June Dress Week Style Challenge - Dresses, Tall Boots and Leather Jackets

As I mentioned my previous post, I'm participating in the June Dress Week style challenge on instagram. I'm a little behind with blogging the outfits, but I'm posting as quickly as I can (and skipping over some banked up Fox in Flats Style Dare outfit posts) so that I can blog together with Kiki from According to Kiki. We are participating in the challenge together on instagram. You can follow along with us, @kikimincks and @awayfromblue.

I skipped the style challenge for 'fan favourite' as baby T was unwell and wearing a dress was not the ideal outfit for a day at home with a sick baby. But you can check out Kiki's take on the look here! Below is what I wore for the 'boho beauty' and 'nautical nods' challenges.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest black leather moto jacket

Scarf: Sportsgirl animal scarf in violet
Dress: Jeanswest 'Chelsea' printed dress
Boots: Asos Cleo leather boots in black
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

This outfit was for the style challenge 'boho beauty'. It's winter here in Australia, although it's summer for the Americans who came up with the challenge, so I'm wearing a few extra layers...I tried to winterise my summer boho dress but really don't think I did the dress justice layered up like this. I preferred the last time I layered up this dress, for autumn. I think if I'd worn ankle boots, and maybe a different print-free bag I would have felt better about this outfit. Not too confident driving in my ankle boots as they have high heels though, so that's why I went with these.

This leather jacket has always been worn less than my others as it's a looser fit, and it works better with something fitted. I think a little bit of an outfit fail all round, although the idea seemed good in my head and in the mirror, I really didn't like it after looking at the photos. See how Kiki interpreted the theme better.

This outfit did made me smile though when I looked back through the blog to find the last time I'd worn the scarf. It was when I was 7 months pregnant, and just last week we celebrated baby T's first birthday! Time is flying by.


Last worn: black leather jacket, purple leopard print scarf (with a third trimester baby belly!), boho printed dress, tall black leather boots, LV speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: leather jacket to the office, leopard print scarf with a maxi dress, boho dress in summer, black leather boots with a grey dress in winter, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag for the office.

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket

Scarf: Alexander McQueen red skull-print modal and cashmere-blend scarf (on sale here!)

Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress

Belt: Supre red braided belt

Boots: Asos Cleo leather boots in black

Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

I wore this outfit for the 'nautical nods' theme. I thought the navy and the stripes worked well with the red accessories to be a little nod to nautical style! I'd actually had an office outfit planned with a different dress, but baby T was unwell so I wasn't able to make it into work. It was still going to be a striped dress with red accessories though, that's the closest any of my dresses get to a nautical theme! See Kiki do nautical here.

It was nice wearing this dress again - one of my favourites from last winter, it's cosy and comfortable. As baby T was feeling a little better, I had a bit more time to get organised and ready for our doctor's visit, so I enjoyed being able to dress up and meet the challenge. The only thing I didn't like about this outfit was the placement of the belt - I think I should have worn it a little higher, it hits me at an odd spot in the photos. The dress is a thick fabric too so doesn't really slouch over the top of the belt as much as I imagined. Maybe would have been better without the belt entirely, but overall I liked this outfit - comfortable and cosy.

Last worn: printed leather jacket, red Alexander McQueen skull scarf, striped tee dress, red belt, boots(above), LV speedy bandouliere (above).

Other ways to wear: leather jacket with office wear, skull scarf in spring, dress with a snood and brown boots, red belt with a nautical maxi dress, boots and skinny jeans, speedy bandouliere with shorts in summer.

Linking up with Styled Up, Shoe and Tell, Style to Inspire, Mix It Monday, More Pieces of Me, On the Daily Express, Real Mom Style, Bless Your Heart, Reasons to Dress, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, The Wednesday Pants, Wardrobe Wednesday, Style Sessions, Because Shanna Said So, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday today.

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June Dress Week Style Challenge: Black Maxi Dress and Plaid Office Wear

I'm jumping ahead a little with outfit pics as I want to post as closely as I can with my blog buddy Kiki. I'll just put the rest of the Fox in Flats style dare pictures on hold and get back to posting them later in June. I'm a few days behind Kiki's posts, but we are both participating in the JuneDressWeek challenge on instagram! You can follow along with #JuneDressWeek1 for this week, and of course go check out Kiki's blog or instagram and give her some encouragement for her first ever style challenge!

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)

Cardigan: JeansWest knit cardi in long sleeve zig zag

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace

Singlet: Supre green singlet under dress
Dress: thrifted black Jeanswest halterneck maxi dress (new purchase)
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

The challenge for the day was 'maxi Monday'. You can see Kiki's take on the challenge here. It was a public holiday Monday, so we planned a stroll on the beach and the in-laws came over for a while. I had wanted to wear the new teal printed maxi dress I bought again, but I felt I should wear this black maxi dress I picked up from the same sale instead as I hadn't worn it yet. As I mentioned when I bought this dress, I had previously decided I only needed one black maxi dress in my wardrobe but bought this one anyway (bringing me up to 2 black maxi dresses) as it was 'fill a bag for $2' so it made no difference in price if I added the dress to the bag or not. Plus it was Jeanswest and NWT....

I'm not really seeing a need for this dress in my wardrobe though. I don't think I'll end up wearing it twice in a month after buying it (as per my shopping goals) so it really wasn't the smartest purchase. On the other hand, it was such a bargain and there's not anything wrong with it other than the fact that I don't see myself wearing it an awful lot. So I'm keeping it, but going to pay close attention to how much wear it gets.


This cardi has only been worn three times on the blog (here, here and here), and only a handful of times before I started blogging. It's been in the donate bag twice and twice I've pulled it out. I took it out of the donations pile recently as I wanted to wear it with something, and I ended up picking another outfit instead. When I wore it this time, I remembered why I keep trying to get rid of it. I really don't have any scarves that go with this, so it's tricky to wear and as nice as the print is, I just don't wear it enough.  I only ever wear it with black and grey. It's pretty to look at but not easy to wear for me, so it's going back in the donate pile and staying there!

Leaving My Wardrobe: chevron cardi

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, chevron cardi, Acne pistol boots, Louis Vuitton Speedy B. First time I've worn the black maxi dress as it was a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: chevron cardi with stripes and a baby bump, similar black maxi dress in summer, Pistol boots and a red shift dress, speedy bandouliere and denim.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen magenta skull scarf in roses print
Dress: ValleyGirl navy plaid peplum dress
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:

The style challenge for the day was 'a great deal' and I wasn't sure I would be able to find a dress that would fit the theme and still work for the office. (My fill a bag for $2 maxi dresses were certainly deals, despite being too casual for work!) Then I remembered this gem hiding in my wardrobe. I bought it about 6 years ago I think. It's been a great dress for the office, and it's lasted a lot longer than I expected a $7 dress to! Check out Kiki's great deal dress.

I had a personal training session in the park the evening before so my legs weren't up to wearing heels. I had actually wanted to wear black flats with this, but I couldn't find them when rushing out the door in the morning, so wore these pink and black ones I hadn't tidied away after their last wear. I think it looked okay, added some more colour, and I wore them like that with this dress last time too.


Last worn: trench coat, Alexander McQueen skull scarf, plaid peplum dress, MbMJ colour block flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: trench with an Aztec print dress, skull scarf in spring with a LBD, plaid dress in summer, cap toe flats and skinny jeans, RM MAB tote with pencil skirts for office wear.

Linking up with Passion for Fashion, Casual Friday, That Friday Blog Hop, Favourite Fashion Friday, Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Mix It Up Friday, Fashion Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Friday Favourites, Modest Monday, Let It Shine today.

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Dresses, Scarves and Leather Boots for Winter

Here's what I wore to go shopping with baby T:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Scarf: Alexander McQueen pink pashmina in skull and floral print
Dress: Asos grey skater dress (on sale!)
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


Just scraping in near the end of the month, my second wear of this Asos skater dress that I bought in July. Wore it out for a morning of shopping with baby T to stock up on more baby-related things. Thought that the bright pink scarf was a nice bit of colour against all the black and grey.

When I made my July purchases, I wanted to evaluate them all on the blog to see what lessons I could gain. The goals were to help me keep my spending in check, make sure I wear the things I buy, and give me some inspiration for what to wear. My verdict on this grey dress:
It's a great, neutral, basic dress, that was on sale and in a flattering silhouette (skater style dresses are good for post-baby bodies!) so it should have been a winner. I find myself wanting to pass by this dress in my wardrobe though, and had to keep trying to remember to wear it. I love grey clothes and I love dresses...thinking about why I didn't want to wear this, I've realised that I have very few neutral, basic dresses in my wardrobe. I tend to buy and wear more printed dresses, the neutral ones just seem too basic and don't get worn a lot. Something I'm going to try to change with the addition of this grey dress to my wardrobe, but also a preference I've never really noticed before I set myself the task of evaluating what I buy. Will be interesting to see how long it takes me to wear this dress again, and if I keep passing it by for more 'exciting' dresses. An eye-opening purchase, but I can't be sure I'll actually wear it often.


Last worn: sunglasses, printed leather jacket, pink and yellow skull scarf, grey skater dress, leather boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs baby bag.

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Here's what I wore to have a picnic in the park:

Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


In complete contrast to the grey dress, this striped tee dress that I bought in July I completely adore and I've had to stop myself from wearing it too often so I could meet my goal of wearing all my purchases twice this month! Thought the stripes would pair really nicely with the paisley print of the snood. Felt comfortable and happy in this outfit all day.

Baby T, Cooper and I went to a little picnic in the park with some other mummies for a meet and greet. It was so fun being surrounded by so many cute (and talented!) babies and wonderful to have some adult conversation and compare notes on pregnancy, birth, feeding, sleeping and milestones. Was glad I'd worn my thicker legging-like tights, as although baby T can't wander far, Cooper had me moving around quite frequently and I did have to tug my dress back down once or twice!


Last worn: Wayfarers (see above), paisley print snood, striped tee dress, leather boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs baby bag(see above).

Linking up with Wardrobe Wednesday, WIWW, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Fashion Informant, Spotlight Weekly today.

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ASOS Pastel Aztec Print Scarf with Cobalt Blue and Purple

Here's what I wore to take baby T for a check up:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket
Scarf: Asos pastel Aztec print scarf (on sale!, new purchase)
Dress: Asos grey skater dress (on sale!, new purchase)
Shoes: Asos Aggie leather western ankle boots in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


Took the opportunity to get out of PJs and take baby for a check up at our local child health clinic. We have been visiting a lot as it's nice to have a reason to get up and get out of the house with baby, rather than just walking Cooper! Baby T is thriving, our frequent visits are just taking advantage of all the support we have available. For those not in Australia, at the clinic you can book appointments to have regular and ad-hoc chats with the nurses, attend sessions about various baby and child related things (like advice on settling baby to sleep!), and just go to weigh baby and make sure everything is progressing well. It's a fantastic service! I'm very grateful to have access to so much help and support as a new mother.

First time I've worn this recently purchased scarf, it's so pretty. I paired it with the grey dress (also on its first wear) as I thought the pastel colours paired worked well. Couldn't resist adding just a little more colour with the cobalt blue of this leather jacket though. It's a good piece for the Style and Shenanigans texture challenge: leather.
It's almost Spring, and I've only worn this jacket twice this Winter. I paid full price for it, and it's the most expensive clothing item I own - even have some handbags that are cheaper! It has been worn so little this year as I'm a little worried about holding a newborn baby around it. I'm trying to wear the jacket on days I don't have to be out long and shouldn't need to feed baby T, to avoid any accidents. When I was a little girl, I left my mark on a family friend's leather jacket, and even after dry cleaning it was never the same....wouldn't want that to happen to this! Hopefully will get more wear next year.


Last worn: blue leather jacket, Asos ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs baby bag. First time I've worn the scarf and dress as they are recent purchases.

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Here's what I wore to go to the post office:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Scarf: Asos pastel Aztec print scarf
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in washed lilac
Skirt: Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag
Stroller: Steelcraft Strider Compact


Loved wearing this scarf so much I wore it again the very next day! Just a nice casual outfit to go to the post office and run some errands with baby T. Paired the pastels with blue again, and some purple with the tee. It was such a warm day, I ended up taking the denim jacket off as we walked home in the sunshine. The scarf kept me cosy enough.

As this is the second time I've worn the scarf (and I'm evaluating all my July purchases), the final verdict:
It's certainly much bigger than I expected, a nice blanket size scarf. I didn't check the measurements before I bought it. It's warm and I like the print and colours. I'm just concerned it might be a little too big on me, what do you think? Need to think of more creative ways to tie and wear it in future. Might not get worn as much as I thought it would as the weather warms, but it was a bargain at under $10 (on sale with an extra % off) so I should still get my money's worth from the purchase.


Last worn: pastel printed scarf (see above), denim jacket, purple tee, black maxi skirt, Converse, MbMJ baby bag (see above).

Linking up with Let It Shine, Style To Inspire, Mix it Mondays, DC in Style, Manic Monday, SNS Style Challenge, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Trend Sin Linkup today.

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Winter Outfits: Dresses and Leggings

Here's what I wore to go to a doctor's appointment and visit friends:

Sunglasses: Bali sunglasses C/O Kameleonz (20% discount with code 'MICA')
Scarf: Liquorish owl print scarf in grey (on sale!)
Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Leggings: Cotton On
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


Wore this to take baby T to the paediatrician for his regular check-up and to visit some friends to hand out baby's birth announcement cards.

Last time I wore this tunic it was belted over my large third trimester baby bump, with leggings to keep things modest as the bump was pulling the dress up quite a bit! Decided to try a more winter version of that look, minus the baby belly and the belt. The previous time I wore this tunic dress unbelted I was hiding my little second trimester baby bump, and sweltering in the heat. Wearing Converse, rolling the sleeves down and adding a big cosy scarf made the dress more suitable for winter weather, but I did wish I'd added a jacket too when it got chilly near the end of the day.


Last worn: Kameleonz sunnies, printed tunic dress, owl print scarf, grey leggings, Converse, Marc by Marc Jacobs baby bag.

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Here's what I wore stop by the clinic:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress
Leggings: Cotton On
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black


Another dress and leggings combo! A daytime outfit with this dress as I headed to our local clinic. I wore it for an evening out previously. I don't like this outfit as much as the one I wore above despite it following the same formula. I think with the three quarter length leggings and the jacket and the stripes the proportions are a bit off. Maybe if I'd belted the dress? As I'm getting better at falling into a routine with baby and taking daily photos, I have more photos stacking up than I have time to write blog posts for, so I was considering just not posting this photo at first. I learn from all the photos I take though and sharing what I wore here on the blog means I can get other points of view or suggestions for improvements, so I kept it. How would you change this outfit to make it less of a fail?

As it's the second wear of the dress during my "wear my latest purchases" challenge, the final verdict:
Although I don't like this outfit, I love this dress. Really happy I bought it and I can think of lots of ways to wear it more in winter and when the weather starts to warm up. I'm actively trying not to wear it so I can wear some of my other July purchases!


Last worn: cobalt leather jacket, stripe tee dress, black leggings, Converse (see above).

Linking up with Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fab Favourites, Passion for Fashion, Casual Friday, Sunday Funday today.

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Skinny Jeans and Tees

I'm blogging less regularly as life revolves around baby T. I now have more photos than I have time to post which means I can post similar themed outfits together when I get a chance to blog. Today I'm sharing two different skinny jeans outfits.


Here's what I wore to go to my new parents group:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood (new purchase)
Tee: Kmart plain black tee
Jeans: Sass and Bide 'Three Words' metallic gold jeans (new purchase)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


I feel I should explain this outfit! Yes, it's winter here in Queensland, but we had a bit of a mini-heatwave where the temperatures got up to early summer temps during the day. That's when I wore this outfit (about a week and a half ago), which explains the lack of coat and warm shoes. I thought that the snood paired really nicely with the jeans, although the studs on the snood are silver and the jeans are gold. This is the second pair of jeans that I bought on ebay a while back to celebrate fitting back into regular denim again and putting away my maternity jeans. First wearing of the snood since I bought it last month, need to wear it again soon to meet my goal of wearing everything I bought in July at least twice by the end of August.

Have always wanted a pair of metallic jeans! Couldn't resist when I saw these online. DH thinks that they are a bit much but I think they are just right. What do you think? They are actually cropped jeans, but as I'm so short they are just hitting above the ankle, quite a nice length on me. Means I don't need to go to the tailor to shorten them ;)


Last worn: Ray-Ban wayfarers, black tee, Havaianas, baby bag. First time I've worn the snood and jeans on the blog.

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Here's what I wore to go out early in the morning with baby T:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Tee: Atmos&Here 'Cara' mesh panel tee
Tank (under tee): Kmart lilac basic singlet
Jeans: Jeanswest 'shale' super skinny jeans
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


The heat-wave was short lived, so back to winter temperatures, and winter clothing. It was fun while it lasted! Wore this outfit to go out early in the morning to see the child health nurse. This is only the second time I've worn the jeans on the blog, the first was early in the second trimester. After the baby bump expanded, I couldn't squeeze into them any more. Pleased I could wear them again now, so many months on!

This is also the second wearing of this new sheer stripe tee from my July purchases. It looks much nicer with the jeans in this photo than it did last time with the maxi skirt I think.

As it's the second wearing of the tee since I bought it, the final verdict is:
The oversize shape is great but the way it's cut might limit what I can wear it with. It looks awesome with jeans but I wasn't too impressed with the photo after pairing it with a maxi skirt first time I wore it. Will need to be conscious that I don't just fall into a denim rut with it. Although I like it, it's not as practical a purchase as I thought it would be - striped tee, sheer so I can layer different coloured tanks underneath each time - seemed like a winner! Need to focus more on different ways I could wear things before I buy them.


Last worn: Ray-ban (see above), printed leather jacket, lilac tank, stripe tee, skinny jeans, leather boots, baby bag (see above).

Linking up with Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, WIWW, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Spotlight Weekly, Tres-Chic, Summer Style today.

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Kameleonz Bali Sunglasses and Discount Code | Evening at Wintergarden Brisbane

I'm blogging less regularly as life revolves around baby T. I still have photos from last week to post, as nap times have been a little shorter than I'd like! First though, I wanted to share a couple of outfits from this week as they include an exclusive promo code and a little information about the late-night shopping trip I shared on instagram.


Here's what I wore to take advantage of Brisbane's "winter heat wave":

Sunglasses: Bali sunglasses C/O Kameleonz
Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf in Island pine-print
Dress: Ezra chambray shift dress (on sale!, new purchase)
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull


One benefit of being home with baby and not commuting means that I get to avoid the cold early morning starts and take advantage of the almost summer-like warmer winter afternoons. It was the perfect chance to wear my new chambray dress and go bare-legged. I'm wearing new sunglasses too, thanks to Kim from Kameleonz Shades. She extended a little treat for all my readers - 20% discount at Kameleonz with the code 'MICA'!

I chose to get the 'Bali' shades. They are polarised and have UV 400 protection. Now that I'm driving a lot more, polarised sunglasses are really helpful, and I couldn't resist the awesome bluey-green metallic lenses on the Bali. Like all of the Kameleonz range, the sunnies come with interchangeable side arms, so you can mix and match depending on what you're wearing. Such a great idea! I'm wearing the teal, but the Bali glasses also come with green and black arms too that you can see in the picture above.

They are really affordable for what is essentially 3 different sunglasses, but an extra discount always helps. Whether you need them for the US summer or sunny Australian winter, you can still use the discount code as they ship internationally. I can confirm shipping to Australia is really quick too!


Last worn: printed scarf, white Converse, Louis Vuitton Neverfull. First time I've worn the dress and sunnies.

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Here's what I wore to go out for the evening:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress (on sale!, new purchase)
Shoes: Asos Aggie leather western ankle boots in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Little Ukita bag in Rock Lobster


Earlier this week I had the chance to get dressed up a bit and head out to Brisbane Wintergarden for a special event. My first evening out since baby T arrived! Was a little sad to be missing bath time, but it was a fun night.

Wanted to be comfortable and warm as it gets quite cool in the winter evenings, and I wanted to wear my new striped dress. The leather jacket, scarf and ankle boots kept me cosy, and I added the bright handbag to stop the outfit being too blue.

At Wintergarden we were treated to champagne, nibblies, and the chance to shop and hear more about the latest fashions coming into the centre. I shared some photos on instagram. We stopped at Seed Heritage, Coach, Mecca Maxima, MJ Bale and Designer Archives.
At Seed Heritage we got to see the new Seed Collection that's coming into stores in August. If you love luxe fabrics you should check it out, so many nice pieces. When we got to shop I did get a little distracted by the baby section and splurged on baby T, but I picked myself up a cute scarf too.  I volunteered for a demonstration at Mecca and got a mini-makeover in the form of cat eye makeup. Not a look I'd have tried myself, so it was really fun to sport it for an evening.
The Coach store was another highlight, we got to hear more about the new direction the brand is going in design-wise, and the new collection that is launching on the 15th September. Worth saving for! Also had the chance to fall in love with the Smythe bag, it's really pretty!

It was my first blogger event, and I really enjoyed it, despite missing baby T a bit. Even had the chance to meet another Brissy blogger, Pip from Outside is Colours. She has such a flair for fashion, check out her instagram!


Last worn: printed leather jacket, skull scarf, Asos ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs Ukita. First time I've worn the dress.


Linking up with Passion for Fashion, Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Let It Shine, Style Sessions today.

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Winter Wear and Post-Baby Swimwear Buying Tips

Baby T has arrived, and I'm blogging less regularly as life revolves around a newborn. I don't manage to get out of pyjamas every day, we are still in the early stages!


Here's what I wore to run some errands:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue (currently on sale!)
Tee: Glassons long sleeve top black and white stripe
Skirt: Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull


Wearing this skull scarf with stripes again! I like the combination of black and blue too. Looking for easy outfit options I can put together quickly. Stripes, maxi skirt, converse and a cute scarf is a helpful formula when I'm not sure what to wear.

We called in our always eager family to baby sit while DH and I ran around trying to complete some errands one particularly cold early morning. Very grateful for family being able to help us. It's easy to do all of the required running around for documentation and things when we know baby T is content at home rather than being exposed to a bunch of strange places and people when he's so young. It's flu season so we are trying to keep him home as much as possible.


Last worn: Ray-Bans, leather jacket, skull scarf, striped top, maxi skirt, Converse, Louis Vuitton Neverfull.

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Here's what I wore to spend some time by the pool:

Sunnies: Orange sunglasses from Paddy's Market in Sydney
Swimwear: Sugar Smash single strap one piece c/o Funkita
Sarong: black floral print sarong from my sister's travels
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual


The lovely Chris from Funkita emailed me to let me know about the latest collection 'Swim this City' and ask if I wanted a suit. I'm a big Funkita fan, so of course I said yes! Will be wearing this frequently when I get back to my usual routines and can go swimming again. Although it is winter and our pool is outdoors, it's in the sun most of the day and it can get up to 25 degrees (Celsius) in the middle of the day here in Queensland. Good enough weather for a dip. Sadly I couldn't actually wear this to swim today as I still don't have clearance from my doctor to get back in the water after birth yet - this was taken when baby was a month old.

I don't often share my exercise or swimwear on the blog, but for a change I thought I'd use the opportunity to share some post-baby swimwear tips, and happily show that it takes a while for your body to bounce back after pregnancy. I've been getting some comments about how quickly I lost the baby weight. I haven't lost all the baby weight - it will take a while to do so, and I'm in no rush. I still have a noticeable bump, I'm just dressing it differently. Dressing for a post-baby body, you want to hide your belly rather than draw attention to it like you do when you're pregnant. It's also tricky to know what size you will be in things as so many aspects of your body have changed!

I might not look as good as the athletes who wear Funkita swimwear when they compete, but with the tips below I feel comfortable and confident enough to share swimsuit photos on the internet 4 weeks after giving birth. :)

Some tips to find good swimwear for exercising post-baby:

• Buy from a brand you have experience with or that has a good size chart to ensure a proper fit. I've got multiple pieces from Funkita, and the sizing chart is really easy for me to follow. I even sized up to get a piece that I could wear during pregnancy, and it fitted well. My pre-pregnancy bikinis still don't fit yet, so paying attention to measurements is important.
• Go for a bold print. I love the print on this suit. It is form fitting but the colourful print is really helpful at disguising the tummy. Black would be flattering too, but I think a print is better than a block colour. My stomach looks much smaller with the printed suit on than without.
• Try a one-piece. I'm definitely a bikini girl, all my other swimwear consists of bikinis so this is the first one-piece I've worn for a long time. Not only are they really popular at the moment, having the fabric covering my post-baby belly makes me feel more comfortable. I'm still getting used to the way my belly looks, it's helpful to have it covered up so I don't get self-conscious!
• A sarong is a wonderful cover-up when you're not in the water, and a chance to do a bit of print-mixing to further draw the eye away from the belly too!

Hope that you found the tips helpful, or know someone who might. It was fun sharing my pregnancy outfits on the blog, and I'm enjoying continuing to share what I wear and my thoughts now about life with baby T.


Linking up with Passion For Fashion, Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fab Favourites today.

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Casual Friday: Blue Leather Jacket, Skinny Jeans and a Tee, Balenciaga Sapphire City Bag

Here's what I wore to the office today for casual Friday:

Jacket: Wittner Santa Fe cobalt blue leather jacket
Top: Cotton On Luxe pearl tee
Jeans: Jeanswest Super Skinny Jeans in Mid Indigo
Shoes: Nine West fascinate ballet flats in silver glitter
Bracelets: the usual plus gifted purple Salvatore Ferragamo 'Vara' leather bow bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga purple RH city in 2008 sapphire


Short but sweet blog post today, sharing what I wore to work for casual Friday. A nice comfortable jeans and tee outfit. I've been looking at this top in my wardrobe for a long time thinking I should get round to wearing it again, today was finally the day as I was having trouble thinking of what to wear when I remembered this tee hadn't been worn in a while.

Spent a little bit of time today planning tomorrow - a girls day out is on the cards! :)

Linking up with Casual Friday, Friday's Fancies and Fashion Informant today.


Last worn: blue leather jacket, metallic tee, skinny jeans, glitter flats, Balenciaga sapphire city.

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Floral Print Dress, Chloe Marcie Bag | Grey Tee, Jeans, Leather Jacket, Alexander Wang Rocco

Here's what I wore to work on Thursday:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: Leona Edmiston Blanche dress
Belt: came with dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs patent leather logo plaque flats
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Chloe Marcie medium hobo bag in Nut


Wore this leather jacket as it's a little cold in the mornings to be going without a jacket on top, but I'm not too sure it looked right with the print of the dress. It did keep me warm though :) I think maybe I could have gone for a different bag and shoes too. What do you think? I just think something looks a little off about the outfit in the photos.


Last worn: printed leather jacket, Leona Edmiston dress, black patent flats, Chloe Marcie hobo bag.

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Here's what I wore for Casual Friday today:

Jacket: Wittner Santa Fe cobalt blue leather jacket
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Top: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Jeans: Sass and Bide "Straight up" jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs patent mouse flats in black and white
Bracelets: the usual plus gifted Balenciaga classic double tour bracelet in pearly grey
Bag: Alexander Wang Rocco with gold hardware in dark argon


Jeans for casual Friday! :) Couldn't decide what shoes to wear with this, so went with my trusty little mouse flats in the end. I thought my blue glitter ones looked a bit odd with the gold hardware of the bag, but I probably could have just worn them anyway. My feet were certainly happy with the mice though, the comfiest ballet flats I own!

Linking up with Casual Friday, Friday's fancies, Friday's fab favourites, Fashion and Faith, Fashion Informant today.


Last worn: Wittner leather jacket, grey marl tee, Sass and Bide jeans, patent mouse flats, Alexander Wang Rocco.

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