Shein White Crochet Trim Kimono, Monochrome Printed Shorts Outfits

A while back Shein asked me to pick a few pieces for another collaboration. I picked out a navy swing dress as well as this white crochet trim kimono. I love my printed kimono collection, but wanted something a little more plain to pair with some of my printed shorts for summer.

What I wore:

Jacket: Shein lace trimmed crochet inset white kimono C/O

Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
Tank: Cotton On 'eternity' tank in charcoal marle
Shorts: Jeanswest Parker printed shirred short
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bracelets: the usual Lovisa rose gold beaded bracelet stack
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

This was supposed to be a quiet day at home with the boys, but ended up with us getting their grandparents to babysit at the last moment as I had to go into the city with hubby in the morning. I am so very thankful that we live nearby to our parents, they help us so much.

I took the chance to wear a proper necklace instead of a teething one for a change! The rose gold heart matches nicely to my rose gold bracelet stack. The first time I wore these shorts I paired them with a bright tank, but when I bought them I was thinking about wearing them with greys for a monochromatic kind of outfit. I've worn the shorts with grey tees before, but I really liked this fitted grey tank. Even if it took me a while to accept my post baby bulge in tight clothes at first!

First time I've worn this kimono, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it. As mentioned above, it came free from Shein. It actually arrived super quickly via courier, which I wasn't expecting. It did however arrive completely crushed, as expected! Nothing a quick wash and couldn't sort out. This kimono is an air-dry only one, no ironing needed, which is a bonus. Threw it in the washing machine and left it to air dry.

In terms of quality, it had a couple of loose threads I had to cut before I wore it, but no more have appeared since, even after the wash. I like the crochet detail, it was quite popular on Instagram too. The pretty detail on the back is definitely the best thing about it, I don't have any kimonos like that. Even with the detail on the back and the crochet trim, it's so easy to wear as it's a neutral white that goes with everything. Great if you have printed shorts like these that might be tricky to pair with printed kimonos. Pleased to have added it to my summer wardrobe.


Last worn: grey tank, Parker printed shorts, studded sandals, Louis Vuitton neverfull. First time I've worn the kimono as it's a new arrival.

Other ways to wear: grey tank and Paisley skirt, Parker printed shorts and turquoise tank, studded sandals and little black dress, Louis Vuitton neverfull at the beach.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey tank in third trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Louis Vuitton neverfull at 38 weeks.

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Printed Shorts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Shein lace trimmed crochet inset white kimono C/O
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tank: Kmart navy ribbed tank
Shorts: Jeanswest 'Scarlette' printed shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

Squinting like crazy in these pics! I'd gotten excited when the sun was behind a cloud, setup the camera and tripod and then just as I went to take the pics the sun popped out again, ha!

As the previous day (above) hadn't gone according to plan, we fitted more Christmas fun into this day. We spend the morning in the pool as it was so hot, and then baked some Christmas tree brownies in the afternoon, before taking a walk around the local Christmas lights in the evening. It feels strange to be writing about Christmas so close to the end of January, but I've been so behind with blogging pics!

I've worn the navy tank and printed shorts together before, it's a combination I really like. With the white in the print on the shorts I thought the white kimono was a good layer to tie it all together really nicely.


Last worn: crochet trim kimono (above), navy tank, printed shorts, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wear: navy tank and yellow accessories, printed shorts and floral kimono, Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap and red and Green Christmas outfit, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in second trimester.

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White Kimonos Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A kimono is a fun light layer to add to summer outfits, to get the benefits of a complete piece on your outfit without overheating. If you have a lot of printed pieces in your wardrobe, consider a block colour kimono in a neutral shade like this white one. It doesn't have to be boring though, even with a neutral colour you can get fun details like lace, crochet or tseels to add a little more interest to your kimono and outfit.



Did You Know: I have a YouTube Channel! Full of pregnancy style ideas, handbag reviews and ways to wear inspo, along with a lot of what's in my bag videos: Away From The Blue YouTube.


Linking up with Oh Hey Girl, Style on the Daily, What I Wore, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Weekend Wear, Flashback Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Passion for Fashion.

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Monochrome Printed Shorts Outfits for Summer

I love my soft printed shorts. They make summer dressing easy, particularly for a summer that's as hot as this one is. Take a pair of printed shorts, a similarly coloured top and you have an easy monochrome outfit that's perfect for beating the summer heat.

Even though I ended up 'redoing' one of the outfits a few days later as I didn't like the accessories!

What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Singlet: MEV Britney bubble tank in mood indigo C/O Zibibo
Shorts: Jeanswest 'Scarlette' printed shorts
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

Wore this for the longest drive I've ever done, a roadtrip to see my friend who had recently moved to Kilcoy. It's about an hour and a half from Brisbane, and there was roadworks so it took longer than expected. She told me it was an hour and a half and yet google suggested it had a shorter route, so I wasn't too worried when we set off slightly later than intended. I quickly realised Google was wrong when we hit our first patch of traffic! Thankfully my sweet friend let me stay a little longer so that the whole day wasn't taken up by driving, and our kids got some time to play together.

With the navy tank, printed shorts and Regan satchel bag I added the purple teething necklace to add just a little extra colour and stop my outfit being too monochromatic. While the tank and printed shorts are different shades of blue, I really liked this outfit. It was wonderful catching up with my friend too. The kids had a great time together, and it was nice to see them all before their sibling arrived (her due date was the very next day, but baby stayed in a little longer!).

Last worn: navy tank, printed shorts, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel.

Other ways to wear: navy tank and purple jeans, printed shorts and ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel worn 4 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: navy tank in third trimester.

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Printed Shorts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel (first outfit) Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop (second outfit)

Dress: Jeanswest 'Lucy' colour block tee in grey marle/rosebud
Shorts: Jeanswest Parker printed shirred short
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats (first outfit) Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals (second outfit)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey

Why I wore it:

No, you're not seeing double. I really did wear the top and shorts together twice. The first time I wore it, I wasn't sure on the shoes. I picked the ballet flats because it was a wet day and these ones are closed in and have rubber soles, good for the rain. But when I looked at the photos after I took them, I hated the shoes with the outfit. I was only working from home that day, with the daycare pickup and drop off, so I resolved to try the tee and shorts together again on Friday, but with different accessories.

I much preferred the studded sandals with the shorts, and as it was my day off I spent the morning at my ABA mother's group before going out for lunch and some shopping with my sister. So I prefered the days activities too, much nicer than working, ha!

Thought I'd include both very similar outfits to show you that if you're not enjoying an outfit, maybe all you need to do is change up the accessories! I really liked the colourblock tee with these shorts, the pink panel on the back added such a nice touch with the black shorts and I'll probably wear this combination again, with different accessories again.


Last worn: grey colourblock tee, Parker printed shorts, black ballet flats, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wear: grey colourblock tee and skinny jeans, printed shorts and bright tank, black ballet flats and wrap dress, studded sandals and maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and guitar strap.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey colourblock tee in second trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.

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More Printed Shorts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Printed shorts are so easy to wear. Basics are a good pairing with any kind of print in your wardrobe. Neutrals is a good rule of thumb, greys and blacks work well with most prints no matter what colours are in the print. You can always go more colourful though, and wear a piece that matches a colour in the print for a simple monochromatic outfit.


Linking up with Flashback Fashion, Passion for Fashion, Weekend Wear, Style Wise, Fab Favourites, Weekend Linkup, Friday Favourites, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday.


Did You Know: I have a YouTube Channel! Full of pregnancy style ideas, handbag reviews and ways to wear inspo, along with a lot of what's in my bag videos: Away From The Blue YouTube.

One of my latest videos is sharing what my Louis Vuitton Christmas present was:

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Outfit Formulas: Stripe Tees and Floral Embroidered Olive Shorts

Everyone repeats clothes at some point (even celebrities who probably have more clothes than they could ever possibly wear). In my quest to try and get more use from my wardrobe, I try to wear things a little differently now and then. Instead of completely repeating an outfit piece by piece, I'll take elements I loved and use it to come up with an outfit formula to follow to wear the same thing slightly differently. Like everyone else though, sometimes you just have to repeat an entire outfit head-to-toe!


When I saw these olive embroidered shorts, I instantly thought of wearing them with stripes. I decided to wear them with my foil striped tee, and loved it so much the next time I wore them I picked another striped tee. Same formula, slightly different results.

What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Tee: Jeanswest Anika foil stripe tee in white and silver
Shorts: Jeanswest Tessa olive embroidered shorts
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bracelets: the usual plus Christmas bow bracelet (with bells!)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

I wore this back in December! I'm usually a little behind with sharing my outfit photos on the blog, but nothing makes me feel more disorganised than sharing December photos in January, with the new year making these last years photos 😂

Delayed posting aside, I really liked this outfit! I wore this for our playgroup Christmas party which I overly shared on Insta stories. I've been going to this playgroup since Toddler T was a baby, he had his first Christmas party there and I always go snap happy taking tons of photos of the boys enjoying the massive picnic spread. There were chocolate eclairs this time, and so of course I have a fair few chocolate face photos!

I thought the metallic foil stripes on the tee and the Christmas bow on my wrist were nice nods to the Christmas theme without getting too dressed up, as there would be a lot of sitting on the ground and running around with toddlers. I did dress the boys up in their novelty Christmas tees though!


Last worn: metallic stripe tee, olive embroidered shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff metallic mini MAC bag.

Other ways to wear: metallic stripe tee and floral kimono, olive embroidered shorts and black tee, studded sandals and maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff metallic mini MAC bag and denim jacket.

Perfect for pregnancy: studded sandals and maternity shorts, silver mini MAC and maternity denim.

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Embroidered Shorts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Atmos&Here navy stripe v-neck tee
Shorts: Jeanswest Tessa olive embroidered shorts
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

I liked the first metallic stripe tee outfit so much that I planned this one, again with the same shoes, although a different Rebecca Minkoff bag. I liked this resulting outfit much I wore it twice! Wore it on Monday, for some errands and a specialist appointment and then again a couple days later on the Wednesday. There was a bit of a stressful day or so in between with an unexpected overnight hospital stay for the little one, and some frantic rescheduling of planned appointments and work for me so that Baby Boy was taken care of.

To make things easier on myself, I just pulled on Monday's outfit again. Another doctor's appointment but also the opportunity to work from home while my mother in law looked after baby boy. An outfit formula is a wonderful way to make getting dressed easy, but there is nothing easier than repeating an entire outfit when you're too stressed to think of anything else!

Crazy backstory aside, I did enjoy wearing this outfit. Nothing really matches, with the navy stripe tee, olive floral embroidered shorts and mustard bag, but I do love the way all of the colours work together.


Last worn: navy stripe tee, olive embroidered shorts (above), studded sandals (above), Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: navy stripe tee and chambray skirt, olive embroidered shorts and floral kimono, studded sandals and a dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: studded sandals in second trimester, stripe tee in third trimester.

How You Can Wear It:

Nothing wrong with repeating an outfit combination you love! But if you want to change things up a little, try using the pieces that you loved from the outfit to make up a formula to follow to recreate a similar one with different pieces. This also works if you're inspired by an outfit you see but don't have the exact pieces in your wardrobe - identify what you liked about the outfit and see if you could create something similar based on that formula.

Outfit formulas work well when you're pushed for time in the mornings too. You can use an outfit you loved for inspiration for a quick outfit another day, just by following the formula you create.

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Boxing Day Sales! Bright Tanks and Printed Relaxed Fit Shorts

I love printed pieces, especially stripes, and given the choice between a plain piece and a printed piece I'll usually go for the print! Over the past couple of years I've been really trying to focus more on adding basics to my wardrobe - nice plain pieces that go with anything in my wardrobe. Plain doesn't have to mean boring though, as you can see from these fun colourful tanks. Simple style and cut but bright and cheerful colours.

For their first wear, I wore these bright tanks with some relaxed and soft printed shorts. Easy summer SAHM dressing.

What I wore:

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: Jeanswest Maya gather back tank in mid turquoise (new purchase)
Shorts: Jeanswest Parker printed shirred short (new purchase)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather

Why I wore it:

I was excited to wear these two new pieces together, I bought them both during separate shopping trips at the Jeanswest sale. I like that these shorts have pockets too. I was surprised to see how nicely the blue tank works with the aqua bag - I wouldn't change anything about this outfit! It was so comfortable and perfect for a hot summer day.

We took each of the boys shopping separately to let them pick out Christmas gifts for each other, then watched Santa's arrival parade at out local shopping centre. (I wore this earlier in December). To finish off a busy morning, we had swim lessons. It was a much more relaxing and quiet afternoon!


Last worn: black Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC. First time I've worn the blue tank and the printed shorts as they are recent purchases.

Other ways to wear: blue tank in the office, printed tank and grey tee, Havaianas in multiple seasons, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC and purple cardigan. 

Perfect for pregnancy: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in third trimester.

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Printed Relaxed Fit Shorts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Maya gather back tank in chartreuse (new purchase)
Shorts: Jeanswest 'Scarlette' printed shorts
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather

Why I wore it:

I've worn these blue printed shorts with a yellow top before, and my little mustard yellow micro Regan bag. I like blue and yellow together, and this is the first outfit I thought about when I tried on this yellow tank in store. Even if it is incredibly similar to the last time I wore these shorts with yellow!

It was a quiet Sunday, just a couple of errands in the morning, but I loved how bright and colourful this outfit was. I'm looking forward to wearing this tank a lot more - perfect addition to my wardrobe.


Last worn: blue printed shorts, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff aqua mini MAC (above). First time I've worn the tank as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: yellow tank and lace pencil skirt, blue printed shorts and pink vest, Havaianas in multiple seasons, Rebecca Minkoff aqua mini MAC and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Rebecca Minkoff aqua mini MAC and maternity denim.

How You Can Wear It:

An ideal wardrobe would have the perfect balance of plain pieces and printed pieces to allow for a lot of outfit options. Basic plain pieces don't have to be neutrals - add a little colour with bright basics that still pair just as nicely with printed pieces as neutrals do!

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Boxing Day Sales!

Here are some of the best boxing day sales around:

• Get an extra 25% off pieces in the Shopbop sale with discount code 'JOY25'! Up to 75% off!

• Sale now on at Jeanswest!  Tops from $15, shorts from $25 and $40 dresses!

• Up to 50% off at The Iconic plus get an extra 20% off with code 'HOT20'! Same day or next day delivery available for New Year's Eve outfits! Order up to 29th December for NYE delivery.

• ASOS 50% off sale is on!  No code needed.

• Up to 60% off in the Matches Fashion sale! Further reductions are on now.

• Up to 70% off in the Net a Porter sale!

• Get an extra 30% off the Rebecca Minkoff sale with the discount code 'RINGRING'!

• Get 40% off at Bonds! Applies to everything except personalised items.

Linking up with Style on the Daily, Fashion Frenzy, Fashion Files.

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Print Mixing: Floral Kimono With Stripes and Polka Dots Foil Print Tees

I love this floral kimono, and I've been wearing it a little more than usual lately to meet a challenge I set myself at the start of the year to wear more pieces in my wardrobe 30 times.

As I recently got two new foil print tees, I took the chance to wear it with them for a little bit of print mixing: floral with stripes and polka dots. It helped me hit 30 wears of the kimono too!

What I wore:

Jacket: Somedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
Tee: Jeanswest Anika foil stripe tee in white and silver
Shorts: Jeanswest Sara distressed hot short
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey

Why I wore it:

I've worn this floral kimono with stripes before - stripes are my go-to for print mixing as they really go with everything! When I got this striped tee in the Jeanswest sale I knew I'd wear it with this kimono, i think the grey of the kimono and the silver foil stripes go together nicely. With the busy print mixing on top, I stuck with a neutral pair of shorts on the bottom - another Jeanswest sale purchase! I continued on the grey and silver theme with the grey Rebecca Minkoff love bag with silver hardware. I really liked how this outfit came together, perfect for a quiet Saturday running a few errands.


Last worn: floral kimono, black denim shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag. First time I've worn the striped tee on the blog as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: floral kimono worn 30 ways, stripe tee, black denim shorts and burgundy tee, studded sandals and denim shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and boho dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: kimono and maxi skirt in second trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.

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Floral Kimonos Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Somedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Shorts: Jeanswest Sara distressed hot short
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold
Nails: OPI Fire Escape Rendezvous

Why I wore it:

Once again I'm realising I've worn this tee to my Australian Breastfeeding Association group - it gets worn there quite a lot, haha! I wore this to a topic I'd really been looking forward to - we had a first aid presentation from St John's ambulance. When Toddler T was little, I'd gone to a first aid course for babies and felt quite confident with everything baby first aid related.
A few months ago, when Baby Boy fell ill, everything went out the window and I panicked. I barely remembered what to do and had to ask the 000 operator to tell me each step to do as my mind was blank. Instinct kicked in and I did a few things but couldn't remember what to do next, it was scary. It wasn't until we were out of the ambulance and in the hospital when we were asked if we had done a first aid course that it all came flooding back to me, and I started remembering what we'd been taught.

I asked the presenter to cover the topic again for me and it was nice to know I'd done the right thing calling the ambulance. I picked up some other useful tips and advice from her too, that I hope I'll never have to put into practice!

Outfit-wise, I thought the polka dots and floral print was something very different for me. I don't have a lot of polka dot pieces in my wardrobe. Really liked this combo though - I think the gold foil polka dots on the tee work just as well with the floral kimono as the silver stripes on the tee above. And the mustard yellow micro Regan bag is a nice combination with the yellow on the kimono as well as the navy tee. I've worn this tee and bag together before.

I usually do a purchase review after wearing everything I buy twice. The goal is to learn what works and doesn't in my wardrobe, so I make wiser purchasing decisions in the future.

I love these shorts (even if this is the fourth wear, I forgot to do the review earlier). I already had a couple pairs of black shorts, but I got rid of them as I was worried they were too short. These are still short shorts, but slightly longer than the ones I had before, and still just as comfortable (perhaps even more so!). A classic pair of black shorts is essential for Brisbane summers, I'm really pleased I bought these, and thankful for the Christmas gift card I used to buy them!


Last worn: floral kimono (above), polka dot tee, black denim shorts (above), gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: floral kimono and chambray dress, polka dot tee and mustard cardigan, black denim shorts and a dress, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: floral kimono and maternity shorts.

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Foil Print Tees Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

You don't have to stick with neutral basic pieces when wearing colourful printed kimonos. Stripes and polka dots are fun to try print mixing with. If you're unsure, picking similarly coloured pieces like the silver stripes and grey kimono is a good way to go, and keeping it simple with just two prints and having the rest of your outfit plain makes it easy. The benefit of having one of your pieces being a printed kimono is that if you are unsure when leaving the house and later change your mind, you can easily take that layer off!


Linking up with Fabulous Friday, Fab Favourites, Trend Spin.


I hope that you have a very merry Christmas and enjoy spending time with your friends and family on Monday as we reflect on the greatest gift of all, God sending Jesus.

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Tailoring Thrifted Pieces: Is It Worth It? Opshop Finds and Denim Jackets

While I'm not a massive opshopper (thrift shopper for my American readers!) I do like browsing when I can and occasionally getting a bargain. Back in October, my local store had a 'fill a bag for $2' sale. I took the rare opportunity to leave the boys home with hubby and have some time to myself to browse. I didn't try anything on, just filling my bag with things that looked good and I guesstimated would work.

I've shared before that I sometimes wonder if it's worth buying less than perfect pieces at the opshop with the idea of spending more to get them tailored to fit. But with two of the thrifted pieces I'm wearing below I decided to go ahead and spend more on getting them tailored. They worked out at 67 cents each so even with the average $14 tailoring price for both they were still bargains.

What I wore:

 

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Wilma teething necklace in pale daffodil
Tank: Jeanswest brown marle singlet
Skirt: Thrifted tribal print maxi skirt (new purchase)
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This beautiful tribal print skirt used to be a strapless dress. It looked nicely made, but you could see where the fabric had been pulled from someone constantly adjusting it. I couldn't get past the gorgeous print and colours, it looked lovingly handmade too so I added it to my bag, reasoning I could wear it as a maxi skirt. When I got it home and tested this theory out, I realised it was going to need a bit of elastic sewn in to keep it in place as a skirt. Luckily my tailor was happy to do that for me. While it's not quite maxi skirt length, and is more an ankle grazing length on me, I adore it. I've never seen anything like this in the stores and being cotton it's sure to get a lot of wear over summer.

It's made me think about getting my red maxi skirt fixed up - it's a bit too long (#petiteprobs!) but I usually just get around that by wearing it higher on my waist.

Wore this out for an errand filled day with the boys, trying to cram everything in before a predicted storm was due to arrive. Thankfully it passed right by us. I did a little detour in the morning and stopped by the Jeanswest sale again, and picked up another little something which you'll have already seen in my November purchase post.


Last worn: denim jacket, brown marle tank, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan. First time I've worn the skirt as it was a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and maxi dress, brown marle tank and wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket and hidden baby bump, brown tank in third trimester, gold Havaianas and maternity bermuda shorts.

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Denim Jackets Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee:  thrifted mix apparel black space dye tee
Shorts: Thrifted pastel pink cotton shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey

Why I wore it:

Both the tee and the shorts I picked up at the same $2 sale! The super soft tee was perfect as it was, so no alterations were needed there. I got it to replace my black tee which I accidentally destroyed by sticking it in the wrong wash cycle one too many times!

When I saw these shorts I was drawn to the colour and felt positive when I saw the size label was my normal size. I threw them in the bag. After having my colours 'done' pastels were one of the things suggested to keep away from my face, so I thought these shorts would be a nice way to add some pastels to my summer outfits.

I was disappointed to get them home and realise that they were either labeled incorrectly or a different sizing standard, as they were much too big. After debating if I could belt them, I decided to go ask my tailor if she could do anything. And she could! I felt pretty good about giving these shorts a new life, slightly tapered off by then seeing very similar shorts on sale for less than half the cost of the alterations.

The way I see it though, I supported a charity buying them in the first place (even though it was just $2...), and supported a local business with the alterations. So I don't feel too bad that there are similar styles available cheaper. $14.67 is a pretty good price for a cute pair of shorts!

Wore these out to playgroup, where the boys had chocolate chip cookies and of course my shorts were smeared in chocolate. Hopefully these light shorts will fare better next time I wear them!


Last worn: denim jacket (above), black marle tee, black Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag. First time I've worn the pastel pink shorts as they are recently back from the tailor.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and printed maxi skirt, black marle tee and olive shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and floral maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in third trimester, Love bag and maxi dress in third trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

It can be tricky to find your size when op shopping. While there are ways around things being slightly too big like belting or wearing skirts higher on your waist, you can always alter something to make it fit. If you're not crafty or are a bad sewer like I am, finding a local tailor is a good idea. They can give you ideas and advice on ways to change garments and make them work for you. Something to try when you love something so much you don't want to leave the store without it. (Tia is my local tailor who I recommend if you're in the Brisbane bayside and this post was not sponsored, she doesn't even know I'm writing it).


Do you buy things knowing they will need alterations, or do you leave them on the opshop rack and hunt for other treasures that fit?


Linking up with Turning Heads, On Trend, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions.

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