While it's still summer here in Brisbane, a few weeks back we were hit with some very un-seasonal weather. A sudden cold snap lead to the coldest February day in over 100 years! While most of my winter things are boxed away over summer, I managed to find pieces to make my cami tops more appropriate for the cold weather. I've been wanting to wear them more, before summer ends.
I didn't include this cardigan in the box of winter knits I pack away for summer, as I keep it out to wear in the office now and then. I was so glad I kept this as it was perfect for a chilly day. With the grey cardigan, grey skinny jeans and metallic silver flats and the neutral printed cami it all looked a bit boring, so the purple accessories were the perfect way to add a little bit of colour. It met the purple style challenge theme perfectly too!
I didn't expect to be pulling out my jeans so soon into the year, but I wasn't too upset at having a chance to wear these grey skinnies. They are the most recent addition to my denim collection after I got given them last year and a pair I'm sure will get a lot more wear over winter.
It was nice how easily this outfit came together. There was a break in the rain in the morning too, so we managed to get out and have our morning walk before having a quiet Saturday at home watching the rain fall outside.
A little bit of double denim. Again, I had the style challenge theme to dress to. This time the theme was 'indigo'. I'd planned a lovely navy dress to wear, but the weather made me change that pretty quickly to the denim jacket. With the black skinny jeans, it's an easy way to do double denim, and it kept me warm enough on a cold and rainy day. As did all the running around I had to do - after a week where things seemed to go from bad to worse, Friday was me trying to keep things together and get everything done to get to the weekend.
I'd picked this cami to wear as I've been trying to wear my camis more recently, and this one is one of my least worn. It's a cropped style, but being petite it's normal length on me. While I like this cami in the photos, I didn't feel very comfortable wearing it. The cropped length becomes more apparent when you've got your hands full with a wriggly toddler, and I found myself tugging the top back down a few times. While the ruffles are beautiful and the colours mean it goes with so much, it was just too fussy to wear. The back is cropped shorter than the front too and I found myself wishing I'd worn a normal length top many times when bending down to the boys, even though my jeans are mid-rise.
Looking at it, I'm thinking I should keep it, it's so pretty! But I know it's so annoying to wear it's not worth keeping around just for me to realise in a few months it hasn't been worn, to wear it again and feel the same frustrations. I have plenty other camis I enjoy wearing more, so this one is leaving my wardrobe. 5 wears in 3 years is pretty bad cost per wear, but it's time to let it go!
Camis can easily be layered up for cooler weather! They are the perfect summer option with denim shorts, so they work just as well with jeans, with an extra layer like a jacket or cardigan to keep you cosy if it's cold.
New month (how is it December already?!) a new #30wears post, showing some different ways to wear this grey floral print kimono. When I first got this kimono in 2016, I wore it a lot. So much so that I was sure I'd hit 30 wears on it and was surprised at the end of that summer to realise I hadn't! 30 wears doesn't sound like that much for pieces you love, but as I've shared before, if you do the maths it takes 15 months if you wear something once every two weeks, which is probably more frequently than average.
I picked up this kimono in an ASOS sale 2 years ago and despite feeling like I frequently wear it, I'm just hitting 30 wears now. Quality wise, still looks pristine and new as the day I got it, no signs of wear. It was on sale for $33.60 when I got it so it's just over a dollar a wear at $1.12. It's full retail price was $95 so I'm pretty happy with what I paid and the low cost per wear! It was a great sale find. And as you can see below, a statement floral print kimono can actually be worn with a lot of different things!
Floral Kimono and Green Tops
I find green a tricky colour to wear sometimes, but I've been making an effort to try wear it more often. While there isn't any green in the print of this kimono, with the florals and birds green just seemed like a nice colour combination to try. As you can see, I liked it so much I wore it that way a few times!
Grey Floral Kimono and Grey Tees
While I enjoy wearing this printed kimono with bright pieces, nothing beats a classic grey tee. I used to be wary about wearing a grey tee and grey outerwear together, but I gave this kimono a try with a grey tee once and loved it - don't know why I'd never tried it before! The colourful print helps add some more colour and interest so it's not just grey on grey.
Floral Kimono and Black Tops
Colourful tops and grey tops are nice with this kimono, and black tops are perfect with it too! Adding a colourful printed kimono to a basic black top and denim outfit makes it instantly seem a little more pulled-together, and with the neutral top and grey base of the kimono it means you can add a colourful bag to your outfit. Picking an accessory that matches one of the colours in the print is a great idea, as I've done here with the mustard yellow micro Regan bag and blue Balenciaga day bag.
Kimono In Pregnancy With Maternity Denim
Having a limited pregnancy wardrobe (and even implementing a capsule wardrobe for the third trimester) meant I reached for accessories more often. A kimono is a wonderfully lightweight piece that adds more interest and colour to your outfit, without making you any warmer, even while pregnant in a heatwave. I loved adding this floral print kimono or one of my many other printed ones to an otherwise simple pregnancy outfit. Kimonos are very bump-friendly too as you never have to attempt to fasten them up over a growing baby bump. They always fit, in every trimester! As a bonus, they work as a breastfeeding cover in the postpartum days too!
Kimonos with Shorts
Denim shorts are a Brisbane summer essential - I couldn't do summer without shorts! As you can see by how many times I've worn this kimono with shorts, easily the majority of the 30 wears! I love how nicely a floral print kimono like this works with denim - it's an easy, fuss-free option. As mentioned above, it's nice to have a light layer for summer that provides some sun protection without overheating too. Picking the right kimono is important to allow it to be breathable in the middle of the summer heat - viscose, cotton and modal are better than polyester.
Kimonos and Skinny Jeans
While they are great in summer, it's possible to wear your kimonos in spring and autumn too just by swapping out the denim shorts for skinny jeans. You can go for colourful jeans, or keep it simple and stick to the classic blue or black denim.
Kimono with Dresses and Skirts
While I do tend to wear this kimono with denim a lot, I do like to try different things with it now and then. Kimonos work just as well with dresses and skirts as they do with jeans or shorts. The first outfit with the maxi skirt is one of my favourite pregnancy outfits, the slouchy kimono and long skirt just work perfectly together.
Floral Kimono and Print Mixing
Florals and stripes is a frequently worn print mixing formula. I'm sure you've seen it around on blogs before, even if you've never tried it yourself. With the floral print on this kimono, I was eager to try it with stripes and I love the way this looks. You don't have to stop at stripes though!
Embroidered floral shorts, polka dots or even abstract print, there are so many options. A good tip is to make sure that the prints have a similar colour. The gold polka dots and the yellow florals, or the similarly shaped floral print and floral embroidery together. While I dont always love the resulting outfits, I do have a lot of fun trying new things and wearing different prints with this kimono.
Floral Kimonos Under $50:
How Do I Know How Many Wears Something's Had?
I've had this question a few times lately. I blog what I actually wear - I take photos on my way out the door most mornings. That means if I want to know how many times I've worn something, I just look up the name of it on the blog and get a count. One of the benefits of having an archive of daily outfits for almost 6 years!
This is my last 30 ways to wear post for the year and it's been an incredibly fun challenge - I know you all enjoy the posts too as they are some of the most popular on my blog, so I'm looking forward to continuing with it next year and making it a permanent fixture. It's been a challenge to hit 30 wears regularly, but identifying pieces I'm close to that number with and giving them lots of frequent re-wears is helping me hit my goals. Thank you for following along, the sweet comments, and the sharing and pinning of the posts.
I love tank tops, they are essentials for our Brisbane weather. As the two outfit photos below show, they can be layered up for a cooler day, and worn on their own when it heats up. Perfect for spring with the fluctuating temperatures!
As I shared on instagram, this is the 30th wear of this cardigan. I bought it pre-blog so I know it's been worn more times than that, but I didn't have regular outfit photos then. I've been wearing it a lot lately as I was so eager to hit that 30 wear mark before proper spring weather arrived and it got too warm for this to be worn. It's the reason why I packed it to take to Sydney!
I've worn this tank and cardigan together before too. Since I loved this outfit pairing of the printed tank with purple skinny jeans, I've been recreating that with the purple cardigan! To try and make it a little different I picked grey jeans this time instead of the black jeans I wore last time. I had a much nicer day than I did last time I wore the tank and cardigan together!
We spent the day at my parents, decorating biscuits before lunch, which the boys loved as always! While all the purples are slightly different shades in this outfit, I loved wearing this and think it turned it really well. Comfortable for a day visiting my parents too.
A quick stop at the post office in the morning, then we headed to my local ABA mother's group. The discussion topic was 'managing a newborn and toddler'. While those days are behind me now and I have two toddlers (time flies so fast!) it was great to share the things that helped me and smile at the stories of things happening now and in the past that were so similar to my own experiences.
Unlike the rainy and cool spring day above, this was a much warmer day that allowed me to wear the sleeveless tank without any extra layers. I haven't worn this tank for a while, it's been sitting near the front of my wardrobe to remind me to wear it. The colour is incredible and it's one of those pieces it's so tempting to just 'save' for special occasions! I'm trying to get more wear from pieces in my wardrobe and enjoy what I own, so this top was definitely due another wear.
As I love pink and purple together, the purple accessories seemed like a good choice with this tank. I thought that the printed jeans would be a nice pairing with the pink tank too, to add a little more interest to my outfit.
How You Can Wear It:
A button up tank is a great stay at home mum staple! It can feel a little more pulled-together than a regular tank, but is just as easy to wear. Button up tanks are perfect for breastfeeding, without the need to buy anything special just for feeding and that have the added bonus of being able to be worn afterwards too! Linking up with Fashion Frenzy, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, On The Edge, Friday Faves, Passion for Fashion.
When we arrived home from Sydney, it was cold and wet, not the kind of days I feel most motivated for outfit wise. There was also the added 'frump factor'. Maybe because we stayed in the centre of the city, maybe because we frequently walked past restaurants and people celebrating, but everyone in Sydney just looked so put-together and glamorous. I came away from the trip feeling a bit frumpy and very mumsy after having a toddler strapped to me in the carrieralmost every day.
I slipped back into a simple outfit formula for work that I've relied on many times in the past - colourful pants and ankle boots. Minimal thinking required, perfect when feeling uninspired. If you follow me on instagram you'll know I stuck with my pants rut for a few days until the weather warmed up and I pulled out one of my favourite dresses to change things up a bit!
I've contemplated letting these jeans go a few times, as when it comes to colourful jeans I'll usually go for my red or purple pair and these are a bit neglected. But they manage to be jeans that don't look like traditional denim and so work nicely for the office in the middle of the week. Not that blue jeans aren't worn during the week in my office, just that I try to keep them to casual Friday. A habit I had back when I worked 5 days a week.
I did wonder if cuffing these and adding the ankle boots made them look more like the jeans that they are, but it was cold and wet and since I don't have rainboots, ankle boots were the best way to go. I was grateful for these as I walked around in the rain. The brown Balenciaga day bag matches the Chelsea ankle boots quite nicely too I thought.
The star print shirt is a thrifted favourite - it has a nice relaxed fit so it's really comfortable (and I've worn it casually before) but the buttons make it formal enough for work. I find printed shirts great work to weekend pieces!
As you can see, in my rushed and frazzled state this morning I even forgot my usual final swipe of lippie before walking out the door. I spent a bit of time deliberating what necklace to wear, before deciding just to go with a scarf instead as it was easier. This colourful one stood out so I threw it on and quickly took photos before heading to work. Ended up keeping it on in the office to combat the office air conditioning which managed to be even colder than outside!
Picked the burgundy pants for a bit of colour to try and give my mood a boost, and the black henley shirt and ankle boots go with everything.
Just like the outfit above, I've worn these burgundy pants casually too. They are my favourite for work outfits though. I've unsuccessfully tried a few times to get these in other colours, but I've rarely found non-denim pants at Jeanswest since I bought these years ago.
In a rush or an outfit rut and feeling the cold? Colourful pants and a black shirt is a quick and easy office outfit to keep you warm on a rainy day. Add ankle boots, a trench and even a scarf if it's really chilly.
Mid-October we took the boys on their first ever flight, a short trip for a few days down to Sydney. When I was planning our trip I was curious about how I'd keep the boys entertained on the flights and what our first flight experience would be like. I've had a few questions about that too so I thought I'd share more about what the flights were like as well as what I was wearing. Feel free to skip the flight-related stuff if you're not interested and just focus on the outfits, it's a bit of a long post otherwise.
Background to Our Trip:
Toddler T is 3, and Baby Boy is 19 months. Both are good walkers. We took a travel stroller but checked it at the gate along with a suitcase and I had my Ergobaby carrier (which couldn't be used during takeoff and landing or to go through airport security, but can be used at all other times). Baby Boy was on an infant ticket and had to sit in my lap, Toddler T had his own seat.
We flew Qantas both ways. Both flights were mid-morning flights, when the boys are most relaxed. Toddler T was enthusiastically greeted and given a small activity pack gift on boarding and the flight attendants were polite, friendly, and reminded us we could ask them for anything if we needed help.
Simple comfortable outfit for our first flight. While it was a warm day in Brisbane, I suspected I might need the light duster on the plane and in cooler Sydney. This duster washes well, dries quickly and the print disguises any creases so it's perfect for travel.
While I had multiple outfit choices for the boys, I limited what I brought along to just one pair of shoes (my trusty Converse) and these jeans and a maxi skirt. I usually wear jeans when flying, they are comfortable and it also means that the the heaviest item of clothing is outside your bag in case you're getting near the baggage weight limit!
The flight from Brisbane to Sydney is only around an hour and a half, so we didn't have to keep the boys amused for too long. We also luckily didn't have to attempt using the airplane bathroom with either of them. Not always possible, but definitely helpful for us to have a small flight as our first one, and it's one of the reasons we picked Sydney to travel to.
Run Around the Airport
We got to the airport and the gate early. We picked window seats at the gate so that the boys could watch the planes and vehicles on the tarmac, while also giving them a large 'corridor' along the window to run up and down while staying in sight and out of the way of the rest of the waiting passengers. We encouraged them to run frequently while we waited for boarding. Did have to stop them from crawling under the seats and disturbing the other people waiting at one point though....
Boarding Tips
We didn't board right away, and waited until the line was shorter so they weren't standing in one spot too long. Toddler T had his boarding pass so he was responsible for getting it scanned and showing it to the flight attendants as we boarded which got him involved. We found it best to have Baby Boy and I on the window seat with Toddler T in the middle of hubby and I so there were two sets of hands if either boy needed anything. Boarding time is a good time to wipe down the tray tables and other surfaces with a disinfectant wipe too.
Breastfeeding
If you're breastfeeding remember that baby has to stay seated in your lap and sitting upright for takeoff and landing, so you'll need to wear something you can easily pull down or unbutton to breastfeed as your toddler sits up. Breastfeeding during takeoff and landing is a good way to help with the pressure on little ears.
Bring Snacks
The flights were around regular morning tea time for the boys so that they would be looking for something to eat. As they are so small, eating and drinking during takeoff and landing is the best way to relieve the pressure in their ears. In keeping with my usual over-packing style, I had a Bento lunchbox with two 'levels' of snacks, as well as two identical smaller snack-boxes.
This worked out well for our first flight, when baby Boy enthusiastically grabbed one of the smaller boxes and managed to open it and shower the gate area with food. I was relieved to still have the second backup box. We opened out the second 'level' of the lunchbox for snacks for the descent. While they weren't as hungry at the end of the flight, having favourite foods and treats available like biscuits meant they were still happy to eat and help their ears on the descent. One important point to note is that you have to check the customs requirements for food. There are interstate laws about taking fruit across state lines in Australia. This meant we picked strawberries, raisins and apple which could be freshly prepared, cut and washed the morning of the flight and completely consumed before landing. We left out bananas and mandarins as we didn't want to get in trouble for still having the peel, and just bought more fruit when we arrived in Sydney.
Bring Things to Do
As well as the activity pack Qantas provided, I brought a few books along, some colouring books and activity packs with stickers and pencils. We put the bento lunchbox in the seat pocket, along with their drinks and a book and kept the activity packs in the baby bag under the seat in front. With backups in the carry on case we put in the overhead compartment, but never needed to use.
We didn't bring toys as everything you bring will end up on the floor at least once. My teething necklace was the only 'toy' as it stayed around my neck, and Baby Boy gnawed on it a little when he got grizzly during the descent into Sydney.
Plan Your Flight Entertainment
On takeoff we sat the lunchbox in Toddler T's lap so both boys could easily reach it and pick what they wanted to eat. Once the plane was level, we packed it away and did some of the activity books together until the refreshments were served (we asked for a bottle of water at this point to refill the boys drinks). Once they got tired of picking at the bun provided for morning tea, as neither of them seemed to like it, we got out the books to read and did some more activity packs. We followed what the boys wanted to do and changed activities as they wanted until it was time to descend and pack up the tray tables and bring the snacks out again.
Explain Everything
For weeks leading up to the flight we were reading all the plane related books we had, explaining the check in process, take off and landing. Knowing that the plane would go fast, that the plane would be noisy and that eating and drinking will stop your ears feeling funny helped. Instead of trying to detail everything in the moment, we could quickly refer back to earlier conversations. With a toddler who doesn't like loud noises, explaining each and every noise and movement of the plane helped calm any fears. A tip I picked up from my Dad, who would always tell us what noises to look out for next on our flights as kids. It's a habit now!
This is what I wore for our flight home from Sydney to Brisbane. The same duster, jeans and shoes, just a different tank. I wore my Converse every day, there was no room to pack two pairs of shoes with all the extra clothes I had for the boys. I did manage to pack an extra handbag though, ha! I used my Speedy Bandouliere most days. It's so helpful having a cross body bag when you're navigating airports with toddlers in tow.
My jeans were covered with food crumbs after the first flight, but nothing that a baby wipe couldn't fix to make them presentable enough to travel home in a few days later. The ultimate mum essential: baby wipes clean everything!
Comfort is key when flying with toddlers - you don't want to be fussing over your outfit. Make everything machine washable as it will get dirty! A cover-up like a cardigan or duster hides spills and stains and keeps you warm on a cold plane. Converse are comfortable and practical for running around in airports. Jeans are a good choice too as you can easily wipe food crumbs off with a baby wipe. Linking up with Fab Favourites, Mummy Monday, Style Nudge, Hello Monday.
Spring weather can be pretty varied in Brisbane, much like it can elsewhere in the world. You go from shorts one day to jeans and layers the next.
I took advantage of one of our spring cold snaps to layer up a little, wearing colourful pants with my neutral tees. One of which is leaving my wardrobe.
It was a wet and windy day when I wore this. It wasn't very nice weather for the public holiday, or for the planned BBQ at the in-laws. Luckily BBQ's can still go on when it rains! Even if you do have to send someone out with an umbrella to do the cooking. 😂
Since I had been wanting to wear a dress, I decided to persist anyway and wear this printed shirt dress as a kimono. It was a nice extra layer against the wind. These burgundy pants are really good for work, but I like to wear them casually too - that's the main reason I bought them actually. They pass easily for skinny jeans, and look really nice cuffed over ankle boots.
Leaving my Wardrobe: Black V-Neck Tee
Unfortunately this is the last wearing of this black tee on the blog. I really like it but it's just not held up very well. It's normally soft and has the perfect drape, however to maintain that it needs a gentle wash and when you wear it around toddlers and babies...everything usually needs more than a gentle wash at the end of the day! It's been tossed in the washing machine for a serious wash too many times and has just stretched out and lost that softness. I was much too uncomfortable constantly pulling it back up and tugging it into place through the day. It's no longer fitting well and has stretched out so I really can't wear it. I usually plan to wear things one last time, and during the day as I constantly readjusted the tee I realised this was its last wear!
I'm sad it hasn't had a longer run in my wardrobe, but I know it was my own neglect that lead to it leaving. It was $17.47 and I wore it 15 times, $1.16 cost per wear. Not bad, but I really wish I could have hit 30 wears on it!
Since I liked the outfit above so much, I decided to wear a very similar one on the next cooler spring day. These red jeans are perfect with all of the neutrals, such a nice pop of colour. This striped duster is a good layer for spring - nice and light, not too heavy but keeps the wind at bay. Very comfortable to work from home and do the daycare drop off / pick up.
Unlike the black tee above, this grey tee is faring much better in my wardrobe and will be hanging around for a while. I have 7 grey tees in my wardrobe, a grey tee is a wardrobe must-have for me.
Colourful jeans or pants are a fun way to add some colour to neutral layers. A printed kimono or duster is another way to add interest to your outfit, and perfect for fluctuating spring temperatures.
