Capsule Wardrobe - 5 Outfits, 5 Days! International Style Challenge with Black and Burgundy

My blog friend Ruth does these 5x5 style challenges on Instagram. Another blog friend, Eileen and I started talking with her about it and thought it would be fun to participate. We decided to do an international style challenge a couple of weeks ago near the end of November.

The rules: 5 pieces of clothing to create 5 outfits over 5 days, with a black and burgundy colour scheme. Accessories like shoes, necklaces, scarves, handbags, outerwear, can be added as needed and don't count as one of the 5 pieces.

Who took part: Ruth @ruthyannie, Eileen @eileensed and myself, @awayfromblue. Ruth did this over autumn in the cold weather, and Eileen had to dress a growing baby bump too! I have so much admiration for them both!

This is going to be a bit of a long post as I share with you what we wore over 5 days! I hope you'll get a lot of outfit inspiration from it though, and discover some new ways you can rewear pieces you already own.

My Capsule Wardrobe

After a few last minute swaps and changes, these are the 5 pieces I came up with for the challenge.

• black drawstring waist maxi skirt
• black denim shorts
• burgundy jersey dress
• black, burgundy and cream shirt dress
• burgundy slouchy tee

My choices were limited by the colour scheme which helped me make decisions about what to pick as my 5 pieces. The last time I did a capsule, it was my third trimester capsule wardrobe and the growing bump helped limit my options there too! I did have to go into the office for one day which made me pick the shirt dress, even if the print is more red than burgundy. I figured it was close enough!

The main worry I had was around structuring the pieces I wore to allow me to have them washed and ironed ready for the next wear With two messy toddlers it was highly unlikely I was going to be able to wear things twice in a row without washing them! In the end I came up with 6 outfit ideas so that if something wasn't ready in time, I'd have a fall back option.

What I wore - Day 1

 

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Tee: Zalora Basics maroon stepped t-shirt
Skirt: Jeanswest Luxe jersey maxi skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

For the first day of the challenge I went with a classic tee and maxi skirt combo. When I'd first started planning outfits and pieces for the challenge I'd went with a different burgundy tee, and changed my mind and swapped it for this tee instead. I didn't like the way this one sat with the maxi skirt though, I was a bit frustrated with it both tucked and untucked and wasn't as comfortable with this outfit as I could have been. Easy outfit for playgroup though.


Last worn: burgundy tee, black maxi skirt, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: burgundy tee and navy kimono, black maxi skirt in autumn, black ballet flats and pencil skirt, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC and printed jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: burgundy tee in first trimester, black ballet flats and maternity wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC and maternity shorts.

What Ruth Wore - Day 1:

A post shared by ruthyannie (@ruthyannie) on Nov 20, 2017 at 6:57am PST

What Eileen Wore - Day 1:

A post shared by Eileen (@eileensed) on Nov 19, 2017 at 1:44pm PST

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What I wore - Day 2

Necklace: Roie Designs pearl and antique gold long necklace
Dress: Atmos&Here Nigella collarless shirt dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

This was as 'formal' as my outfits got during the challenge, the majority of them were casual outfits. I had to go into the office, so picked this shirt dress to fit in with the business casual dress code. I found myself fussing with this outfit too during the day though, the dress seemed to ride up a lot and I was constantly tugging it back down. I much prefer wearing this dress as a kimono, or layering it up with tights in winter.

I knew with the darker black and red print on the dress (it's a geometric print although it looks like polka dots in the pics!) that this Marc Jacobs bag would work perfectly with it. This bag doesn't get worn as often as it did when I first got it, but it's still a nice choice for work. It's been tagged in 62 posts on the blog and most of the time it featured in both outfits of the posts, so you can see it was worn a lot in the past! Such a unique colour too, a deep purple-y brown.


Last worn: geometric print shift dress, black ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: geometric print shift dress layered for winter, 30 ways to wear black ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: black ankle boots and pregnancy announcement, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag at 40 weeks pregnant.

What Ruth Wore - Day 2:

A post shared by ruthyannie (@ruthyannie) on Nov 21, 2017 at 7:14am PST

What Eileen Wore - Day 2:

A post shared by Eileen (@eileensed) on Nov 21, 2017 at 12:30am PST

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What I wore - Day 3

Necklace: Zanele 40 handmade rope necklace
Dress: French Connection star dancing jersey dress in red rust/almond
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Mimco black button bag

Why I wore it:

The simplest of all my challenge outfits, and also the most popular. I wore this to work from home and attend a specialist appointment with baby boy in the afternoon. With the burgundy star print dress, I added black through my accessories, with the same ankle boots I'd worn the day before and another little worn bag, my Mimco button bag.

This was actually my first expensive bag purchase, despite how little I wear it now I'm never going to let it go. I spent months thinking about it and saving for it and picking out the perfect colour combo I wanted and I still remember the excitement of going to the store to pick it up! Very treasured even if not frequently worn now. I think I bought it in 2007 at the height of the button bag trend, still looks great. Sadly it's discontinued, the closest thing is the Mimco Turnlock bag that's around $200 more expensive than the button bag was 10 or so years ago, or to go to ebay for the classic style.


Last worn: burgundy star print dress, black ankle boots (above, day 2), Mimco button bag.

Other ways to wear: burgundy star print dress in third trimester, black ankle boots and skinny jeans, Mimco button bag for the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: burgundy star print dress for travel in Melbourne, black ankle boots in second trimester.

What Ruth Wore - Day 3:

A post shared by ruthyannie (@ruthyannie) on Nov 22, 2017 at 10:16pm PST

What Eileen Wore - Day 3:

A post shared by Eileen (@eileensed) on Nov 21, 2017 at 6:24pm PST

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What I wore - Day 4

Jacket: Atmos&Here Nigella collarless shirt dress (worn as a kimono)
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Tee: Zalora Basics maroon stepped t-shirt
Shorts: Jeanswest Sara distressed hot short
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

An incredibly busy day called for a comfortable and casual outfit, and the first wearing of the last of my 5 pieces, my black denim shorts. Added the comfy slouchy burgundy tee and the printed dress was worn as a kimono. Converse were a practical choice for a busy day, and the mustard yellow bag was a fun touch of colour with the black and burgundy.

Baby boy had some more tests at the hospital in the morning, so I had the day off. With my mother in law available to watch the boys, as it was a day I normally work, I made the most of it and she looked after them both once the testing was done so I could gt a rare child free afternoon to go Christmas shopping. And I shopped up a storm, getting the majority of the things remaining on my Christmas present list!

Last worn: shirt dress as a kimono (day 2), burgundy tee (day 1), black denim shorts, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: shirt dress and ankle boots, burgundy tee and skinny jeans, black denim shorts and stripes, Converse and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff mustard micro Regan bag and red maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: burgundy tee in first trimester, Converse in the second trimester.

What Ruth Wore - Day 4:

A post shared by ruthyannie (@ruthyannie) on Nov 23, 2017 at 7:56am PST

What Eileen Wore - Day 4:

A post shared by Eileen (@eileensed) on Nov 22, 2017 at 8:38pm PST

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What I wore - Day 5

Necklace: Turquoise and gold beaded necklace from my mum's wardrobe
Dress: French Connection star dancing jersey dress in red rust/almond (worn as a top)
Shorts: Jeanswest Sara distressed hot short
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather

Why I wore it:

For my fifth and final outfit with my 5 pieces, I wore my denim shorts again and the lovely burgundy dress as a top. I added turquoise accessories with the necklace and Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag for an extra touch of colour. I've won dresses as tops before, it's a nice way to wear something a little differently. The extra dress fabric wasn't too bulky although it was a bit of a pain tucking it in to the shorts every time I went to the bathroom! I had considered doubling up on the dresses and wearing the shift dress as a kimono over this again, but despite how little time I spent with the boys the day before it still got messy and had to have a wash. That was the hardest part of this challenge - making sure everything was washed and ironed in time to wear again!

This was a nice outfit to finish the challenge on, I ran around with the boys completing a few errands.


Last worn: burgundy star print dress (above, day 3), black denim shorts (above, day 4), Havaianas, aquamarine mini MAC bag.

Other ways to wear: burgundy dress layered for winter, black shorts and polka dots, aqua mini MAC bag and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: burgundy dress and second trimester bump, aqua mini MAC bag and maternity shorts.

What Ruth Wore - Day 5:

A post shared by ruthyannie (@ruthyannie) on Nov 24, 2017 at 8:34am PST

What Eileen Wore - Day 5:

A post shared by Eileen (@eileensed) on Nov 23, 2017 at 8:46pm PST

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Hope you enjoyed seeing the different outfits we were able to create for the challenge. While it was a fun challenge for me, I was looking forward to getting back into my regular wardrobe at the end of it! Especially after buying lots of new pieces that month that I was eager to wear.

Thanks so much to Ruth and Eileen for inviting me to take part - if you don't already, you should follow them on Instagram!


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Wrap Tops and Blue Textured Pencil Skirts for the Office

I've shared before about how easy it is to wear breastfeeding clothes after you've stopped breastfeeding. I bought a few wrap tops to help with breastfeeding, but they are still getting worn now. They are a really stylish option for work.

Ended up going a little monochrome, wearing my blue wrap tops with textured navy pencil skirts for the office. And of course my latest bag purchase, the purple Balenciaga work bag.

What I wore:

Necklace: Lovisa silver love knitted heart pendant necklace
Top: Dorothy Perkins 3/4 sleeve wrap top
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet and Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

With warmer spring weather, I know there are going to be less opportunities to wear this longer sleeved wrap top. As I said last time I wore it too! It was good to take the chance to wear it again. I really liked how it looked with the blue lace pencil skirt, it made for a nice monochrome outfit.

An easy outfit was just what was needed after spending the past few days with a sick baby and a lot of waking up in the night. Throwing on my favourite colour (blue) to boost my mood, makeup to hide the bags under my eyes and I felt pulled together enough for a day in the office.

Debated for a few minutes in the morning trying to pick out a necklace to wear with this top. I settled on this silver heart pendant that hadn't been worn in a while, but I think a longer necklace might have worked better.


Last worn: blue marle wrap top, ASOS lace pencil skirt, silver ballet flats, Balenciaga purple work bag.

Other ways to wear: blue marle wrap top in winter, lace pencil skirt worn casually, silver ballet flats and wrap dress, Balenciaga purple work bag and printed dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: lace pencil skirt in third trimester, ballet flats in third trimester,

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Wrap Tops Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Zara cream jersey blazer

Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Top: Atmos & Here Arlene wrap top in navy
Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bracelets: the usual plus
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

Another day at work, another sick boy! Toddler T had fallen ill the day before, so once again it was monochrome blue to try lift my mood and give me a bit of a boost to power through the work day. This time around I went with a longer turquoise beaded necklace with the wrap top, and I really liked this combination.

As the top is short sleeved, I added the cream jersey blazer to keep me warm in the office air-con, but I really didn't need to keep it on outside as it was such a warm spring day.

You can tell it's spring as the sun is rising earlier and my usual photo spot isn't in shade as much as usual! It's really tricky early in the mornings now trying to get a photo that's not in bright sunlight. Going to have to start changing up my photo spot.


Last worn: cream jersey blazer, navy wrap top, jacquard pencil skirt, black ballet flats, purple Balenciaga work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: cream jersey blazer and jeans, navy wrap top and maxi skirt, jacquard pencil skirt and heels, black ballet flats and maxi dress, purple Balenciaga work bag and black outfit.

Perfect for pregnancy: cream jersey blazer and hidden baby bump, wrap top in third trimester, ballet flats in third trimester.

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More Wrap Tops Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Wrap tops aren't just perfect for breastfeeding - they work great in a professional setting too and are good office options. You can't go wrong pairing them with a pencil skirt and a blazer.

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Sydney With Two Toddlers: What We Did and What I Wore

In October we took the boys on their first flight down to Sydney for a few days. I'm sharing what we did and things to see in Sydney if you're travelling with toddlers. If you want to skip that, I've included my regular outfits too.

Toddler T is 3, and Baby Boy is 19 months. Both are good walkers. We took a travel stroller and I had my Ergobaby carrier. The stroller was great for carrying the baby bag, layers to wear and food and snacks for the boys but we didn't think Sydney was very stroller friendly. Sydney had daylight savings time but it was only an hour different from Brisbane so we stuck to Brisbane time as normal.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tank: French Connection feather foil singlet
Skirt: Target grey marle maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Balenciaga Day bag in 2005 magenta (20% off with code 'REAL')

Why I wore it:

I was looking forward to this day the most! I didn't have a lot of space as we packed light, mostly taking extra clothes for the boys. I still prioritised so while I wore the same Converse every day, I had room for a change of bag and instead of my Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere I swapped out to this magenta Balenciaga day bag for our morning at the aquarium and spending the afternoon with my bestie. She has a magenta Balenciaga bag too so I had to wear this for the occasion!

Did wish I'd packed another jacket, as it was an overcast and colder day and this purple cardigan was the warmest piece I'd packed.


Last worn: purple cardigan, black tank, grey jersey maxi skirt, Converse, Balenciaga magenta day bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, black tank and printed shorts, grey jersey maxi skirt in monochrome outfit, Converse and printed dresses, Balenciaga magenta day bag with button up breastfeeding dresses.

Perfect for pregnancy: black tank in first trimester, maxi skirt for second trimester travel, magenta Balenciaga and maternity denim.

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4 Days in Sydney With Toddlers: Itinerary

Day One

We landed in Sydney in the afternoon, and it was off to where we were staying for nap time. I will not be sharing the name of the place we stayed as it was the worst place I have ever stayed and if there had been other options available I would have demanded a refund and moved out.

After failed nap time for Toddler T, I took him with me on my bloggy date with Rachel from a Nesting Nomad. It was great to catch up with her again, after meeting her in Brisbane a while back. I followed Google Maps but failed to realise the route resulted in walking up a very long hill to get to the meeting point. Only slightly late. Sorry again Rachel!

We walked through Hyde Park to let Toddler T run around a bit, then met up with Hubby and Baby Boy once he'd woken up. We went for a walk around Paddy's markets and through Chinatown before going to Darling Harbour.

Tip: Darling Harbour playground is perfect for toddlers. 

The boys had the chance to run around and play to expend some energy after sitting still on the flight. Lots of lovely restaurants nearby for dinner options too, although we went back to where we were staying and ordered takeout!

Day Two 

A cold and dull day, it was supposed to rain so we headed to the aquarium as we suspected we might. We hadn't bought our tickets in advance, not wanting to tie ourselves down to anything much with two toddlers.

Tip: Buy your aquarium ticket in advance. The line to purchase was extremely slow.

The aquarium was worth the wait though, the boys loved it. Despite it being perfect indoors weather and a weekend, there was plenty of space for the boys to run around from exhibit to exhibit as it wasn't too crowded. There were roving staff members in a few rooms presenting and talking about things to see, as well as lots of helpful educational information near each tank. Made it easy to explain to the boys what they were seeing, even though they were a little young to read for themselves.

Tip: Take toddlers to the bathroom before you enter. The bathrooms are at the end of the aquarium which is not what you want to discover halfway round.

After the aquarium, we attempted to head over the Pyrmont bridge to get to the shopping centre for lunch. I have fond memories of walking along the bridge on holiday as a kid, back when the monorail was still there! So difficult to do with a stroller though. We'd walked past the lift a few times before we found it, and then getting the lift down into the shopping centre on the other side of the harbour involved getting out on the top floor, walking through the shopping centre, getting another lift down then walking back to go to where we wanted to eat for lunch. On our way back we just walked around the harbour in the cold rather than attempt the silly lift system again.

As the boys napped, my bestie arrived and I snuck out leaving hubby and the boys to rest as we went to the Lindt Cafe for some chocolate and a catch up. It might have just been the company, but it was easily one of my favourite meals in Sydney, as we shared the 'dome of decadence' between 3 of us.




Tip: Lindt Cafe might be a little too chocolate filled to be a good option with a toddler, but they do takeaway!


After an amazing afternoon catching up, it was dinner time and we just headed to the nearest McDonalds for a fuss-free meal, perfect for toddlers!

Day Three

The day Toddler T was looking forward to most - a trip to the zoo and a ride on a Sydney Ferry!

After a slight detour into the Rocks, we eventually made our way to Circular Quay and had the chance to take photos with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Tip: The Rocks is NOT stroller friendly, don't even try it. Or you'll end up stuck looking down on the harbour realising the only way down is a very long flight of stairs with a stroller. Thanks again Google Maps!

I expected some excitement from the toddlers about the landmarks we'd been pointing out in books for weeks, but it was of course all about the boats! There was a big cruise liner docked while we were there which was exciting to see.

After buying our tickets we hopped on the ferry to go to Taronga Zoo. It's a short trip, just enough time for the toddlers to enjoy being on a boat and you to point out and take photos of all the landmarks before you arrive at the zoo.

Tip: You don't need to travel round all of Circular Quay to get landmark photos with toddlers - just hop on the Manly ferry and take photos from the boat!

When we arrived at the zoo, as we had bought our tickets in advance we were able to take the gondola up over the animals to the very top, with amazing views of the harbour. Of course it was the animals you fly over that the boys enjoyed more than the view!

Tip: buy your zoo ticket in advance, even if just at the ferry terminal. It gives you the ability to take a gondola up to the top of the hill and work your way down.

Starting at the top of the zoo made getting around with the stroller very easy, no need to push up any hills. While we didn't see all the animals (we skipped the aquatic section after the aquarium the day before, and the line for the tiger experience was too long for a toddler's attention span) the boys had a great time running around and getting up close with the animals we did see.

We had lunch at 'The Fish Stop' which does have non-seafood options, and was less busy than the central 'Food Market' although it does have less choices. It was so easy to get food and then sit in one of the many picnic areas right next to it, with incredible views of the Sydney city and the harbour.

Tip: Grab a bite to eat at 'The Fish Stop' or bring a picnic and sit back on the lawns for an amazing view out over the harbour!

While the monkeys were the favourite animal of the day (and it was incredible watching one of them mesmerised by my teething necklace!) there were so many to choose from. There was a lovely playground in the farm animal section. Although it was geared towards older kids the boys really enjoyed playing there for a break from animal-watching.

The walk back to the ferry was a really nice downhill stretch, and while you do have to go through a gift shop as you exit the big shark tank and presentation that was on around the sharks meant the boys were nicely distracted as we left, souvenir free. If only that had been the case at the aquarium, ha!


Once we got back to Sydney, we headed to Helm Bar for dinner. I'd looked up a few places online for food and Helm bar was highly recommended, but seemed like a noisy party bar every time we passed it before. Having no luck finding anywhere else open on a Sunday night in our price range, we went there as it was listed as wheelchair accessible. While there's no easy way to get a stroller up the stairs to the bar, there is a lovely beer garden you can sit in and order food and drinks. It was perfect for families.

Food was so well priced, especially for Sydney, and the boys loved their kids meal. I'm still sad we tried it on the last night so I couldn't go back for another schnitzel burger - definitely will be next time I'm in Sydney!

Day Four

This was our travel day, we didn't do much other than pack up, prepare another lunchbox full of snacks for the plane trip home, and make our way to the airport.

Top Tips for Travelling With Toddlers

Have transport options
The toddlers can walk, and we had the stroller and Ergo Baby carrier for babywearing so there were options when the boys didn't want to walk any more.

Be flexible
We had a general list of the sights we wanted to see but didn't buy any tickets in advance so that our days could change if necessary, and we weren't feeling rushed as we didn't try to do too much each day. One activity or outing is fine, and just wing it for the rest of the day.

Pack snacks
This works for the plane flight too, but when you're in a new place you might not know how far away the next kid-friendly place to eat is, so having snacks with you for the toddlers and yourself comes in helpful.

Take lots of photos
The only regret I had in Sydney was that I didn't take a lot of photos (a few hundred over the 4 days instead of my usual couple of hundred I take a day when something exciting is going on!).


Would we do it again?
Not until the boys are bigger and the stroller isn't needed - it was a real pain trying to fit the stroller in places - even though we packed a small umbrella travel stroller instead of our usual big one. Sydney definitely felt a lot more cramped and less stroller friendly than Brisbane.


What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Skirt: Target grey marle maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

Unlike the outfit above, I actually found it too warm to wear the cardigan on this day and wished I hadn't brought it! We took the boys to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House at last (our third day in Sydney...) and hopped on the Manly Ferry over to Taronga Zoo.

The benefit of wearing the Ergo Baby carrier in the back carry position (you can just see Baby Boy's little foot peeking out in the pic!) is that it's easy to wear a cross body bag, and my Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere was perfect for keeping my camera close by for walking around the zoo.


Last worn: purple cardigan (above), polka dot tee, jersey maxi skirt (above), Converse (above), Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and button down tank, polka dot tee and mustard cardi, jersey maxi skirt and graphic tee, Converse and colourful jeans, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: maxi skirt in third trimester, Converse in the second trimester, Louis Vuitton speedy Bandouliere and maternity denim.


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Grey Tees and Printed Maxi Skirts With A Red Rebecca Minkoff Saddle Bag

I've managed to cut the number of grey tees in my wardrobe down to 7 (it was once 14...) but there's no denying they are the perfect basic item for me. If I'm ever unsure what to wear with something, I'll pick a grey tee! With these printed maxi skirts, a grey tee is the ideal piece to pair with them.

What I wore: 

Necklace: Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel
Tee: Asos new forever grey tee
Skirt: AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs pearl, howlite and hematite beaded bracelets
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in blue!)

Why I wore it:

For a lazy Sunday, this was a nice casual outfit. It's also the 30th time I've worn this maxi skirt! See all the 30 ways I've worn this stripe maxi skirt. We had the usual errands, grocery shopping and a swim lesson then church online in the evening.

I was originally going to wear a different bag with this, but changed my mind and went with the red saddle bag instead. It was the perfect pop of colour for the neutral outfit and despite not being too pleased with the tee I did otherwise like this outfit, the red bag was the perfect accessory.

Leaving My Wardrobe: ASOS Grey Forever Tee

This grey tee used to be a favourite, but it's the last wear for it, it's starting to look really worn so it's leaving my wardrobe. I got 12 wears out of it, so not too bad, but I am a little disappointed it didn't hang around for longer. Especially as it's called the 'forever tee', ha! Like my trusty black tee, I suspect it's rather quick demise was due to me washing it incorrectly and not following the delicate instructions on the label - no time for delicate clothes with toddlers! I'll probably keep this as a sleep tee too, just like the black one.

I paid $27.18 for it and wore it 12 times, so a high $2.26 cost per wear. Could have worn it a lot more if I'd just followed the washing instructions or not worn it near toddlers that necessitated the heavy washes!





Last worn: grey tee, striped maxi skirt, Rebecca Minkoff studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag.

Other ways to wear: grey tee for casual Friday, striped maxi skirt worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff studded sandals worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey tee in second trimester, stripe maxi skirt and novelty pregnancy tee.

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Printed Maxi Skirts Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Tee: Atmos&Here charcoal grey v neck tee
Skirt: thrifted Billabong red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in blue!)

Why I wore it:

This tee is still a firm favourite! It's one of the few pieces I have in my wardrobe that I've wanted to buy a backup of, so that when this one wears out I'll still have another one to wear. Sadly I've never found another version of it, so this one gets worn a lot more sparingly than you'd expect my favourite grey tee to get worn!

When I first picked up this red printed maxi skirt in the opshop for $3 I did my usual 'think of two ways to wear it' and of course a grey tee was top of my list. I've ended up wearing it with blue tees every time I've worn it, except now! Although it took a while for me to pair this skirt with a grey tee I'm pleased I did. A plain, neutral tee is a good partner for a brightly coloured printed piece in your outfit. This was nice and comfortable for playgroup, errands and a specialist appointment for baby boy.

I wore the same red bag again! Unlike the outfit above, this outfit already had some colour with the red maxi skirt, but I still think the red bag was a nice touch with it. As much as I liked the outfit above, this one is my favourite of the two.

Last worn: grey tee, printed maxi skirt, studded leather sandals, red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag (above).

Other ways to wear: grey tee and leopard print jeans, printed maxi skirt and leather jacket, studded leather sandals and denim shorts, red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag and printed kimono.

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

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Grey Tees Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A grey tee is a wardrobe staple. The ultimate basic, you can wear it with so many things. A grey tee really works when you pair it with a printed piece, from a simple striped skirt to a brightly coloured printed maxi skirt. Makes getting dressed simple: one printed piece, one basic grey tee, and you're out the door.

Linking up with Fashion Frenzy, What I Wore, Hey Girl, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Flashback Fashion.

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