Making Casual Dresses Work For The Office With a Pencil Skirt

One way I like to get more wear from my dresses is to layer a skirt over them and wear them as tops. I've done that with both of the dresses below before. Putting a pencil skirt over a dress is the perfect way to make a dress on the shorter side work-appropriate!

What I wore:

Necklace: gifted silver heart long pendant necklace
Dress: Atmos & Here Willow printed tee dress
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bracelets: the usual
Bag:  Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

My first day back after an extended leave over Christmas time meant picking bright colours to cheer me up. Especially after spending the week before I went back to work feeling sick. I knew it would be a day of catching upon emails and everything else I missed, so wanted to pep myself up as much as possible with this bright and colourful dress worn as a top. It's not the first time I've layered a skirt over this dress, I've done it before here with a maxi skirt and with a pencil skirt again. Way back when I first bought this I fell in love with the print and couldn't decide between getting the dress or tee in the print. I'm glad I picked the dress, as it's so easy to wear it as a top too to mix things up a little.


Last worn: botanical print tee dress, black pencil skirt, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel.

Other ways to wear: botanical print tee dress and Converse, black pencil skirt in winter, black ballet flats and fit and flare dress, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: botanical print tee dress for pregnancy announcement, black pencil skirt in first trimester, black ballet flats in second trimester.

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Pencil Skirts Under $50:

Both pencil skirts I'm wearing in this post are Jeanswest, and they've just released a new office wear collection!

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What I wore:

Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Skirt: Jeanswest black ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag:  Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

Another day in the office, another dress as a top. This dress has been worn with a pencil skirt before too. I'd planned to wear this outfit after the one above, but after wearing that and dragging myself to the office, I made myself much worse and the doctor sent me back home to rest for a few more days. It did make getting ready for work when I was eventually well enough to go back really easy though, just pulled on this outfit I'd had sitting planned for a few days!

The only thing I didn't like about this outfit was the necklace. I love the way it looks, but I didn't consider that when I wore my work security pass around my neck on the long lanyard like I usually do, it would hit and jingle with the necklace all day. It was a little frustrating as I moved around between meetings, as I didn't always have a hand free to separate the two. Might need to save this necklace for weekend wear, which is a shame as it's so pretty!


Last worn: navy shift dress, black pencil skirt, MbMJ ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag (above).

Other ways to wear: navy shift dress and denim jacket, black pencil skirt and tan accessories, MbMJ ballet flats and little black dress, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag and tee dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: navy shift dress in third trimester, black pencil skirt in second trimester.

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Printed Dresses Under $50 great for layering with:

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How You Can Wear It:

Not all dresses are work appropriate lengths, even though they might be ideal for weekend wear. If you're worried a dress is too short for the office, try turning it into a top by putting it under a pencil skirt. A pencil skirt works so well for different office dress codes, and it's a fun way to remix a dress and make it less casual.



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Zara Jersey Blazer For The Office With Printed Skirts and Louis Vuitton Neverfull

I've shared before that one of my secrets to getting out the door to work on time despite having two kids is to lay out my outfits the night before. It saves so much time in the mornings!

I'd actually had these outfits planned out for a week before I wore them. With sickness hitting the boys and a late night hospital dash, my week was thrown off and I ended up taking some time off. Thankfully everyone is better. I only made it into the office once that week, so I decided to wear a mood boosting dress instead on the only day I made it in, and saved these outfits for the next week. It was nice to finally wear them!

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer
Necklace: Eye Candy LA 'Sasha' statement necklace
Top: Zalora basics ruffle hem tank in black
Skirt: Garfunkle Australia pleated print skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black!)
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

It's not the first time I've worn this peplum tank tucked into a skirt, but I think this is my favourite way of wearing it. I'd been looking for a plain black top to wear with this skirt when I saw this top and realised it would be perfect if I hid the peplum under the pleats. As I'd managed to catch what the boys had and wasn't feeling the best, I added a colourful statement necklace. A trick I often use to try draw attention away from my tired eyes! With all of the black, I felt that the loud statement necklace and printed skirt worked nicely together, although I wasn't sure at first when thinking up what to wear. I really liked the gold mouse flats with this too.

Despite not feeling 100%, and wishing a few times I'd been contagious enough to get the day off work, I did love this outfit and felt happy with it. A little more energy and voice would have been good though, ha!


Last worn: black jersey blazer, black peplum tank, pleated a line skirt, gold mouse flats, Louis Vuitton damier azur bag.

Other ways to wear: black jersey blazer over a tee dress, black peplum tank and kimono, pleated a line skirt and graphic tee, gold mouse flats and ruffle dress, Louis Vuitton damier azur bag for the beach.

Perfect for pregnancy: black jersey blazer and hidden baby bump, black peplum tank in first trimester, pleated a line skirt in second trimester, gold mouse flats and maternity wrap dress, Louis Vuitton damier azur bag in second trimester.

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Jersey Blazers Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Tee: thrifted Mix Apparel black space dye tee
Skirt: French Connection silk leaf print skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

I was so excited to wear this outfit a few days after the one above, as it was my last day in the office before a few weeks leave.  However I was in a bit of a rush and grabbed this black blazer from the front of my wardrobe instead of the cream one I'd originally planned.

Instead of a plain black top like I had above, I picked my space dye black tee. I thought it was a subtle enough print that it wouldn't compete with the leaf print of the skirt. With the same blazer, similar skirt, statement necklace, Louis Vuitton neverfull, Marc Jacobs flats though...this looks incredibly similar to the outfit above. It's the same outfit formula, I just forgot to change up the jacket to make it look a little more different.

Loved this outfit as much as the top one, but for my last day before leave I think I was going to be happy no matter what I wore! Did have a mad last few hours trying to fit everything in and get everything done before I left, but otherwise it was a good day. This skirt always makes me feel good, even though being silk it doesn't get worn much at all around the toddlers! Perfect for the office.


Last worn: black jersey blazer (above), space dye tee, leaf print silk skirt, black ballet flats, Louis Vuitton neverfull (above).

Other ways to wear: black jersey blazer and pencil skirt, space dye tee and khaki shorts, leaf print silk skirt and lace tank, black ballet flats and skinny jeans, Louis Vuitton neverfull and gold jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: black jersey blazer at 39 weeks, leaf print silk skirt in first trimester, Louis Vuitton neverfull at 38 weeks.

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Printed Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A neutral like black is a nice choice to wear with a colourful printed skirt. The black tops and blazer work so well in these outfits as the skirts both have black in them too. Picking a colour from the print on the skirt and wearing that on top is another good way to go if you don't have any neutral tops that work.


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Grey Tees, Maxi Skirts, and Tesalate Towel

A good fail-safe wardrobe option for me is a grey tee. With all of the printed pieces in my wardrobe, grey tees are staple pieces I can always pull out when I'm not sure what to wear with something. With brightly coloured printed maxi skirts like the ones I'm wearing before, a grey tee is a simple choice.

What I wore:

Necklace: Happiness Boutique turquoise and coral pendant necklace (C/O)
Tee: Marc by Marc Jacobs blossom pocket tee in grey
Skirt: thrifted Billabong red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

I realised I hadn't worn this grey tee for a while and decided to give it a last wear. When I'm not sure about something in my wardrobe or it's been so long between wears, 'the last wear' lets me find out if I still love something and it deserves to stay, or if it needs to leave my wardrobe. I had such mixed opinions about this when I wore it though! Wasn't too happy with it in the photos, but it is so soft, comfortable and I felt great in it all day. It's staying in my wardrobe for now.

I want to try it with something other than this maxi skirt - as I've mentioned before it's a slightly too long thrift find that I just roll up and wear higher on my waist so it's a lot of bulk together with a slouchy tee. I will need to get this skirt tailored, I'm sure it's a keeper now!

Wore this to run a few errands with the boys. I've worn yellow and red together before, and again I really liked the combination. I think the mustard yellow micro Regan bag works nicely with the bright red of the maxi skirt.


Last worn: grey pocket tee, red printed maxi skirt, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: grey pocket tee in winter, red printed maxi skirt and blue tee, studded sandals worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey pocket tee in second trimester.

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Grey Tees Under $50:

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What I wore:

Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Bikini: Kiargo 'Captains Bridge' striped bikini
Skirt: thrifted tribal print maxi skirt
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Wore this for a much-needed relaxing beach day the week before Christmas. My first weekend after finishing up at work for the Christmas break, so some sun was just what was needed.  I'd attempted no-heat curls the night before by plaiting my hair, but as you might have seen on Insta stories it didn't work too well! I ended up throwing my very frizzy and not at all curly hair up into a messy bun and hiding it under my sun hat at the beach. I got the chance to try out my new Tesalate towel at the beach too! They kindly sent me one, the 'this is love' towel.

Tesalate towels are 'sand free', and I was surprised to find that this claim is actually true! I tried to take a video showing how easy it was to flick the sand off the towel, but with my hands full with two toddlers it didn't happen. Trust me, it is sand free. No sand sticks to it, even wet sand. It washed well too.
The only downside is that after we went to the kid's water play area and sat down on the grass to dry off, it accumulated a few leaves on the underside of the towel. So it's good for not taking a bunch of sand home with you, but watch out for leaves and twigs!

I picked the grey tee to wear as I wanted something easy to throw on over my bikini, it was perfect. And my Louis Vuitton neverfull is frequently selected as my beach bag. It's nice to have a big bag to throw everything in when it doesn't fit in the baby bag which is filled with all the usual things plus towels for everyone! (That's another bonus of the Tesalate towel, it folds up so small!).


Last worn: sun hat, grey tee, striped Kiargo bikini, tribal print maxi skirt, gold Havaianas, Louis Vuitton damier azur neverfull.

Other ways to wear: sunhat and tunic, grey tee and skinny jeans, tribal print maxi skirt, Louis Vuitton neverfull and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey tee and maternity pencil skirt, Louis Vuitton damier azur neverfull at 38 weeks.

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Printed Maxi Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

If you have a printed skirt you're not sure what to pair it with, try a grey tee. It's a classic neutral that goes with everything. Perfect for a casual relaxed day at the beach, or a busy morning running errands.


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Summer Officewear: Blazers, Bright Tanks and Blue Pencil Skirts

While I'm still on leave, I haven't shared these outfits from before the Christmas break yet! Summer in the office is usually pretty relaxed, when the heat gets too much they often change our already business casual dress code to be even more casual. If I'm worried my outfit is a bit too casual though, even with relaxed dress codes, I add a blazer, just like I've done in both outfits below.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest grey jersey blazer
Necklace: Starfish Project Veronica short yellow multi strand necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Maya gather back tank in mid turquoise
Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

I'd just worn this blue tank a few days before, but wore it again to the office to squeeze in one more wear before the month ended, to meet my 'wear things twice in the month I buy them' goal. It's a great casual top, so I added the blazer to ensure it would work for the office as well. Although the turquoise tank and the navy skirt are very different blues, I thought they would look great together, and I couldn't resist adding this colourful yellow statement necklace for even more colour.

I really liked all the colours in this outfit together. The neutral black ballet flats and grey blazer were good accessories, and my Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote matched the jacquard pencil skirt well.


Last worn: grey blazer, turquoise tank, navy jacquard pencil skirt, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: grey blazer and fit and flare dress, turquoise tank and printed shorts, navy jacquard pencil skirt and winter layers, ballet flats and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: navy jacquard pencil skirt in first trimester, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in third trimester.

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Bright Tanks Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Maya gather back tank in chartreuse
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

Wasn't quite so sure about all the colours in this outfit. I love yellow and blue together, and the green necklace is great with the yellow tank...but I think that something was off about this outfit, I didn't like it as much as the blue one above. Getting woken up far too early by baby boy and being too tired to consider my outfit properly that morning may have impacted how I felt about it, ha! I am always harsher with my outfits if I'm not having the best of days.

I was hoping for an easy day at work for being exhausted before my day even began, but when I realised it wasn't looking that way I popped out to Starbucks for a little morning tea treat between meetings.

Thankfully my day improved when I got home, it's impossible to have a bad day when you get excitedly greeted by 2 little boys and a very fluffy dog.


Last worn: cream jersey blazer, mustard yellow tank, ASOS lace pencil skirt, camel flats, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: cream jersey blazer and skinny jeans, mustard yellow tank and printed shorts, ASOS lace pencil skirt in monochrome outfit, camel flats and sheath dress, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote in winter.

Perfect for pregnancy: cream jersey blazer and hidden baby bump, ASOS lace pencil skirt in third trimester, camel flats in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote in third trimester.

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Blue Textured Pencil Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Your casual summer tanks can easily do double duty in the office when worn under a blazer and paired with a classic pencil skirt. If you're worried a bright tank may be too bold for your office, try picking neutral layers and accessories to wear with it. A blazer definitely isn't needed in the middle of a Brisbane summer, but you can easily take it off for the commute and slip it on to combat the cold aircon at your desk in the office. Such a simple layer to make any outfit feel more pulled together and office appropriate.


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Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Outfits

Skipping a few outfits I still haven't shared from December to post my Christmas outfits before we get too far away from Christmas day! I've linked to a few of the Christmas day photos I shared too, in case you missed them on social media.

For Christmas Eve, we traditionally do crafts, make and decorate cookies, listen to Christmas songs, and just relax and enjoy spending time together while wearing our Christmas tees. Christmas day was a busy one, we had both sets of grandparents in Brisbane so we split the day between them both. Different activities means two different outfits.

What I wore:

Earrings: Jeanswest Evy dangly earring
Tee: festive glitter Santa tee
Skirt: thrifted Billabong red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Christmas bow bracelet (with bells!)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

As Christmas eve was on a Sunday, we took advantage of the special Christmas service at our local church in the morning, before heading down the coast in the afternoon to spend time with my family.

As you might have seen from my overshare on Insta stories, we all wore our Christmas tees, made and decorated cookies, did some craft, ate a lot of good food and watched Polar Express with the boys for the first time. They loved it!

I often wear this tee with shorts to beat the heat (even while pregnant!) but decided to be a little different this year and wear with a skirt instead. Thanks to everyone who voted on Instagram to help me pick, I went with this red skirt over the chambray one I was also considering. Red and green are perfect Christmas colours!


Last worn: santa glitter tee, red printed maxi skirt, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff love bag. First time I've shared the guitar strap on the blog.

Other ways to wear: santa glitter tee and denim shorts, red printed maxi skirt and leather jacket, Rebecca Minkoff love bag and gold jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: santa glitter tee in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.

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What I wore:

Earrings: Jeanswest Evy dangly earring
Necklaces: Tiffany diamonds by the yard necklace layered with Tai gold alphabet necklaces, Silhoupette gold plated Shih Tzu necklace and gifted Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant

Dress: Gypsy 05 orange ombre maxi dress
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bracelets: the usual plus silver charm bracelet, gifted Lovisa rose gold beaded bracelet stack
Bag: Balenciaga envelope clutch in 2012 mangue with giant 12 RGGH
Nails: OPI Breakfast at Tiffany Collection Five and Ten

Why I wore it:

This is what I wore for our family filled Christmas day. We started earlier than expected of course when the boys woke up, and spent the morning exchanging and unwrapping gifts. After playing with the new toys a little and dressing the boys in the new clothes Santa brought them, we headed out to Christmas lunch at the in-laws. Another Christmas tree, more Christmas presents and some yummy food and drink.

Instead of putting the boys down for a now much needed and overdue nap, we hopped into the car to drive to my parents and thankfully they slept a little then.

Another Christmas tree, more presents to be exchanged and so much good food, we a delicious Christmas dinner there. A storm hit in the evening so when it briefly stopped we headed home, perfect timing as once we were home again we got hit with a second storm.

With traveling, unwrapping presents, playing with toys and lots of food, I went with a classic maxi dress. It's my go to for Christmas day as we all like to get dressed up for it in my family. Hubby's family is much more casual, but a maxi dress is perfect for both places. With 36 degree heat too (97 fahrenheit) this light dress was all I could stand to wear.

Although it's been a while since I've bought a new dress for Christmas, I was happy to shop my wardrobe and pick out an existing maxi dress. My bestie gave me this one, and it never fails to get compliments. Added lots of gold and rose gold accessories to compliment the peach ombre maxi dress and colourful yellow Balenciaga envelope clutch.


Last worn: Gypsy 05 ombre maxi dress, gold Havaianas, Balenciaga mangue envelope clutch.

Other ways to wear: Gypsy 05 ombre maxi dress and kimono, Balenciaga mangue envelope clutch and printed jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: Balenciaga mangue envelope clutch in third trimester.

How You can Wear It

Formal or casual, however you dress to celebrate Christmas, comfort is key. With all of the good food you want something non-restrictive, so an empire waist maxi dress or elasticated maxi skirt is a good idea. Perfect for when the aircon gets too cold as it covers your legs, but loose enough to catch the breeze and keep you cool when it's a hot and humid day. You can wear a maxi in winter too, although snow might make it a little harder!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas last week and you're having a great start to 2018!


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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?


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