State of Origin Maroon Outfit and The Wednesday Pants Link Up

A special post today - a Maroon outfit for the State of Origin! I've posted about the game before, it's a bit of rivalry between two Australian states; Queensland (maroon) and NSW (blue). I'm linking up with Allison and The Wednesday Pants wearing my maroon and Allison will be wearing her blues. You can join the linkup below.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat (similar, on sale!)

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: Next brown polka dot and lace top
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

This is a great way to wear some maroon in the office, burgundy pants. Very appropriate for the 'Wednesday Pants' theme too! On game days, our office dress code is relaxed enough that people can wear footy shirts to the office. But if you don't have a team shirt, or you have meetings with customers so you have to stick to the dress code, then maroon items are a great way to still show your team spirit. Plus you can re-wear things you already own.

I haven't worn this top in a long time (almost 2 years!) so it's overdue a wear! It's a mock layer top so it's one piece, but it looks like two. It's very easy to wear, just has been neglected for a while as it's better in cooler weather and it didn't fit when I was pregnant and it's not ideal for breastfeeding. Glad to be able to wear it to the office again.

I was a bit shocked to see it's been 9 months since I used my Fran handbag too! It is still a favourite of mine, but when I last wore it I found it a bit much to juggle with the baby bag also, as it's quite large. I figured it would get more wear when I returned to work, but that hasn't been the case. Partly because I bought a new tote for work and partly because all of my handbags are hidden away in boxes under the bed now and it's easy to forget about them when I can't see them all out on display like I did before. We turned my dressing room into a nursery instead.
After buying another handbag in June, I think I need to put the breaks on the bag buying a bit and just enjoy what's left after my big bag clearout on ebay a while back. #NoBuyJuly15 means no buying handbags either! Despite all of the tempting sales.....I have kept away from the handbag sections of Shopbop, Matches Fashion and Net-A-Porter to avoid breaking my shopping ban.


Last worn: trench coat, brown lace polka dot top, burgundy pants, patent heels, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: polka dot top with tweed pants, burgundy pants on the weekend, trench with a LBD, Marc Jacobs Fran bag with a maxi skirt 4 weeks postpartum, nude patent heels with pencil skirt in summer.

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This week I'm excited to be co-hosting The Wednesday Pants Link-Up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter. Allison created her blog to share her experiences of hunting down that perfect fashion item in the beautiful harbour city she calls home. She's a globe trotting, shoe loving, designer handbag toting Aussie who loves to cook up a storm with a wine glass in hand. On the blog she mixes high end and high street. In "The Wednesday Pants" series she has set herself a challenge to wear the same white pair of Calvin Klein pants every Wednesday for an entire year, styled differently of course! This week is the State Of Origin decider and Allison is supporting NSW by showing her colours and proving that you can be stylish while still supporting the boys on the field.  Head on over to her blog and follow along.

We'd both love to see your style this week so link up below following these simple rules:-

1. Follow your host on Facebook, Bloglovin', Twitter and/or Pintrest.
2. Follow your co-host on Bloglovin', Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook.
3. Your post should be either a white pants outfit from your archives or your best OOTD from this week.
3. Ensure your link goes to a specific blog page rather than you blog home page.
4. Include a link back to Sydney Fashion Hunter in your blog post.
5. Visit a couple of the other links and discover new blogs to love.

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking this post up with Wardrobe Wednesday(showing lingerie so not safe for work), Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Pleated Poppy, What I Wore, Style Me Weekly, Oh Hey Girl, Trendy Wednesday, Brilliant Blog Posts, Thursday Favourites, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday, Feature Friday, Fashion Friday today.

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Corporate Style: Pencil Skirts Layered Up for Winter with Tights,Trench Coats and Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote

Despite recently sharing that I was trying to resist wearing tights to work as much as possible, it's just gotten too cold in the mornings. Even in Brisbane. So I've got my fleece lined tights out now. It means I can continue to wear all of my pencil skirts for work while still keeping cosy. The only problem is that I've had these tights so long I can't remember where I bought them. Anyone have good recommendations for replacements?

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf in Island pine-print
Cardigan: Jeanswest grey knit cardigan
Shirt: Jeanswest Helene sleeveless textured shirt in berry (on sale, extra 30% off!)
Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

After finishing the Fox In Flats style challenge, I was looking forward to wearing this outfit I'd had in my head for a while. I thought the plain pink shirt would look really nice with the printed blue pencil skirt. This scarf wasn't the first one I had in mind (I was going to wear my newest one, the Marc by Marc Jacobs stargazer scarf) but it was my second choice after I realised that morning whilst rushing around that I couldn't find the one I wanted! After panicking that it had fallen on the ground as I put baby T into his car seat I called and confirmed I had left it behind by accident at playgroup. Thankfully one of the ladies had kept it aside for me. Phew!

I was really happy with this outfit - the cardigan I layered under the trench kept me cosy in the office with the sleeveless shirt too. You can't really see it in the first picture but you can in the close-up with my bag.

As it's the second time I've worn this shirt, my purchase review:
I really like this shirt, but I haven't worn it as much as I expected to after buying it. It's one of those pieces I want to 'save' in my wardrobe. I know I'm not the only one who thinks something is too special for everyday wear and has to be 'saved' for a special occasion. I'm really trying to challenge that thinking and just wear and enjoy what I own! I'm pleased I bought this top, I just hope I don't always wait for an ideal outfit to wear it. It will probably get worn a lot more in spring/summer as I did have to layer it up a little for this cold winter day.


Last worn: trench, printed scarf, grey cardigan, pink sleeveless shirt, jacquard pencil skirt, ankle strap heels, RM MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: printed scarf with a black dress, grey cardi with a printed dress, sleeveless shirt with skinny jeans (and fewer layers!), jacquard pencil skirt with a purple tee, black heels with a monochrome outfit, navy MAB tote and print mixing outfit.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Cotton On animal print scarf in blue
Top: Jeanswest 'Melanie' Stripe henley in black/coconut
Skirt: Review 'Ziggy' polka dot pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs two tone flats in blush and black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

In contrast to the outfit above, I spent much less time thinking about this outfit - I quickly put it together the night before as I was feeling unsure about what to wear. This shirt I'd been eyeing off in my wardrobe for a while, waiting for a chance to wear it again and I figured a cold day was good! I have a few long sleeve tops in my wardrobe that only get worn in the cooler months - yet every time the cold weather rolls around I think I have 'nothing to wear' and go on a shopping spree for long sleeve pieces. I'm hoping to stop that this winter, I really have enough tops already!

It's also the first wearing of my black trench this winter. As I mentioned on instagram, I've had it for years, a $30 sale buy as I didn't want to spend too much buying a warm coat for a trip to Europe I didn't see myself wearing much in Brisbane. At the time I didn't have any long coats, preferring cropped styles and I thought I'd rarely wear it in future. Of course now I think it was one of my most practical purchases - worn 26 times in the 3 years I've had this blog and countless times before then.

I don't like how this looked in photos so much, but I liked the way it felt when I wore it - this shirt is so soft and comfortable and the print mixing with the leopard print scarf was nice. I did worry the top might be a little too casual in the office, but it was cold and this kept my arms warm.


Last worn: black trench, blue leopard print scarf, stripe top, polka dot pencil skirt, cap toe flats, RM MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: black trench with a printed dress, leopard print scarf with stripes again, stripe henley a few days postpartum, pencil skirt hiding a tiny first trimester baby bump in the office, cap toe flats with a maternity wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote with printed pencil skirts.

Linking up with Let It Shine, Modest Monday, Styled Up, Shoe and Tell, Style To Inspire, Bless Her Heart, More Pieces of Me, Daily Express, On Trend Tuesdays here and here, Real Mom Style, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions, Wardrobe Wednesday today.

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Corporate Style: Scarves and Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote

I've only been back at work a few months, so I have lots of summery work outfit ideas. I'm trying to wear them and go bare-legged as long as possible. It's certainly warm enough to do during the day, but it is pretty cold in the mornings!

Two autumn work outfits, one that got a lot of love on instagram despite how much I hated it in person, and another I really liked!

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Grey and pink leopard print scarf from Paddy's Markets in Sydney
Dress: Leona Edmiston Jemima fern print dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

I really did not like this outfit. I liked the idea in my head, and it met the style challenge theme of 'a hint of pink' with both the dress and scarf...but it just felt really bulky on. It was all too much with the layers and the print mixing. Cosy with all the layers, just didn't feel very confident in it, felt a bit 'bleh'. Thankfully I didn't need the scarf indoors, and I was able to change as soon as I got home.

Everyone on instagram really seemed to love this outfit though! It even got more likes than Baby T's newborn photo! Maybe the print mixing didn't look as bad as I thought.


Last worn: trench coat, leopard print scarf, Leona Edmiston printed dress, ankle strap heels, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: leopard print scarf with skinny jeans, trench coat with jersey dress, ankle strap heels with pencil skirts, navy MAB tote with a monochrome blue outfit.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Tee: Thrifted valleygirl blue 3/4 sleeve tee (new purchase)
Skirt: vintage pencil skirt from The Thrifty Kitten
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

The next style challenge was 'powerful' and I don't really think I have any clothes that make me feel powerful. Confident I do though! Like most people, I tend to think heels make me feel more confident. Heels, a pencil skirt and a blazer is a staple work wear combination for me so I feel pretty confident in it.  Just might have been a little cosier with the trench coat on top rather than the blazer, as I was bare-legged. Winter temperatures are definitely here in the mornings!

This top is one of the new-to-me ones I got from the 'fill a bag for $2' op-shop sale. I wanted to wear it like this as I remembered the comment Kiki had made last time I wore this skirt about how nice it would look with cobalt blue. I've worn it with white, brown and purple before but this is the first time I've tried it with blue. This top isn't cobalt, but I did really like the blue with the printed skirt.


I'm always so grateful when you leave constructive criticism or outfit suggestions - it's good to get some ideas from an impartial third party about how things look, and some different things to try. As I learnt in my wardrobe detox session with the personal stylist, I'm not always using my wardrobe to it's full potential or dressing in the most flattering outfit combinations. But just like the terrible outfit above, I'll still share what I wore anyway - and think of different ways to wear things in future so I am back to feeling confident and happy with what I'm wearing.


Last worn: cream blazer, skull scarf, printed pencil skirt, nude heels, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above). First time I've worn the tee as it's a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: blazer with skinny jeans, tan skull scarf with red, printed pencil skirt in summer, nude heels with a printed dress, navy tote with printed dress and pink blazer.

Linking up with WIW, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, I Feel Pretty, The Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Wardrobe Wednesday, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Favourites, Look What I Got today.

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Corporate Style: Prints, Pink and Blazers

With a quiet few days at work without a lot of meetings, I took the chance to try some new things to meet the challenges for the Fox in Flats style dares on instagram. I ended up with two outfits I was really happy with!

What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Shirt: Choies pink chiffon shirt with strawberry print (C/O Choies)
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Wittner 'Mimi' heels in mushroom
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

I've always admired pink and burgundy on other people, I've seen it done really well, so wanted to give it a try myself! Of course we call it Marsala this year ;)

I've worn burgundy to work before (burgundy scarf, maroon dress) but when I saw this challenge I had a hard time trying to think of anything Marsala-toned that I could wear to work. I kept thinking of these pants. I've always thought of these pants more as skinny jeans. They aren't denim, but they are quite a slim fit. I think with the heels and the button up shirt and blazer they dressed up nicely for the office. I've had them 3 years and never once worn them to the office, not even for casual Friday.

This is my favourite outfit from the Fox in Flats style dares this time around - because I'd never thought of wearing these pants to the office before. Now I've tried it and loved it, I have a new way to wear them! It's good to find new ways to wear things in my wardrobe.


Last worn: cream blazer, strawberry print shirt, burgundy pants, Wittner heels, LV speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: jersey blazer with a vintage skirt suit, casual summer shorts outfit with printed shirt, casual burgundy pants and iombre knit outfit, brown heels with flares, LV speedy with a chambray dress.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer
Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs Stargazer scarf in aquamarine (on sale!)
Necklace: House of Harlow Dynamic necklace in gold
Dress: French Connection blue Paisley print dress
Belt: Asos skinny boyfriend belt (tied in a double loop knot using this tutorial)
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

the style challenge for the day was 'all tied up' so I took the chance to wear this blazer belted, as I've been wanting to do that for a while. I've worn this belt with the dress before, in summer, I really like the combination. I think that it looks better without the scarf for working in an office, but I wanted something to keep me cosy on the commute so I thought this scarf would be a nice mix of prints. After reviewing the photos I wasn't too sure about it, so I put the scarf away in my bag when I got to work.

This outfit is one I had in mind for wearing this dress after I was a little on the fence about it last time I wore it. I really liked the combination of the dress and blazer together, and so I'm going to keep the dress in my wardrobe still. Minus the scarf I felt comfortable and confident in this all day.


Last worn: blush pink blazer, MbMJ Stargazer scarf, tan belt, paisley print dress, Acne Pistol boots, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: galaxy print scarf with stripes and purple, pastel blazer with denim shorts, scarf, paisley print dress in summer with blue and silver accessories, pistol boots with denim shorts, MAB tote with office outfits.

Linking up with WIW, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, I Feel Pretty, Oh Hey Girl, Trendy Wednesday, Style Me Wednesday, The Wednesday Pants, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Favourites, Brilliant Blog Posts, Look What I Got, Fun Fashion Friday, Fashion Friday today.

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Corporate Style: Rebecca Minkoff Medium MAB Tote in Moon Navy For The Office

The first wearing of my latest handbag purchase, the medium Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote!

If you follow me on youtube, you would have already see my reveal video, complete with interruptions from baby T. He can be really adorable, but also slightly distracting when I'm trying to film! He much prefers being in front of the camera than playing quietly with all his toys behind it ;)

What I wore:

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey

Knit: thrifted Valleygirl blue knit jumper
Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (new purchase)

Why I wore it:

It's been over a year and a half since I last wore this pencil skirt! I wore it with a navy bag then too. While it does have an elastic waist, it wasn't quite as forgiving as I needed during pregnancy, so it has been a while between wears. I still see pencil skirts as office items and haven't had much luck trying to wear them casually. I'm happy for this to stay a work-only piece, and to keep it in my wardrobe.

The Fox in Flats style dare challenge for the day was 'blue baby' so I took the chance to wear everything blue and came up with this monochrome outfit. I kinda wished I had a pair of blue shoes to go with it...but that might have been a bit too much blue anyway!

It's the second time I've worn this thrifted blue jumper, and I'm reviewing everything I buy after wearing it twice (reasons why here). My purchase review:

I like this knit! I need to try and expand my collection of jumpers (which is predominantly grey!) to include some other colours, and so I knew this top would be perfect when I spotted it in the local op-shop. It's a blue marle so it even has little bits of grey running through it. It's a good lightweight piece too, not too heavy which is perfect for Queensland autumn and winter. One of those pieces I can wear casually or to the office. Really pleased I bought this, it's a keeper!


Last worn: blue jumper, navy jacquard pencil skirt, nude heels. First time I've worn the bag as it's a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: blue knit in a casual maxi skirt outfit, blue pencil skirt with purple tee for the office, nude heels with skinny jeans, similar navy tote with the same pencil skirt.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood (on sale!)
Top: Jeanswest 'Tilda' black shirt
Skirt: Cotton On 'Mica' mesh spot skirt in dusty pink
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was foxy flats, so just like I did last time this was a style challenge, I wore my gold Marc by Marc Jacobs mouse flats. They are definitely the cutest pair of shoes I own!

I've slowly been trying to wear my way through all of my pencil skirts now I'm back in the office again after my maternity leave. This one is pretty and I definitely don't want it to leave my wardrobe, but I do tend to wear it with black a lot. I had a different top in mind that I wanted to wear this skirt with (a floral cami), but it was such a cold day and I had wanted to go bare-legged, I decided a long sleeve top was the most practical.

Also the first wearing of my trench coat for the year - hasn't been worn since last winter. With the scarf as well it kept me really cosy, even if it was a little tricky to see what I was wearing under the coat and scarf! In the past I've tried to take pictures without all the layers for winter, but it does take a bit more time to take photos that way so I stopped doing it. Hopefully you can still manage to see what I wear under my coats as I start to layer up for the cooler weather!

As it's the second wear of my new Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote also, another purchase review:
I tend to prefer unstructured, softer bags over structured bags, but I can't deny that structured totes (like my bayswater or neverfull) are perfect for the office. After selling a lot on ebay, I decided to treat myself to a new handbag for work. I sold three bags so that justified buying another one ;) I had been looking at a few and then I got the email that there was a 70% off Rebecca Minkoff sale....so I knew I had to try the MAB tote!
It's much bigger than I expected it to be - looks quite large on me, because it doesn't slouch down. It's perfect for work though. Although not a style I'd usually go for, and something pretty limited in that I'd only want to wear it to work, I'm glad I bought it. I'll need to do a full review of it on my youtube channel once I've worn it some more.


Last worn: trench coat, Paisley print snood, black top (in the third trimester), polka dot pencil skirt, metallic mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: trench coat and skinny jeans, Paisley print scarf with a striped dress, black top with a lace pencil skirt, print mixing with polka dot pencil skirt, mouse flats with printed skinny jeans, navy tote with a red dress for the office.

Linking up with WIW, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Weekly, Get Your Pretty On, Thursday Fashion Files, Happiness at Midlife, Look What I Got, What I Wore to Work, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Fun Fashion Friday, Feature Friday today.

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Corporate Style: Monochrome Office Wear - Neutral Layering

Two monochrome work wear outfits! One on purpose, one accidental. Neither of which I'd wear again without changing the outfits in some way, but that's the point of style challenges - they push you to try something different. I'm enjoying the Fox in Flats May instagram style challenge. I'm playing along every day on instagram, and just behind a bit with blogging everything I'm wearing.

What I wore:

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace 

Dress: Jeanswest tucked ponte black dress
Shirt: Jeanswest 'Ruby' mixed print shirt
Belt: old silver studded belt
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

The style dare for the day was 'monochromatic' and I thought this little black dress would be perfect with this shirt layered underneath. I didn't actually try the outfit on the night before, I just thought the pieces would work well together and set it aside to wear. It wasn't until the morning that I realised this shirt is not the best to wear under the dress. It doesn't have a collared neck and it's just polyester, so it was slipping and sliding under the dress and just not sitting nicely at all - you can see a bit of it at the shoulders in the picture. It was a lovely idea, and I've enjoyed layering things under this dress before, but this was just not the best shirt to try layering under this dress.

The belt was something I added at the last minute for a bit of interest and to try (unsuccessfully) to keep the shirt in place through the day. It's so old I am sure I wore it in high school! I just turned the buckle round to the back so that the studs were at the front. No-one commented on my back to front belt thankfully, but I did feel a little worried someone would notice and ask why the buckle was at the back of my dress!


Last worn: black dress, printed shirt, black heels, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag.

Other ways to wear: little black dress with red jacket and accessories, printed shirt with burgundy jeans and ankle boots, ankle strap heels with pencil skirts, Rebecca Minkoff MAM with wrap dresses for work.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer (new-to-me purchase)

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Top: vintage print top from The Thrifty Kitten
Belt: Asos skinny pale yellow belt
Skirt: vintage pencil skirt from The Thrifty Kitten
Shoes: Wittner 'Mimi' heels in mushroom
Bag: Balenciaga classic work in 2006 Rouille

Why I wore it:

This was an accidental monochrome outfit! Another neutral one. I had been wanting to wear this vintage set again after having fond memories of the last time I wore the pieces together. I also wanted to wear my new-to-me blazer that I found on ebay. It's the same as my black blazer, only cream. The beigey-brown outfit seemed like a good backdrop for my bright bag.

The style dare for the dare was 'bold bag' and this is my brightest and biggest bag, perfect to meet the challenge. I actually listed this bag in my ebay wardrobe clear out, thinking it would sell quickly as it's in great shape for a chevere Balenciaga. I hadn't worn it since I was pregnant so figured I should let it go. But since it didn't sell, I'm just going to keep it :) I was most likely going to replace it with another Balenciaga anyway, ha!

I think I would have liked this outfit more with a different jacket. I really liked the look of vintage printed skirt suit set together last time I wore it, but this time around I was wishing I'd gone for something different, I think it was all just a bit too dull together, even with the bold bag.


Last worn: vintage print top, yellow belt, vintage print skirt, brown heels, Balenciaga rouille work. First time I've worn the blazer as it is a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: belted printed top, printed pencil skirt with a bright top, brown heels with tights and a printed dress, orange bag with a black dress.

Linking up with Styled Up, Style To Inspire, Bless Your Heart, Mix It Monday, More Pieces of Me, On the Daily Express, Real Mom Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Reasons To Dress, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, What I Wore to Work today.

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Corporate Style: Colourful With French Connection Printed Dresses and Scarves

After I finished doing the two instagram style challenges at once, I was looking forward to not dressing for a theme. I wanted to wear some of my office wear that I hadn't worn in a long time, my printed French Connection dresses. The weather was a little cooler, so I layered up and added some scarves.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dixie collarless jacket

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina
Dress: French Connection 'Fast Rhonda' dress in black/caramel
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

I had decided in advance I wanted to wear this dress again, but as it's gotten a little cooler since then I had to add some layers. I thought that the print mixing with the dress and the blazer was a bit different, but looked okay, so I laid this out to wear the next day. As I woke up a little under the weather and I wanted to be cosy, at the last minute I added a scarf. Went with this plain one as I thought it was a nice colour with the orange in the dress, and I didn't want to add a third print to the mix.

I have three of these Cotton On pashminas. (Cotton On had them for $5 with any purchase for a while). I have a white one, a fuchsia pink one and this turquoise one. I can find the last time I wore the white one and the pink one, but not the last time I wore this one. I wonder if I really haven't worn it in the 3 years I've been blogging, or if I just tagged it incorrectly so I can't find it in my archives! No real reason why I haven't worn it more often, it's a great colour and being a nice basic scarf it will work with a lot of prints. I re-discovered it during my wardrobe detox, expect to see it again!

I've had this dress for years, even before the blog. It's been a year and a half since I last wore it though! It's definitely one of those office-only pieces in my wardrobe, and with it being so slim fitting I didn't get a chance to wear it during my pregnancy. I worried it showed off the developing baby bump in the first trimester, and by the second trimester, when I had stopped hiding the pregnancy at work, I couldn't even zip it up. It's good to be back wearing it again now, even if it does fit a little snugger around my belly than it did pre-baby ;)


Last worn: tweed blazer, French Connection sheath dress, orange wool jumper, Acne Pistol boots, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM bag. First time I've worn this scarf on the blog.

Other ways to wear: tweed blazer with printed top for travel, dark floral print dress in summer, pistol boots with denim shorts, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM with wrap dresses and a baby bump.

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What I wore:

Scarf: Nali feather print pashmina scarf

Jumper: vintage David Jones orange wool knit jumper from AWLQ vintage sale
Dress: French Connection 'Woodblock wonder' panache dress in white/geranium rose
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

This printed dress isn't as snug a fit as the one above, so I did get away with wearing it to the office in the first trimester, using the print to distract from the tiny little baby bump. I didn't wear this dress on my maternity leave either, I like this dress and it's definitely more forgiving than the one above, I could have fit into it earlier, but I'm happy to have it as an office-only piece as well.

Again, I had made up my mind that I wanted to wear this dress before I got sick. I was determined to still make it work though! I've worn this dress with a jumper over the top before, so thought that was the best way to go to keep my chest warm, instead of adding a coat and having to fiddle with lots of buttons. I added the scarf as yet another layer as I was beginning to lose my voice and wanted to keep my neck warm.

Beth pointed out on instagram that it was a very Queensland look - layered up on top but bare legs! I didn't think it was that cold in the morning to need to cover up my legs, but by the end of the day I was wishing I'd worn tights or pants. It was really chilly in the evening on the way home from work, as the stormy and wet weather started to set in.


Last worn: feather print pashmina, orange wool jumper, French Connection orange print dress, nude patent heels, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag (above).

Other ways to wear: feather print pashmina with polka dot dress, wool jumper with skinny jeans, orange print dress in summer, nude heels with a monochrome blue outfit, grey handbag with a neutral outfit in the third trimester.

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

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