieces in your outfit.
Grey Tee With Red Pieces In An Outfit
There are a few colour pairings I keep coming back to with this grey tee so I wanted to call them out specifically. Grey and red is a fun combination, and as you can see you can add little touches of red with accessories or go all out with a red cardigan or maxi skirt. Even burgundy and deep red shades, like those skinny jeans, work well with a dark grey tee.
Grey Tee Outfits With Green
Green is a colour I've been trying to wear more lately and no matter the shade - olive or bright emerald green - I find it a little tricky to wear. Like any colour you're unsure how to wear, you can pair it with a plain grey tee! It just works!
Grey Tee and Skirt Outfits
This combination is another one I keep coming back to with this grey tee - pairing it with a printed skirt! Maxi skirts are obviously my favourite here, with 3 out of 4 outfits featuring it, but it works well with pencil skirts too and shorter length skirts like you've seen above.
Grey Tee and Baby Bump Outfits
I've been lucky enough to have this tee for both my pregnancies with my boys and I took full advantage of the comfortable stretchy material, wearing it right into the third trimester! It was a simple outfit for work with a pencil skirt, or as you saw above too without the bump, a nice easy casual outfit on a hot day with a maxi skirt. It's one of those non-maternity pieces that work so well in a pregnancy wardrobe!
A grey tee is such a staple piece to have in your wardrobe. When I heard about the 30 wears challenge I was sure the first thing I'd be sharing was going to be one of my many grey tees. I was surprised to find none of them were even close to 30 wears! Documenting what I wear each day by taking photos really helps me see what I actually wear all the time, instead of just what I think I wear all the time! I suppose having it be the first top in the series is very fitting - everything else has been accessories, outerwear or shorts or skirts.
This monthly post is inspired by the 30 wears challenge I first heard about in The True Cost documentary.
30 Ways To Wear: Grey V-Neck Tee
A grey tee is such a basic wardrobe staple and I am sure you have one in your wardrobe! I'm hoping that this post gives you a new outfit or colour combination to try and encourages you to rewear something you already have. I love repeating my favourite pieces, I bought them to wear them after all!
Cost Per Wear
I purchased this tee from The Iconic sale back in July 2013 and it was reduced to just $13.95 so the cost per wear is just 47 cents as I've worn it 33 times. It shows you don't have to splurge on something to have it last a long time.
I am so sad that I can't buy more of these tees - the brand isn't listed on the Iconic anymore and I haven't been able to find anything on Google. When I realised what a great piece this tee was I went back to buy more but by then there was none left in my size and it was never restocked. It's a 100% cotton, comfortable and soft tee which has held up so well over 6 years (and two pregnancies!) and I expect to have it in my wardrobe for a long time still. I've not found one that compares to it yet!
30 Ways To Wear: Video style
Grey Tee and Kimono
Just as grey tees are a wardrobe staple, kimonos are another staple for me! Perfect for stay at home mum wear. With a grey tee and shorts or a grey tee and jeans, your outfit can sometimes feel a little plain, so adding a bright kimono is a great way to add more colour and interest to your outfit.
Grey Tee and Layers
Sometimes you need a little more than a kimono to keep warm - and a grey tee layers beautifully! As it's a basic, block colour neutral you can pair it with printed scarves, bright cardigans and even denim or leather jackets on colder days. I like how you don't have to worry about the tee clashing with any colours or print you might be layering with.
Grey Tee Over A Dress
I was sure I'd have more examples of this to share as I've been loving knotting things over dresses recently! I like how a simple grey tee worn over a fun printed dress can completely change the look of it. This tee knots beautifully too - it doesn't stretch out after being knotted and it looks great with every style and colour and print of dress as it's a go-with-anything neutral.
Grey Tee In The Office
If you have a business casual workplace, you might be able to dress up your tee for a day at work. I have a business casual office that's so casual people wear jeans through the week. In this kind of office environment, a grey tee and a pencil skirt is an easy and comfortable outfit to wear. You can always try dressing the tee up a little more with a pair of heels, a blazer, or a big scarf to disguise the casual material.
Grey Tee And Printed Skirts
As I've shown above, a neutral tee goes with any print. My favourite pairing is definitely stripes, but I like how easy this tee is to wear with any style of printed skirt. It's such a simple combo, grey tee and maxi skirt, but one I keep wearing over and over. Perfect for mum life.
Grey Tee With Bright or Printed Jeans
Everyone relies on a great jeans and tee outfit! It's the best basic outfit and one I frequently wear. Because this tee is a nice neutral grey, you can have a little more fun when picking jeans to wear it with, going bolder with bright jeans or printed jeans to add a little more interest to your outfit. All 5 of these outfits are the same basic tee and jeans formula, but just by changing up the jeans to different colours and prints, maybe adding an accessory like a scarf, you create a new outfit each time.
Classic Jeans and Tee Outfit
Of course sometimes you don't want to go all out and you just want a nice, simple, classic jeans and tee outfit. With the traditional blue jeans or simple black pair, this grey tee makes a great staple outfit.
Grey Tee In Pregnancy And Postpartum
I just had to finish this post with some pregnancy (and postpartum) outfits! I always enjoy looking back at them when I'm compiling these 30 ways to wear posts. After owning this tee 6 years, it's accommodated all the typical weight fluctuations over that time, and two pregnancies (as you can see by it stretched to the max over the third trimester bump there!). It's sprung back into shape every time and was so comfortable to wear over a growing baby bump or slowly shrinking postpartum bump like in the middle photo. Definitely a versatile wardrobe staple!
New month (how is it December already?!) a new #30wears post, showing some different ways to wear this grey floral print kimono. When I first got this kimono in 2016, I wore it a lot. So much so that I was sure I'd hit 30 wears on it and was surprised at the end of that summer to realise I hadn't! 30 wears doesn't sound like that much for pieces you love, but as I've shared before, if you do the maths it takes 15 months if you wear something once every two weeks, which is probably more frequently than average.
I picked up this kimono in an ASOS sale 2 years ago and despite feeling like I frequently wear it, I'm just hitting 30 wears now. Quality wise, still looks pristine and new as the day I got it, no signs of wear. It was on sale for $33.60 when I got it so it's just over a dollar a wear at $1.12. It's full retail price was $95 so I'm pretty happy with what I paid and the low cost per wear! It was a great sale find. And as you can see below, a statement floral print kimono can actually be worn with a lot of different things!
Floral Kimono and Green Tops
I find green a tricky colour to wear sometimes, but I've been making an effort to try wear it more often. While there isn't any green in the print of this kimono, with the florals and birds green just seemed like a nice colour combination to try. As you can see, I liked it so much I wore it that way a few times!
Grey Floral Kimono and Grey Tees
While I enjoy wearing this printed kimono with bright pieces, nothing beats a classic grey tee. I used to be wary about wearing a grey tee and grey outerwear together, but I gave this kimono a try with a grey tee once and loved it - don't know why I'd never tried it before! The colourful print helps add some more colour and interest so it's not just grey on grey.
Floral Kimono and Black Tops
Colourful tops and grey tops are nice with this kimono, and black tops are perfect with it too! Adding a colourful printed kimono to a basic black top and denim outfit makes it instantly seem a little more pulled-together, and with the neutral top and grey base of the kimono it means you can add a colourful bag to your outfit. Picking an accessory that matches one of the colours in the print is a great idea, as I've done here with the mustard yellow micro Regan bag and blue Balenciaga day bag.
Kimono In Pregnancy With Maternity Denim
Having a limited pregnancy wardrobe (and even implementing a capsule wardrobe for the third trimester) meant I reached for accessories more often. A kimono is a wonderfully lightweight piece that adds more interest and colour to your outfit, without making you any warmer, even while pregnant in a heatwave. I loved adding this floral print kimono or one of my many other printed ones to an otherwise simple pregnancy outfit. Kimonos are very bump-friendly too as you never have to attempt to fasten them up over a growing baby bump. They always fit, in every trimester! As a bonus, they work as a breastfeeding cover in the postpartum days too!
Kimonos with Shorts
Denim shorts are a Brisbane summer essential - I couldn't do summer without shorts! As you can see by how many times I've worn this kimono with shorts, easily the majority of the 30 wears! I love how nicely a floral print kimono like this works with denim - it's an easy, fuss-free option. As mentioned above, it's nice to have a light layer for summer that provides some sun protection without overheating too. Picking the right kimono is important to allow it to be breathable in the middle of the summer heat - viscose, cotton and modal are better than polyester.
Kimonos and Skinny Jeans
While they are great in summer, it's possible to wear your kimonos in spring and autumn too just by swapping out the denim shorts for skinny jeans. You can go for colourful jeans, or keep it simple and stick to the classic blue or black denim.
Kimono with Dresses and Skirts
While I do tend to wear this kimono with denim a lot, I do like to try different things with it now and then. Kimonos work just as well with dresses and skirts as they do with jeans or shorts. The first outfit with the maxi skirt is one of my favourite pregnancy outfits, the slouchy kimono and long skirt just work perfectly together.
Floral Kimono and Print Mixing
Florals and stripes is a frequently worn print mixing formula. I'm sure you've seen it around on blogs before, even if you've never tried it yourself. With the floral print on this kimono, I was eager to try it with stripes and I love the way this looks. You don't have to stop at stripes though!
Embroidered floral shorts, polka dots or even abstract print, there are so many options. A good tip is to make sure that the prints have a similar colour. The gold polka dots and the yellow florals, or the similarly shaped floral print and floral embroidery together. While I dont always love the resulting outfits, I do have a lot of fun trying new things and wearing different prints with this kimono.
Floral Kimonos Under $50:
How Do I Know How Many Wears Something's Had?
I've had this question a few times lately. I blog what I actually wear - I take photos on my way out the door most mornings. That means if I want to know how many times I've worn something, I just look up the name of it on the blog and get a count. One of the benefits of having an archive of daily outfits for almost 6 years!
This is my last 30 ways to wear post for the year and it's been an incredibly fun challenge - I know you all enjoy the posts too as they are some of the most popular on my blog, so I'm looking forward to continuing with it next year and making it a permanent fixture. It's been a challenge to hit 30 wears regularly, but identifying pieces I'm close to that number with and giving them lots of frequent re-wears is helping me hit my goals. Thank you for following along, the sweet comments, and the sharing and pinning of the posts.
After not buying anything for #NoBuyJuly16 I didn't buy as much as I thought I would in August. I picked up the dress I'd had my eye on in July after it went on sale again, and another wrap top from Atmos&Here. With the 30% off at Jeanswest for rewards card members I filled up my cart, but never bought anything in the end. With the official start of spring later this week I thought it best to wait and see what I end up wearing a lot of and where any wardrobe gaps are before I buy any more clothes.
Continuing with my goal of wearing things twice in a month after buying them, I've worn both things twice. Since I only bought two things this month, it was really easy to wear them both. I think they are pieces that will get a lot more wear as the weather heats up and we move into spring. I would have liked to have found a replacement for my black maxi skirt since I returned the midi skirt but after the hassle and cost of hemming the last skirt I bought I'm happy to wait a little longer until I can get the right one for my short self. Or until I find another local tailor!
As well as making sure I can think of two ways to wear things immediately before I buy, I'm starting to add things to my cart and then come back another day to buy them only if I've still been thinking about it. Not sure how I'll carry on with this pattern when I'm back to shopping in stores, right now with two boys under 3 online shopping is my main way to shop. It seems to be working to slow my spending for the moment.
I will be attempting #noSpenderSeptember next month and seeing if I can replicate July's no buy month in September too! I got the idea from Beth at Almost Posh. Wish me luck!
The third trimester is definitely the time to repeat outfits that make you look and feel good, and to do so unashamedly! Find things that work for you and wear them as many times as you like. I've included 55 outfit ideas for the third trimester below, from both of my pregnancies. You can click on the links under the images to view more info about them.
Office Outfits:
In the third trimester, I still wore my ASOS maternity pencil skirts often, but the standout pieces were my wrap dresses. They were such an easy outfit that always fit the growing bump and never failed to look good. I wore wrap dresses a lot! I was able to find some regular non-maternity dresses in my wardrobe that still accommodated the baby bump too.
