Floral Dresses, Denim Jackets and Balenciaga Bags

Wearing some floral dresses, layered up for Brisbane's current winter weather with denim jackets, leggings, and ankle boots. Adding more colour to the outfits with some Balenciaga bags.

What I wore:

Jacket: Anko Kmart mid wash denim jacket
Earrings: Ana Luisa 'Olivia' tassel earrings in pink
Dress: Jaase Semika mini smock dress in amor print mandarin dollar dress
Shoes: Atmos&Here tan Lola leather ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

I really liked this outfit, I wanted something comfortable and warm but also colourful for watching my son compete in the afternoon. With the pink in the floral print of this Jaase Semika mini dress, I added the pink tassel earrings and then more pink with the sorbet Balenciaga city bag. I needed a big bag for fitting my camera inside as well as a book and all my usual essentials. While the pink on the sorbet Balenciaga city bag and the pastel pink tassels on the earrings don't match and don't match the pink in the floral print of the dress, I liked all the shades of pink with this. We were indoors most of the afternoon so the denim jacket was the only layer I needed.

Last worn: pink tassel earrings, denim jacket, Jaase Semika floral mini dress, tan ankle boots, sorbet pink Balenciaga city bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and skirt, Jaase Semika floral mini dress and trench coat, tan ankle boots and midi dress, sorbet pink Balenciaga city bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: Balenciaga sorbet pink city bag at 37 weeks.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Kmart Anko full length oversized denim trench coat
Earrings: Colette purple acrylic flower statement earrings
Dress: thrifted Iris Maxi the Label purple floral tiered mini dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

This was a bit of a calmer day! Again I wanted to try wearing a summer floral dress in winter - this one is a recent opshop find! I couldn't pass it up for just $1 at the opshop, although I did worry a few times during this day that it was a little short. I chose to wear the long denim trench coat made me feel a little more confident that the dress wasn't too short, as the long trench covers everything. I ended up really liking this outfit.

I went all matchy-matchy with the purple flower earrings and purple Balenciaga work bag. I liked the statement earrings for video calls as I worked from home, and the large Balenciaga work bag was perfect for all the essentials and still had a lot of space for my current book so I could read in the afternoon as the kids had a dentist appointment.

Last worn: denim trench coat, floral statement earrings, black ankle boots, purple Balenciaga work bag. First time I've worn the dress as it's a recent opshop find.

Other ways to wear: denim trench coat and jeans, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, purple Balenciaga work bag and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: black ankle boots in second trimester.

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30 Ways To Wear: Charcoal Grey Tunic Tee

After hitting 31 wears with this grey tunic tee, it was definitely time to put together a post sharing 30 ways I've worn it.

30 Ways To Wear: Grey Tunic Tee

I picked up this tee from the opshop all the way back in August 2019. It was such a bargain, and so super soft. I'm not sure how much it was worn before I thrifted it, but it made it to 31 wears in my wardrobe. It will not get any more wears though unfortunately as although it's super soft and comfortable to wear, the fabric has some elastane in it. And over the years as I've worn this tee, the elastane has stretched out a bit. It's started to lose its shape and is showing its age, so it's not something I'm going to be able to achieve any more wears from unfortunately. It's getting a bit sheer with the elastane fading and stretching so it won't be staying in my wardrobe, and will be going into fabric recycling.

Cost Per Wear

At 31 wears over 6 years of owning this tee, I've definitely gotten good value for money. It was one of 9 pieces I got in the "fill a bag for $5" sale so it was technically just 55 cents. And so it works out to 1.7 cents a wear. Amazing for the budget, and also good for the environment that I could give this tee over 30 wears before retiring it.

Here's my favourite ways I've worn this grey tunic tee over the years.

Grey Tee With Green

Obviously, a grey tee goes with everything! I have called out a few different colours in these outfit groupings as I see I wear it with some colours more than others, and green is one of those colours I like wearing with neutrals like grey.

Grey Tee With Pink

I like a pop of pink with grey, it really stands out! The grey tee works with little pieces of pink like that bag or the scarf, or more pink like those jeans.

Grey Tee In Monochromatic Outfits

As well as wearing this grey tee with bright colours, I like to wear it with other neutral pieces like blacks and whites and more greys, to create nice monochromatic outfits. I do often add an extra pop of colour with these outfits, as you can see from the pink bags and the blue bag and scarf.

Grey Tee With Red

Another great colour pairing with grey is red, red really pops against the neutral grey tee.

Grey Tee And Winter Layers

A good basic plain grey tee like this is so good for layering with in winter. I love how it goes with everything so I can add printed or colourful scarves and cosy cardigans, blazers or jackets.

Grey Tee And Prints

Like you can see with the printed scarves above, a plain grey tee works well with larger printed pieces like the maxi skirts and the chevron print jeans.

Grey Tee and Shorts

While I've shared some layered outfits above you can't beat the simplicity of a shorts and tee outfit for warmer weather, and of course a grey tee works with any style and colour of shorts, like in each of these 4 outfits.

Grey Tee and Skirts

Another easy outfit formula, grey tee and a skirt. Much like the shorts, each of these skirts is very different, but a basic grey tee works with any style of skirt.

Grey Tee and Printed Cover Ups

The final set of outfits I want to share with this grey tee is one of my favourite ways to wear it. A plain grey tee and colourful fun printed toppers is a formula I often repeat. The colour and print never clashes with the basic grey.

I'm sad this tee has to be retired, but it was getting too sheer and shapeless with the faded elastane. It's not the first soft and stretchy tee I've had to let go of because the fabric hasn't stood the test of time sadly. It's definitely made me consider the fabric of what I'm buying in stores. Of course if I see a super soft and stretch tee in the opshop I won't pass it up, but if I see a new tee in store with elastane in it, it's not something I'm going to buy new as I know it will be unlikely to stay in good enough condition for me to get good value from the purchase. 

It was such a staple in my wardrobe, as you can see in the photos it really worked in every outfit, and a grey tee is something I'll always frequently reach for. Just not this one any more.

More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 31 ways I've worn this tee in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear: slouchy wine purple v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear: navy and white striped tee
• 30 ways to wear: lilac v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a dark grey v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a grey v-neck tee

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What I Bought In April & How I've Worn It: Opshop Finds and a Few Retail Purchases

I haven't bought a lot of things to add to my wardrobe this year. I did pick up a NWT bag in the opshop back in February, but since then hadn't had much thrifting luck looking for myself. Managed to purchase plenty of books for myself and the kids to enjoy though!

Earlier in April I had a rare morning running errands by myself, and some things to donate to the opshop, so I had a good long browse after doing so, and I came home with a lot!

Not everything was a preloved find, as I also bought a couple new things on a day out with my mum and sister. So here's my massive April shopping haul, and how I've worn everything so far.

What I Bought:

Bought New:

• Havaianas glitter Rosa Macaron  
• Anko Kmart short sleeve slub v-neck tee in copper 
• Cotton On silver beaded bracelet stack
• Mimco mini shimmy bracelet in bluebell

Opshop Purchases:

• thrifted Target hammered silver circle earrings
• thrifted hammered silver statement necklace
• thrifted Lovisa red tassel earrings
• thrifted rose gold station statement necklace

 

• thrifted Seed heritage black dolman sleeve blouse
• thrifted no label terrazzo print white tank
• thrifted no label black and white leopard print cocoon cardigan
• thrifted Cotton On pale olive cami

How I've Worn It:

Every time I add something to my wardrobe I set myself the goal of wearing it twice in the month I buy it. While there have been a few exceptions to this rule (like knits I stumble across at the opshop in summer I need to wait until cooler weather to wear), most of the time I achieve this goal. It helps me make sure I'm buying things I'll actually wear and enjoy and that work with my current wardrobe. And everything I bought I managed to wear at least twice. Even the Havaianas, as it was mild enough for a few days not not need closed in shoes.

The hammered silver circle earrings were a surprise winner for most worn new purchase in April, as I wore then 4 times. Good cost per wear already, at $2 new with tags at the opshop. They just go with everything! I love wearing them, and all the things I bought I've enjoyed wearing. The leopard print cardigan was such a lucky opshop find, as the autumn weather has really set in in Queensland and I've been reaching for knits more often. I'm confident I'll still be able to wear it over winter too, it keeps me nice and cosy.

I'm really happy with everything I added to my wardrobe this month, and expect I'll have another couple of shopping free months before I buy any more.

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Leopard Print Cocoon Cardigan With Black Denim

Two autumn outfits, both with black denim, colourful tops, and this cosy leopard print cocoon cardigan I recently thrifted.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted no label black and white leopard print cocoon cardigan
Necklace: thrifted rose gold station statement necklace
Tee: Kmart basic purple tee
Jeans: Jeanswest black skinny jeans with zipper detail
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star in pink foam
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Chloe small Paraty bag in wine purple

Why I wore it:

Couldn't believe my luck when I saw this leopard print cardigan at my favourite opshop! At just $1 it was a good replacement for the leopard print cardi I had a couple of winters ago and decided wasn't perfect for me, so donated back. This one I really like. I'm a sucker for a cocoon shaped cardigan, and with the black and white leopard print it looks great with everything. Wore it for a cooler autumn morning, although I did end up taking the cardigan off by the time we got to church as the sun came out and the day warmed up nicely.

The rose gold necklace is an opshop find too, from the same trip I got this cute knit on. The black skinny jeans are an old opshop find and while the purple tee and pink Converse were purchased new, the wine purple Chloe Paraty bag was a preloved find as well.


Last worn: purple tee, rose gold necklace, black skinny jeans, Chloe wine purple small Paraty bag. First time I've worn the pink Converse as they were a recent gift from mum, and first time I've worn the cardigan as it was a recent opshop buy.
 
Other ways to wear: purple tee and skirt, black skinny jeans and trench coat, Chloe wine purple small Paraty bag and dress.

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted no label black and white leopard print cocoon cardigan
Necklace: Roie Designs multi chain layered beaded necklace
Cami: thrifted Kmart dusty rose cami
Skirt: thrifted Target black stretch denim skirt
Shoes: Havaianas glitter Rosa Macaron (new purchase)
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: MIMCO Mim-Mazing crossbody bag in black and light gold

Why I wore it:

Another very similar outfit to the one above with this leopard print cardigan. This time around I picked a plain pink cami, and a black denim pencil skirt. The cardigan was a great option to cover up the spaghetti straps on the cami when on video calls as I worked from home. It was warmer later in the day when I finished working and we stopped by the library, but I kept the cardigan on as I wasn't too hot in this denim skirt. Didn't need to carry much, so went with my little Mimco Mim-Mazing crossbody bag which matched the cardigan, necklace and denim skirt nicely.

I liked the simplicity of this outfit and I see myself wearing this leopard print cocoon cardigan a lot more as the weather keeps cooling off here in Brisbane. Such a good opshop find.


Last worn: leopard print cocoon cardigan (above), black necklace, terracotta pink cami, black denim skirt, Mimco Mim-Mazing crossbody bag. First time I've worn the Havaianas as they are a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: terracotta pink cami and shorts, black denim skirt and stripes, Mimco Mim-Mazing crossbody bag and maxi skirt.

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What I Bought In February & How I've Worn It: Upcycled Re-Up Denim Tote Bag

When I did my annual budget round up post at the end of the year I shared that I probably wasn't going to add much to my wardrobe in 2025. And I managed to resist the January sales and bought nothing, although I did make one purchase this month. An impulse buy I just had to have!

What I Bought:

Just one addition to my wardrobe so far this year. I just HAD to buy this when I saw it in Lifeline. I see that a lot of opshops are listed as stockists of the Re-UP bags on their website so I'm assuming they partner with the opshops in some way and it wasn't just a donation from someone's wardrobe. That explains why there was an entire rack of these beautiful bags all new with tags for me to pick from.

I was only intending to browse for books, but I like to look everywhere in an opshop in case I find a gem or two and this bag was definitely it. It's a real conversation starter!

I  am not short on bags, but for something this unique I couldn't resist adding it to my wardrobe.

How I've Worn It:

While I don't have any blue jeans in my wardrobe, I do have some blue denim skirts and jackets, although I don't see myself wearing this bag with them. I love it with non-denim pieces, particularly dresses, those outfits might be my favourite with this so far.

It's also been used as as a laptop bag for work a few times, it gets a lot of compliments! And it's a great tote on a day I need to carry a lot. Definitely a fun addition to my wardrobe.

At just $14.95 I'll get a lot of value from this bag, and it's so good that it's giving life to an old pair of jeans as well.

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What I Bought How I've Worn It: #SecondHandSeptember

Managed to stick to second hand September with my purchases this month. After thrifting a few accessories in August I ended up buying a couple of clothing items from my frequent trips to the opshop for books for the kids and I.

What I bought:

• thrifted Kmart black and white boho print maxi skirt
• thrifted purple and red Paisley print duster

How I wore it:

Both the black and white printed maxi skirt and the purple and red Paisley print cover up were lucky opshop finds, and I've worn them a few times this month already, along with a few other preloved pieces I have in my wardrobe.

The Paisley print cover up is so fun and for only $1 I just had to have it. I really like the colours in the print and with the spring weather being here in Brisbane it's been perfect for the temperatures, so I've already worn it three times.

The black and white printed maxi skirt was another $1 item, from my favourite opshop. I only managed to wear it twice this month but I know it will be a staple in my wardrobe like my other maxi skirts.  It's so good with sandals for spring.

I wasn't intending to buy anything this month, but always have a browse of the other items whenever I visit an opshop, and I'm pleased with these additions to my wardrobe that resulted. And despite being firmly casual pieces, I was still able to hit my "wear twice in the month I buy it" goal with both, even with my increase of days working in the office and decrease in work from home days.

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Pre-Loved Printed Pieces & Purple Paraty Bag

I've been opshopping a lot recently and while I've been focusing at picking up more books to read forgot myself and the boys I can never resist a little browse of the rest of the store!

On my last trip I thrifted both of these fun printed pieces, the Paisley print cover up as well as the black and white printed maxi skirt.

What I wore:

 

Jacket: thrifted purple and red Paisley print duster (new purchase)
Necklace: double circle hammered pendant necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Jenni basic singlet in Royal Lilac purple
Skirt: JayJays distressed denim mini skirt
Shoes: thrifted white leather Chuck Taylor All Star Converse sneakers
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Chloe small Paraty bag in wine purple

Why I wore it:

It was a warmer day so I dressed simply for the school run and working from home, with the singlet and denim mini skirt. I thought with the purple in the Paisley print of this cover up that this purple tank would look great with it, the shades are a pretty close match! I really liked the two pieces together, great first wear of this newly thrifted printed cover up.

I added more purple with the Chloe wine purple Paraty. It's a different shade from the others but I liked it with this outfit and the colours in the print, I thought it worked so well. Added the big gold necklace to match with the statement gold hardware on the small Chloe Paraty bag.


Last worn: purple singlet, double circle pendant necklace, denim mini skirt, leather Converse, Chloe wine purple Paraty bag.

Other ways to wear: purple singlet and shorts, denim mini skirt and florals, leather Converse and dress, Chloe wine purple Paraty bag and jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple singlet in second trimester.

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What I wore:

Necklace: thrifted Eb&Ive black wooden bead multi strand statement necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Maji metallic tank in soft green and silver
Skirt: thrifted Kmart black and white boho print maxi skirt (new purchase)
Shoes: thrifted Anko Kmart black strappy sandals (new purchase)
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Chloe small Paraty bag in wine purple

Why I wore it:

Another working from home day, minus the school run as it was a pupil free day! I had a couple errands to run in the afternoon after work, but again just wore a simple singlet with the heat. For the first wearing of this black and white printed maxi skirt I thought I'd keep it simple and neutral with the metallic silver tank, and went a little matchy-matchy with the black sandals and the black statement necklace. Both those accessories are opshop finds too!

Did want a little more colour with this outfit when I put it on though so again I wore my small wine purple Chloe Paraty bag. I liked the darker purple against the neutral black white and silver outfit.


Last worn: metallic singlet, black statement necklace, Chloe wine purple Paraty (above). First time I've worn the skirt and the sandals as they are recent opshop finds.

Other ways to wear: metallic singlet and shorts, Chloe wine purple Paraty and dress.

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Thrifted Printed Dresses And Purple Paraty Bag

Two more summer-ish outfits, with these thrifted printed dresses. I wore these at the end of winter, when Brisbane forgot about spring and swapped to hot and humid summer temps. It was nice to get these dresses out without all the layers!

What I wore:

Necklace: thrifted neutral silicone and wood bead necklace
Dress: thrifted no label pastel floral print babydoll dress
Shoes: thrifted Les Tropeziennes Par M.Belarbi leopard print and gold leather sandals (recent purchase)
Bracelets: the usual plus wooden bead bracelet set
Bag: Chloe small Paraty bag in wine purple

Why I wore it:

Wore this for working from home with the school run, and watching my son get some awards at school. It was such a got day so this light floral dress was ideal for the humidity. It was a good chance to wear these sandals for the first time too. I thrifted them back in July, when it was firmly winter in Brisbane, and I've been waiting for a chance to the weather to warm up to wear them. They are very cute and comfortable.

With the light floral dress, wooden beaded necklace and bracelets, the purple Paraty seemed a bit dark with all the lighter colours and neutrals, but I'm so glad I picked this bag. It works well with the colours in the floral print of the dress and it fit all the essentials plus my camera for taking photos at the award ceremony.

Also, with the Chloe Paraty bag being a preloved buy, everything I'm wearing in this outfit except the bracelets is a second hand purchase!


Last worn: floral dress, neutral beaded necklace, wooden bracelets, Chloe purple Paraty bag. First time I've worn the sandals as they were a winter opshop find.

Other ways to wear: floral dress and blazer, Chloe purple Paraty bag and jeans.

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What I wore:

Necklace: thrifted blue tone flat bead statement necklace
Dress: thrifted no label blue checked smock sundress
Shoes: Sketchers Bountiful navy fabric sneakers
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Chloe small Paraty bag in wine purple

Why I wore it:

Like the sandals above, this dress was also a winter opshop find. I did try layer it up for the colder weather but it didn't really work. I much more enjoyed this way of wearing it. It was a super hot day and we headed out to a local festival. Lots of walking and time in the sunshine, so this light and floaty smock dress was perfect. I added the Sketchers sneakers for comfort for my knee injury when walking, and I have to confess I liked the matchy-matchy with the blues in the grid print of the dress and the blue beaded necklace.

Again I wore my Chloe purple Paraty bag. I like it with blues and just like in the first outfit, it fits all the essentials and then a little extra so I had space for water bottles as well.


Last worn: blue beaded necklace, checked smock dress, navy Sketchers, Chloe purple Paraty bag (above).

Other ways to wear: checked smock dress and winter layers, navy Sketchers and shorts, Chloe purple Paraty bag and skirt.

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30 Ways To Wear: Valleygirl Cobalt Marl Knit Jumper

In the first days of spring in Brisbane, I'm looking back to some colder weather outfits with one of my winter knits. Sharing 30 ways I've worn this beautiful bright cobalt knit I thrifted, over the years it's been in my wardrobe. It's the first jumper I've hit 30 wears on too!

30 Ways To Wear: Thin Cobalt Marl Knit Jumper

Cost Per Wear

I purchased this bright cobalt marl knit at the opshop back in April 2015! At the time, I'd had a wardrobe detox session with a personal stylist after having my eldest boy and she pointed out my wardrobe could use some more basic block colour pieces. This fit the bill nicely and it was just $7 at Vinnies! At 30 wears so far, that's 23 cents a wear. And because it was a preloved thrift find, I'm sure it was worn more by the previous purchaser as well, lowering the environmental impact even further.

Valleygirl is a fast fashion brand in Australia, and not a store I shop at. But this knit has gone the distance over the years and is such a good opshop find. I've only worn it 30 times in the 9 years I've had it because the weather in Brisbane means I don't often need a cosy winter knit! I do enjoy wearing it when the weather cools though.

Knit Jumper Knotted Over a Dress

This is quite a thin and stretchy knit (it's synthetic) so it knots up beautifully to be worn over a printed dress. It adds a little more warmth to allow me to wear summer spaghetti strap dresses like these four on cooler days. I really like the way this jumper looks knotted over a dress.

Cobalt Knit With Skirts

This marl knit is so versatile! While I've worn it over dresses in the first set of photos I also really like it worn with skirts for a similar look. It works just as well with a pencil skirt in an office outfit as it does with a maxi skirt for casual weekend or working from home wear.

Cobalt Jumper With Red

This jumper being a block colour works so well with other pieces and colours in my wardrobe. I've worn this jumper with a lot of different colours and shades. Red and blue is always a bright and colourful combination, and any shades work well. Like the deeper burgundy jeans in the middle, or the brighter red skirt and jeans in the first and last outfits.

Cobalt Knit Jumper With Green

"Blue and green should never be seen" is not a rule I follow! I like this bright cobalt with different shades of green, just as it works with different shades of red in the outfits above. Although I don't find green as easy to wear as some other colours in my wardrobe, pairing it with blue is always a winning combination for me.

Cobalt Knit With Pink

Blue and pink, again, as seen above with the other colours, is something that works in any shade combination! From pastel pink to brighter neon pinks, and even a darker magenta like that little Rebecca Minkoff Edie bag in the third outfit there. I really like the combination of blue and pink. No matter how much or how little pink is worn with this knit, it's always a good pairing.

Cobalt Knit Jumper With Purple

Blue and purple is another frequent go-to combination for me. And while sometimes I just stick with the two colours together like I have in that third outfit there, I often add in a little extra and make one of my most worn trios with blue, purple and a touch of pink. Cobalt never looks out of place with purple or pink.

Blue Knit and Black

Of course if you're not sure what to pair a bright knitted jumper with, any colour works with black! This cobalt knit really pops when worn with neutrals like black, and the bold block colour means it looks good with printed black pieces, like each of the three printed bottoms in these outfits.

Cobalt Marl Knit With Stripes

While I've shown you a few ways to wear this jumper with prints in the other images, I really wanted to call this out as a separate combination with this knit jumper and stripes. With the marl knit having an almost striped appearance I worried at first pairing it with more stripes would be too much, but as you can see from each of these 4 outfits, it really works!

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Similar Cobalt Knits Under $50:

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More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 30+ ways I've worn this jumper in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear: wine purple slouchy tee
• 30 ways to wear: navy and white striped tee
• 30 ways to wear: navy waterfall cardigan
• 30 ways to wear: lilac v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear: cobalt blue leather jacket
• 30 ways to wear: purple cocoon cardigan
• 30 ways to wear a dark grey v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a grey v-neck tee

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