Rebecca Minkoff Bright Yellow Swing Bag and Denim - Skinny Jeans and Flares

First up, remember I spoke about little words of encouragement and compliments on Wednesday? Well, turns out my friend Leigh has discovered the wonderfulness of that idea already...and has a goal to write 10,000 notes of encouragement! You can back her project here. Check it out on Go Fund Me!


Now, outfits! I really stretched my creativity with my wardrobe in March by completing two style challenges in the same week. I don't know how people do multiple challenges at once! Some days required a lot of thought and it didn't give me as much freedom as usual - there was often only one thing I could wear to meet both challenges. I did get a really nice surprise at the end of the week to find out that I'd won the posh lady indigo style challenge, that was a wonderful way to end the double challenges!

This post is the last of my double style challenge week outfits. One really costume-y outfit to meet the theme and one casual and simple one.

What I wore:

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey

Top: Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Belt: vintage suede tassel belt from my mum's wardrobe
Jeans: Jeanswest 'spoylt' flared jeans
Shoes: Wittner 'Mimi' heels in mushroom
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Swing bag in canary yellow (on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

I felt a bit costume-y in this outfit when we went out for lunch. I think it was all just a bit too much together with the fringe, the embroidery and the flares. Flared jeans! I did have a few pairs of flares in my denim collection. Flares and bootcut were my main style a few years ago, then I got my knee injury and had to get rid of all my heels and suddenly they were too long to wear any more. I had to buy my first pair of skinny jeans to get something that would work with flats!

In my wardrobe detox session, the stylist helped me tackle my overflowing denim collection and I ended up getting rid of most of my flared jeans as they all needed heels. I just don't wear them often enough to justify keeping them. When I thought about wearing flares for my outfit to meet the challenge prompt of 'that 70s show', these were the only pair left! I thought the 'flick' of the hem would meet the 'chic flick' style challenge for Fox pack style dare too, but the challenge was actually 'chick flick' as in movie so I messed up on that one!

These jeans haven't been worn on the blog before, and I'm not sure if they will again. They will if I get around to getting them hemmed, and don't stumble across a better pair in a Jeanswest sale ;) I really need to get them taken up, as it took me a while to find a pair of heels that worked with these. And I'm still not completely happy with how they looked. I got rid of my favourite pair of flares and these are a poor second. I confess to spending the morning raking through the big black bin bag full of donations after my wardrobe detox looking for the other jeans instead....and then I remembered I sold them on ebay. I was happy to get rid of them on the day of my wardrobe detox but I'm regretting it now. I don't remember why I let them go, I keep telling myself that maybe they were one of the pairs that didn't even fit me any more.

And although it's now May, this was the second wearing in April of this embroidered top that I bought in March. After I buy something, I try and wear it twice in the next month and review it afterwards. You can read more about why I do this here.

My purchase review:

I really like this top! The fact that it's taken me a while to get around to wearing it is mainly because it's white and I try to avoid wearing white on days I'm at home with baby, and there are a lot of those days. It wasn't one of those purchases I needed - I know I have too many tops already - it was just something I wanted. As much as I love it, it's a lesson to myself to stop making impulse 'got to have it as it looks pretty' purchases! I only just managed to wear it twice in April even though I was aiming to do wear it twice in the month, that's not a great start. As far as impulse purchases go, I've made worse ones, but I really should be trying to only buy things I have planned for!


Last worn: embroidered top, heels, Rebecca Minkoff Swing bag.

Other ways to wear: boho top with denim shorts, flared jeans with a printed cami, brown heels in the office, swing bag with a striped maxi dress.

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What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers

Scarf: Burberry cashmere tartan scarf
Tee: Atmos&Here oversized stripe tee
Jeans: Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Swing bag in canary yellow (on sale in black or pink)

Why I wore it:

In contrast to the outfit above, I felt comfortable and like myself in this outfit. And I love these jeans! Nice and casual and a little cosy for running errands. It was the last outfit for my double style challenge week on instagram too. Tartan scarf for 'tartan, gingham and plaid' post lady indigo challenge prompt, and my as I don't have a red lipstick, my brightest lip balm for Fox pack style dare 'bright pout' theme.

There are a lot of challenges that centre around red lipstick! Is it as much of an essential as the instagram challenges make it out to be? For reference, I have lip balm and tubes of Lucas' paw paw all over the place and in multiple handbags, but I only have one lipstick, the same shade I wore on my wedding day. I liked it so much at my wedding makeup trial I had to have it. I don't feel I'm missing anything only having one lipstick, until I do these challenges! Am I weird for not having a red lippy?


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, Burberry tartan scarf, striped tee, skinny jeans, Havaianas.

Other ways to wear: striped tee over a third trimester baby belly, Burberry tartan scarf in winter, more print mixing with skinny jeans, yellow bag with a neutral maxi skirt outfit.

Linking up with Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Passion for Fashion, Fashion Friday, Mix It Up, Fashion Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Link Up With Lisa, Shoe and Tell, Let It Shine today.

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Monthly Purchases and Corporate Style: Marc By Marc Jacobs Lil Ukita Bag and Jackets. Striped Dress, Pencil Skirt

As well as sharing my monthly purchases for April, two more of my Fox Pack Style Dare themed outfits, and my cute little red Marc by Marc Jacobs Ukita bag. I've been enjoying this daily outfit challenge on instagram. I'm being a lot more flexible with my interpretations and having fun with what I wear instead of trying to nail the prompt exactly.


First up, my April Purchases:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Stargazer scarf in aquamarine
Tai gold alphabet necklace
Zalora Basics faux leather placket red shift dress
Atmos&Here Polly navy polka dot shirt dress (this is the checked one that I returned)
Thrifted Valleygirl blue knit jumper
Thrifted Cotton On yellow tank
Thrifted Dotti blue tee
Jeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
Jeanswest khaki 'Cassey' cuffed skinny pants (returned)

What I wore:

Jacket: Warehouse cropped zip detail jacket

Scarf: Nicole by Nicole Miller mixed print scarf (giveaway prize from Style of Sam)
Dress: Jeanswest 'Rita' stripe jersey dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Little Ukita bag in Rock Lobster

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was 'Parisian' so I went for a very stereotypical outfit. Black, stripes and a touch of red with the bag and scarf. This is the first time I've worn the scarf. I won it last year actually, in a goodie bag giveaway on Sam's blog. I had wanted to wear it with stripes so this was perfect.

I really like the cropped blazer too - it's a very cosy piece. The autumn weather is setting in now in Brisbane so a jacket is needed on the early morning commute to work.

The dress I love, a great wardrobe basic that's worked well before, during and after pregnancy. This is the first time I've worn it without a belt though. I didn't want to add too much with the scarf and the zip detail on the blazer already.


Despite liking everything individually, when it's grouped together I just really don't like this outfit. I think the combination of the shorter jacket and the unbelted flared dress doesn't work....just not a very flattering outfit.


Last worn: Warehouse cropped blazer, striped dress, ankle strap heels, Marc by Marc Jacobs Little Ukita bag. First time I've worn the scarf.

Other ways to wear: cropped blazer with printed dresses, striped dress with pink accessories and a baby belly, ankle strap heels and a pencil skirt, red bag with more striped outfits and a third trimester baby bump.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket 

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace (new purchase) layered with Dogeared 3 Wishes stardust bead necklace
Tank: Jeanswest 'Darcy' embellished top in Winter coral
Skirt: Asos tailored tab front pencil skirt in grey
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Little Ukita bag in Rock Lobster

Why I wore it:

The style prompt for the day was 'shiny sparkly', so just like I did last time this came up as a challenge, I wore my pretty sequin tank. This tank is one of the pieces I had to justify keeping during my wardrobe detox. I insisted it looked good on me and I wanted to keep it, ha! When I put it on to demonstrate this, the stylist was unimpressed as it looks terrible untucked on my petite frame. but ever since I tried tucking it in, I've loved wearing it. I've even used it to successfully disguise a second trimester baby bump in the office! The stylist relented and let me keep it in the end, and we threw out the next 3 tops she looked at instead. A good compromise!

As this is the second time I've worn my jacket since I bought it, and I'm reviewing all my new purchases on their second wear to see if they are winners, my purchase review:

I am glad I bought this jacket. I had wanted it for a while, but waited for a sale and then waited too long and it was sold out in my size. When I found it in the Jeanswest outlet I knew I had to take it home! It is really similar to some boucle jackets from Zara I owned...so I got rid of the blue and red tweed blazers to make room in my wardrobe for this, and I don't regret it.
The only downside is that it has got a zipper detail on the sleeves that makes it impossible to type with at work, as the large zipper pulls hit on the desk and keyboard and make so much noise! I remembered this from the first wear though and put a pashmina in my bag for when I got cold at the office without the jacket, and it worked out much better. As autumn draws to a close I'll be wearing scarves more often so it won't matter so much that I have to take the jacket off when I'm at my desk. So although it's not a perfect purchase, as I bought it intending to wear it often to work, I'm happy with it and happy to 'work around' the distracting noise it makes!


Last worn: Jeanswest jacquard jacket, sequin detail tank, Asos grey pencil skirt, nude heels, Marc By Marc Jacobs Ukita bag.

Other ways to wear: jacquard jacket with a printed dress, sequin tank with striped maxi skirt, nude patent heels with a printed skirt, red bag with a black lace pencil skirt.

Linking up with What I Wore, Wardrobe Wednesday, Because Shanna Said So, Style Me Weekly, Cappuccino and Fashion, Get Your Pretty On, Budgeting Bloggers, Style Me Wednesday, Oh hey girl, The Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday, Brilliant Blog Posts, Fashion Files, Look What I Got, Throwback Thursday, What I Wore to Work, Fun Fashion Friday today.

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Corporate Style: Mimco Black Button Bag, Pencil Skirts and Ankle Strap Heels

More office wear! After a chat with Kiki on her blog comments section I had been thinking about my old Mimco button bag, and decided to finally take it out and wear it again. Although it doesn't get worn a lot (last worn almost 2 years ago!) this bag will never leave my collection. It was my first ever handbag splurge. I'd spent ages researching and thinking about the best colour combinations and saving, patiently waiting until I'd graduated university and was earning enough to justify it. I still remember the excitement of calling the store and getting them to put one aside for me to pick up in my lunch break, getting my gorgeous bag, and that great disappointment that comes from the first scratch on a pristine bag. There was also a conversation with DH (my then boyfriend) that it was so perfect I'd 'never need another handbag'.... we all know how that turned out ;)

What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers

Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Shirt: Choies pink chiffon shirt with strawberry print (C/O Choies)
Skirt: Atmos&Here grey marle jersey pencil skirt (same in navy)
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Mimco black button bag

Why I wore it:

It has been such a long time since I last wore this handbag. I'm glad I pulled it out again, I still love it. Thought black was good with the printed pink shirt and grey skirt.

Last time I wore this skirt I wondered if maybe the fabric was a little too dressed down for the office. I still feel it's too dressy to wear casually though! This time around, I dressed it up a bit more with a button up shirt and heels. I didn't feel as out of place in this outfit, I thought it worked quite well. It is a very comfortable skirt, so I want to make it work.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, strawberry print shirt, grey marle pencil skirt, ankle strap heels, Mimco button bag.

Other ways to wear: strawberry print shirt with denim shorts, grey pencil skirt with Converse, ankle strap heels with a dress in winter, Mimco button bag with a printed dress.

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What I wore:

Top: Eva top C/O Raues

Belt: Kmart thin black glitter belt
Skirt: Asos black tailored tab front pencil skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Mimco black button bag

Why I wore it:

It's been a while since I last wore this top too. As I mentioned when I last wore it, it's great for office wear! Thought I would try it over a pencil skirt. It looks nice tucked in, but I thought I'd wear it untucked and belt it over the top. I regretted my decision to belt this later in the day though - the top is custom-made so it nips in perfectly at the waist, but the belt was just riding up and down and I kept having to adjust it through the day. It wasn't sitting comfortably with the top and the waistline of the pencil skirt underneath. Definitely need to wear it without a belt next time.

I have worn the grey version of this skirt frequently on the blog, but I've only worn this black one three times (one, two and three). I bought it just before I got pregnant and it wasn't exactly accommodating for a growing baby belly, so that's why it's had so little wear. I do have a lot of pencil skirts, and a few black ones so I'm debating if I should keep this or not. I'm going to keep this in my wardrobe for the moment and see how often it gets worn now I'm back at work after baby. No point in keeping it if I keep passing over it to wear my other black pencil skirts instead.


Last worn: Raues polka dot top, black glitter belt, black pencil skirt, Wittner heels (above), Mimco bag (above).

Other ways to wear: glitter belt over a third trimester baby bump, ankle strap heels with tights, black handbag with polka dot skirt.

Linking up with What I Wore Wednesday, Because Shanna Said So, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Trendy Wednesday, Get Your Pretty On, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Spotlight Weekly, Thursday Fashion Files, Look What I Got, What I Wore to Work, Fun Fashion Friday today.

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Jeanswest Dresses: Work and Weekend. Black Maxi, Aztec Print in the Office

First, the Shopbop Friends and Family Sale is on NOW! You can get 25% off with code 'SPRING25' at checkout. Some exclusions apply. Great time to buy those things you've been keeping in your cart while wishing for a sale! :)

My Shopbop Friends and Family Sale picks:

And of course, the usual outfits. I like shopping at Jeanswest, and I like pretty dresses....so two dress outfits! A new dress for a party and an old one being worn again (after a year!!!) for work.

What I wore:

Dress: Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (on sale!)

Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC (on sale in rose gold!)

Why I wore it:

Wore this pretty maxi dress for a friend's birthday house party. I just wore my Havaianas with it as I knew I'd be taking my shoes off at the door. I did take a jacket with me in case it got colder, but didn't wear it as it was quite humid. It was a really fun party although I couldn't stay long as I had baby T with me. He enjoyed meeting new people and dancing around to some of the music, as well as watching the bigger kids playing.


As this is the second time I've worn this dress since I bought it, and I've been reviewing all my new wardrobe additions lately, this is my purchase review:

I love this maxi dress! I picked it up in the Jeanswest outlet last month as I thought it looked pretty, and when I came out of the change room in it everyone was full of compliments. It's just perfect on me. Length and all, even on my petite frame! I don't really need to wear a necklace with it because of the detailed neckline, which works perfectly for life with a grabby baby.

When I was weighing up the purchase in the change room I was thinking about how I already had a black maxi dress, and there was no point in having two black maxi dresses. I definitely have enough maxi dresses! I reasoned that I loved this one more than the one in my wardrobe at home. So I decided to buy this one and get rid of my old French Connection one (I sold it on ebay). I'm not too sad I got rid of the old one bought this one instead, this is such a lovely dress.


Last worn: black embellished maxi dress, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: black maxi dress and studded accessories, silver mini MAC with a colourful pattern mixing outfit.

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What I wore:

Necklace: House of Harlow Dynamic necklace in gold

Dress: Jeanswest Aztec print dress
Belt: Asos skinny pale yellow belt
Shoes: Wittner 'Mimi' heels in mushroom
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)

Why I wore it:

Last time I wore this dress, I was in the third trimester (with a giant baby belly) and still working in the office. Funny to wear it again now almost a year later! It's been a long time between wears, and this is one of my favourite dresses. It hasn't been worn sooner as it's not ideal for life with baby, it's actually sheer with a blue slip underneath and the neckline isn't stretchy. It is perfect for working in my business casual office and having a lunch date in the city with my friends though!


Last worn: Aztec print dress, skinny yellow belt, brown heels, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: Aztec print dress layered up for winter, yellow belt with a purple maxi dress, brown heels for first day back at work after maternity leave, speedy bandouliere with denim.

Linking up with What I Wore, Get Your Pretty On, Because Shanna Said So, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Trendy Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, What I Wore to Work, Spotlight Weekly, Fun Fashion Friday, That Friday Blog Hop, Casual Friday, Fab Favourites, Modest Monday today.

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Blush Pink Boyfriend Blazer. With Striped Tank and Shorts, LBD and Heels for the Office

As part of my shopping in March, I crossed an item off my want list, a pastel pink blazer! I was really excited to find one at a good price in the outlets, and excited to wear it. I'm worried it was a case of something looking great in the change room and not working when you get it home as neither of these outfits are really striking me as great outfits...sharing them anyway.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer (new purchase)

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: AT By Atmos&Here Orion stripe tank
Shorts: Jeanswest printed denim shorts
Shoes: Asos 'five star' leather sandals
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)

Why I wore it:

I was excited for a slightly cooler day so I could wear my new blazer! I really wanted to wear this with jeans but despite the rain it was extremely humid, so shorts it was.

Thought this dressed up a shorts and tank outfit nicely, although it does look a little odd in the photos. I think it's the length of the shorts and the blazer not working well together. We went out for lunch and a little bit of shopping.


Last worn: stripe tank, printed shorts, leather sandals, Louis Vuitton Speedy bandouliere. First time I've worn the blazer.

Other ways to wear: striped tank and paisley print skirt, printed shorts in summer, sandals with dresses, speedy bandouliere with skirts.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer (new purchase)

Scarf: Paris print silk scarf
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: French Connection fitted little black dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

Firstly, let me say that I know this outfit would have looked better without a headband. With running late, only having a few hours sleep, having a bad hair day and not having hair long enough to tie back, I had to go for a quick fix and settled on the scarf. Probably looked a little out of place in the office. I had one colleague tell me I "looked very 1930s". I just said thanks and that I'd take it as a compliment! It had been a tough night with an unsettled baby so I was more impressed I made it to work on time and less worried about the overall outfit.

Last time I wore this dress I was using the cut to disguise what I thought was a very visible first trimester baby bump. It has a little gathered section under the fitted waistband that's quite flattering and hides a slightly protruding belly! Works post-baby too ;)


I'm trying to review all my new purchases on the blog, to encourage myself to style things differently when I buy them and think about how they will work in my wardrobe, to make sure I'm not buying things that will just sit in my wardrobe unworn and adding to my overflowing closet. You can read more about why I'm doing this here.


As it's the second time I've worn this blazer, my purchase review:

This blazer is something I've been wanting for a while! It's a cute dusty pastel pink, and after seeing all the northern hemisphere bloggers with their pastel pink coats for winter I thought I'd buy into the trend for autumn. Don't really need a wool coat in Brisbane, a blazer will do. When I tried it on in store I tried it with a pair of skinny jeans and thought it looked good. A little creased and crumpled, but I reasoned that as it was spring stock it was bound to get a little creased from being in the outlet a few months. After wearing it once above, I quickly realised it was the material itself - it creases so easy. And dry clean only is not ideal for life with baby! Pastel pink is not the best colour on me (I now know after my personal stylist session), and the long-line boyfriend style length is not great on a petite frame.

However, I'm keeping this jacket. I really want to make it work! Even if I do have to iron it constantly, and neither of these are my favourite outfits. I know that when the cooler weather eventually comes to Brisbane (still in shorts in Autumn!) I will be able to wear it with jeans. And I could try belting it too, and wearing it with brighter scarves and tops to balance out the paler blazer. What do you think? How else would you style this blazer? Or should I just cut my losses and admit I was too overexcited by finding a pastel pink blazer to consider how it really looks on me?


Last worn: pastel blazer (above), French Connection LBD, black heels, Balenciaga Part Time.

Other ways to wear: black headscarf with black maxi dress, belted cardi over a LBD, ankle strap heels for a night out, black bag with grey outfits.

Linking up with Styled Up, Let It Shine, Style to Inspire, Mix It Mondays, Manic Mondays, Real Mom Style, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, What I Wore, Wardrobe Wednesday today.

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Corporate Style: Prints in the Office. Floral Cami and Pencil Skirt, Polka Dot Dress. Balenciaga Part Time

Back to regular outfit posts! Two more outfits I wore to the office. Both involving lots of black as it had been a tough week with baby T and I wanted simple, easy outfits.

What I wore:

Cardigan: Jeanswest black cardi

Necklace: Dogeared silver wishbone necklace (on sale!) layered with Dogeared 3 Wishes stardust bead necklace
Cami: Atmos&Here 'Isla' ruffle cami in floral print
Skirt: Asos tailored tab front pencil skirt in grey
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

This is what I wore on Saint Patrick's day. (Yep, I'm 2 weeks behind with posting what I wore!) I wanted to wear something with a little bit of green in it, as sometimes the office can get really into holidays. I didn't want to go overboard though, so I thought this printed top with the little bits of green worked nicely. I saw lots of people dressed up in very green outfits when I was walking through the city during the day, but sadly there wasn't a lot of green in the office. I was pleased I hadn't pulled together an overly green outfit! Went with all black accessories as that was easiest, and because I needed a cardi to cover the spaghetti straps of the cami for the office.

I've been participating now and then in the #RediscoverYourWardrobe instagram tag. This outfit was another one that met the challenge as last time I wore this cardigan was over two years ago! I wore it with black and white and some red accessories last time, it was a little more colourful this time around with the printed top. This skirt is another wardrobe oldie, last worn when I was 21 weeks pregnant and still hiding the baby bump in the office.

I was debating if I should keep these heels or not. They are very tall, but actually very comfortable despite the height. I wondered if the style was a bit dated though. I got these shoes in 2013 and while they are black, they aren't exactly a classic timeless style. I was scrolling through my instagram feed that day and saw an extremely similar pair being featured as a new style arriving at a store I follow, so I'm not worried any more. They will stay in my wardrobe!


Last worn: black cardigan, Atmos&Here cami, grey pencil skirt, black heels, Balenciaga Part Time.

Other ways to wear: black cardi with a neutral outfit, printed cami and colour blocked maxi skirt, grey pencil skirt worn with blue, Balenciaga black part time with monochrome outfits (and a baby belly!).

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What I wore:

Dress: French Connection spotty cotton dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bolla' black bow detail flats
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

This dress is another oldie! I last wore it in 2013, back when I was exhausted as I was suffering from really bad morning sickness. I wore it then as I was tired and wanted something to nice and easy to wear to the office. Tiredness is the reason I picked it again this time, although I was tired because I was sleep deprived with baby T and hadn't had time to pick out an outfit the evening before like I usually do. LBD, black accessories and I was done, off to work. Easy :) Although running late meant I didn't notice the messy hair, or have time to fix it before photos, ha!


Last worn: French Connection LBD, black ballet flats, Balenciaga part time (above).

Other ways to wear: polka dot dress with pink accessories, black Balenciaga with a pink outfit.

Linking up with I Feel Pretty, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Spotlight Weekly, What I Wore to Work, Fun Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Skirtista Diaries today.

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Corporate Style: Pencil Skirts and a Bit of Blue

Sharing more of my office wear. The return to work has been tricky, but baby T and I are handling it well I think. From an outfit perspective, I've been enjoying wearing my pencil skirts and 'dressing up' in corporate wear for a change.


Here's what I wore to work:

Necklace: Dogeared 3 Wishes stardust bead necklace layered with Chanel necklace
Shirt: Target mint stripe shirt
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull


A lot has changed since I was away on maternity leave, and the team I'm working with day to day has changed quite a bit. I'm still doing the same role as I was before, just working with different people. There was a big department meeting where everyone from all our locations got together and the newbies and myself had the chance to introduce ourselves to over 100 people. I've mentioned it before on the blog, but public speaking is one of my great fears. I've done a few things to try and get over it (like recording youtube videos to get used to speaking to an 'audience', and taking part in a presentation skills group), but I don't think I'll never get rid of those nerves entirely.

As I was incredibly nervous, I dressed in my comfort colour - blue! This blue lace pencil skirt has to be one of my favourites, it always gets compliments on the blog and instagram too, the best sale buy. I've linked up some similar ones below. I thought the striped shirt worked nicely with it, you can't really see the stripes unless you're up-close, but stripes are always good for pattern mixing anyway. I felt as comfortable and confident as you can be when presenting I guess.

I went with heels for that extra confidence boost, and I picked these nude patent ones as I don't remember them being the most comfortable last time I wore them. I was expecting this to be their last wear, but I was really happy in them through the day so they are staying in my wardrobe. I need to ease myself back into wearing heels with my dodgy knee! They will never be as comfortable as flats of course!


Last worn: striped shirt, blue lace pencil skirt, nude patent heels, Louis Vuitton Neverfull.

Other ways to wear: shopping with a Neverfull, casual pencil skirt outfit, hiding a second trimester baby bump with a button down shirt.

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Here's what I wore to work:

Necklace: Diva red stone necklace
Top: Jeanswest 'Ricky' ruffle front top in midnight
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs suede flats in red
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH


I put this outfit together around the red flats. I was inspired by something Audrey posted about how to wear bright shoes, and realised I don't really wear these red flats a lot, considering how comfortable they are. I've worn the top and the shoes together before, (even with the same skirt!!) but not with a red necklace. One of Audrey's ideas was to wear a necklace and shoes that compliment or contrast a colourful top. Although I don't like the way the necklace looks with the neckline on the top, I was happy with the outfit overall. And very comfortable not wearing heels all day, hehe!


Last worn: polka dot blouse, black pencil skirt, red flats, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: polka dot top with denim, pencil skirt over a dress, red shoes with a red dress, black bag with neutral outfits (and a giant baby bump!).

Linking up with Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Skirtista Diaries, Fashion Friday, Mix It Up Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Modest Monday, Let It Shine, Styled Up, What I Wore to Work today.

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