Frocktober: Balenciaga Bags and SAHM Casual Daytime and Evening Printed Dresses

Continuing on with the Frocktober outfits. I'm doing a #31Days31DifferentDresses challenge and wearing a different dress every day in October to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Research.

Every donation helps! Thank you to everyone who is donating to this great cause.

What I wore:

Hat: white knitted beanie 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bracelets: the usual plus Edenborough Evans 'Ivy' silver cuff
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

It was a little chilly, so perfect time to wear one of my warmest dresses. And since it was Hat Day too, I was able to meet the #myStyleOctober challenge of 'hattitude' by wearing a cosy beanie. Layered up with a scarf as well as it got quite cold with the wind and rain.

I was so grateful to be wearing this dress, and not just for the extra warmth. The dress has a longer hem in the back that comes in helpful for toddler wrangling. I spent the morning at the accountants getting my tax done, having had to take toddler T along with me. Although he did sit there quietly 'reading' a book most of the time, every now and then he'd try running around. He managed to drop down and crawl under the accountant's desk at one stage!


Last worn: knitted beanie, skull scarf, striped tee dress, Chelsea ankle boots, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: knitted beanie in the office, pink skull scarf with blue and teal, striped tee dress in winter, Chelsea ankle boots and jeans, Balenciaga Part Time bag and denim.

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Shop more Balenciaga bags:

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What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (classic style also on sale!)

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: Jeanswest grey snake print maxi dress
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

We went out for dinner in the evening with hubby's family, so I figured I'd wear one of my 'dressiest' dresses for the occasion. I'm trying to plan out the month so I'm not left with something completely inappropriate to wear near the end! Dinner out seemed like the best time to wear such a formal dress.

We weren't doing much earlier the day though, so I tried to dress this down a little, and settled on the denim jacket and casual bag. I've been wearing my Balenciaga bags a bit lately!

This dress hasn't been worn much - it's been almost 10 months since I last wore it! It's definitely staying in my wardrobe though. I just don't wear it much as I keep it for more formal occasions. I think it's perfectly okay to only wear a floor length formal dress a couple times a year. I expect my 'everyday' wardrobe to get worn a lot more though!


Last week I shared about the Shopbop sale, so I wanted to share with you all what I bought too. I picked up a couple things, after feeling like treating myself as I ended up doing #noSpenderSpetember!

What I bought:

• Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow
• Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, denim jacket, snake print maxi dress, Ikwetta sandals, Balenciaga sorbet city bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and a maxi skirt, snake print maxi dress at 39 weeks pregnant, Ikwetta sandals and a maxi skirt, pink Balenciaga sorbet city bag in the office.


Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, Trendy Tuesday, Turning Heads, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday.

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Corporate Style: Plaid Shirts In The Office with Pencil Skirts and Alexander McQueen Skull Scarves

Last time I wore these plaid shirts, I wore them with skinny jeans. I'd been trying to think of another way to wear them so they wouldn't just sit unworn for a while and figured I'd wear them to the office! Just like last time, two extremely similar looks, just wearing them with slightly different things.

If you want to make a plaid shirt look a little more formal and corporate, you can always tuck it in too. I tend to leave my shirts untucked as I work in a fairly relaxed business casual office.

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen red skull-print modal and cashmere-blend scarf
Shirt: Jay Jays metallic plaid shirt
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

It's officially spring here in Brisbane which is great as it means I can go bare-legged with the knee bandage more often. I've mentioned before it doesn't work well with tights! While I took this photo before I went to work a couple of weeks ago, it was a warmer than normal winter day and bare legs were fine.

When I put this on it seemed a little dark with all the black, so I added the bright scarf for some colour, even though didn't really need it for warmth.


Last worn: black trench, red skull scarf, plaid shirt, black pencil skirt, ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: black trench and a printed dress, red skull scarf and a navy striped dress, plaid shirt and denim, pencil skirt and polka dots, black flats and a printed dress, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote and a printed dress.

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Shop plaid shirts at Shopbop:

See more plaid shirts at Shopbop.

If you'd rather ease into plaid, check out the plaid scarves. Accessories are a great way to try something out on a small scale.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen magenta skull scarf in roses print
Top: See by Chloe lavender plaid cotton shirt
Skirt: Asos tailored tab front pencil skirt in grey
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

Unlike a few days before, when I wore the outfit above, this winter morning was a little more wintery and I was wishing I didn't have to go bare-legged! Especially in the rain for the commute home. I added the scarf for extra warmth. I considered wearing ankle boots instead of ballet flats too, but my boots have a tiny (1cm) heel and I'd really rather stick to completely flat shoes while my knee heels.

Wasn't sure what colour scarf to wear with the purple shirt at first, I tried on a few and in the end decided this magenta one worked nicely. What do you think?


Last worn: camel trench, magenta skull scarf, purple plaid shirt, grey pencil skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: camel trench with a colourful outfit, magenta skull scarf and a LBD in spring, purple plaid shirt with skinny jeans, grey pencil skirt and floral cami, MbMJ ballet flats and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote with the same scarf and different outfit.


Linking up with Modest Monday, Let It Shine, Mix It Monday, Style Sessions, Reasons To Dress, On Trend Tuesday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Real Mom Style, What I Wore today.


This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Corporate Style: Trench Coat, Camel Flats and Blue Tops

More office wear, with a very unimaginative repeat of the trench coat and ballet flats combination. Definitely a necessity for both days in the office though!

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Shirt: Target blue abstract floral print shirt
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

This is the outfit I wore when I was involved in a little incident on the way to work and smashed my knee. I had considered wearing heels that day, as I felt I hadn't worn them in a while, but decided at the last moment before I went out the door to wear flats instead. I'm so glad I did as it was hard enough trying to hobble around the office in these flats, I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if I was wearing heels. The one good point to a not-so-good day!


I bought this shirt back when I was doing #noBuyJuly15, it was my only purchase that month but I still failed the challenge.

As it's the second time I've worn it, my purchase review: I reasoned that this top was such a bargain ($10) and would be perfect for office wear and SAHM wear so I'd be crazy not to buy it. I haven't worn it outside of the office yet, but I'm glad I got to wear it with these pants as it was one of the outfits I had in mind when I bought it. I'm really happy with this, and I have lots of ideas for more ways to wear it still.



Last worn: trench coat, skull print scarf, blue print shirt, burgundy pants, camel flats, Balenciaga tempete day.

Other ways to wear: trench and a printed dress, skull scarf and a navy dress, printed shirt and a pencil skirt, burgundy pants on the weekend, camel flats and gold jeans, Balenciaga tempete day and a maxi skirt.

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Shop more trench coats under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs Stargazer scarf in aquamarine (on sale, and also on sale in black!)
Jumper: thrifted blue Mossman knit jumper
Skirt: Atmos&Here grey marle jersey pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Again with the same trench and flats! And bare legs. It wasn't actually warm enough for bare legs, I just can't wear tights over the compression bandage on my knee. I knew I wanted to be warm to try cancel out the bare legs, so a long and cosy trench, a thick jumper, scarf and a couple layers under the jumper helped a little bit.

Picked the same flats as the last time I went into the office as they were so comfortable and easy to walk in, felt like a good repeat choice.


Last worn: trench coat (above), stargazer scarf, blue knit, jersey pencil skirt, Marc Jacobs flats (above), Louis Vuitton neverfull.

Other ways to wear: trench coat and heels, stargazer scarf with a polka dot dress, blue jumper and teal dress, pencil skirt in summer, camel flats and a printed dress, LV neverfull and a printed dress.


Linking up with Hello Monday, Let It Shine, Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, Reasons to Dress, On Trend Tuesday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing today.

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Shirt Dress, Shift Dress, Cardigans and Ankle Boots.

DH and I are at the 'spending every weekend attending open houses' phase of house-hunting. Below are two simple outfits I've worn to do so. As they were so similar, I thought I'd post them together.

We take turns each baby wearing while we go through the houses, so I need to wear something that's easy to wear with a toddler strapped to me, not too casual, and with a layer that I can take off and on as it heats up. I went with dresses both times as they are instant outfits, which is what you need when you have to fit in 5 open houses in one morning and you're running late!

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Dress: Atmos&Here Polly navy polka dot shirt dress
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

As soon as I put these pictures on the computer I realised I should have worn a belt with this, oh well. I was comfortable and decided not to wear a belt so it would be easier to strap the baby carrier around me. I've worn it without a belt before and its looked fine, I just think with this cardigan a little waist definition would have been nice.

On the plus side, it warmed up nicely through the day and I ended up taking the cardigan off by the time we got to the third house, so I didn't wear it like this all day. I do like the colours of everything together, just feel a belt would have made it look nicer.


Last worn: purple cardigan, taupe skull scarf, polka dot dress (as a top), Asos Chelsea ankle boots, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: purple cardi and a maxi dress, skull scarf in the office, polka dot dress with Converse, ankle boots in the office, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and skinny jeans.

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Shop more shirt and shift dresses under $70:

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What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: gifted Kmart striped maxi cardigan

Necklace: Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel
Dress: Zalora Basics faux leather placket red shift dress (on sale!)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

I wasn't 100% happy with this outfit either, although I do like it more than the one above. I was trying to decide on something to wear to add a bit of interest and picked this necklace. I think a shorter necklace or a scarf would have worked better with the placket detail on the dress though.

This striped maxi cardigan is new-to-me! My mum brought it over one day and asked if I wanted it, of course I said yes. It's not too warm which is great as I'll be able to keep wearing it as it warms up and we move into spring. I like boots and tights but I'm looking forward to the end of winter too!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, Zalora red shift dress, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC. First time I've worn the cardigan.

Other ways to wear: red shift dress with bare legs, ankle boots and a maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC and a maxi dress.


Linking up with Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Turning Heads, Real Mum Style, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing, Pleated Poppy, Style Me Weekly, Wednesday Pants, What I Wore, Oh Hey Girl, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday today.

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SAHM Style: Maxi Skirts and Shopbop Skirts

It's no secret that I love maxi skirts! I challenge the 'rule' that short ladies can't wear maxi skirts too - I'm petite! I'd always liked wearing them occasionally, and once I discovered just how perfect they are in pregnancy they became a wardrobe staple. I do my best to wear them year-round.

It's easy enough to do in winter here in Queensland, as we don't have snow to contend with. A few extra layers, some ankle boots and maxi skirts are good to go. If it gets even colder where you live, you can always layer leggings or tights underneath ;)



Since I'm collaborating with Shopbop, (thank you for all your kind words on my last post about it) I thought I'd show you two recent winter maxi skirt outfits I've worn as it started warming up a little more here, and some of the maxi skirts available to purchase at Shopbop.

What I wore:

Scarf: Alexander McQueen magenta skull scarf in roses print

Tee: Glassons plain black long sleeve tee
Skirt: Izabel London Aztec print maxi skirt (C/O, shop similar skirts at Shopbop)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

This layering tee was another one of those pieces I'd been looking at in my wardrobe for a while and figured I'd better get around to wearing before winter passes us by! With just a few weeks left, I'm feeling that I haven't given all my winter pieces enough wear before I have to pack them away again.

The plain black tee and the dark skirt seemed a little dull for a day out shopping with family while hubby was on baby duty, so I added the scarf for some colour.


Last worn: purple skull scarf, black long sleeve tee, Aztec print maxi skirt, black ankle boots, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere bag.

Other ways to wear: skull scarf in summer, black tee and a printed skirt, printed maxi skirt in a neutral outfit, ankle boots in the office, Speedy Bandouliere and skinny jeans.

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Shop a great range of maxi skirts at Shopbop right now:

See more maxi skirts here. Or even maxi dresses! 

If you're looking for something a little more work-appropriate, check out the pencil skirts.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Peggie kimono in purple mulberry marle

Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Skirt: Target black and white striped maxi skirt (Shop similar maxi skirts here)
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

It's not the first time I've worn this tee and skirt together, although it was a bit warmer last time I did so. Layered it up slightly with the cardigan and scarf for a morning at playgroup.

It's not surprising I'd repeat combinations with this skirt. I like pairing it with grey tees, and I've worn it over 30 times in the year and a half since I bought it. Definitely a must-have in my wardrobe!


Last worn: blue Alexander McQueen skull scarf, purple kimono cardigan, grey tee, Target stripe maxi skirt, Converse, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Other ways to wear: skull scarf and a striped dress, cardigan and skinny jeans, grey tee in the office, maxi skirt in the third trimester, Converse and skinny jeans, Balenciaga day bag and denim shorts.


Linking up with Friday Favourites, Fab Favourites, Passion For Fashion, Favourite Fashion, Flashback Fashion, Casual Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Let It Shine, Hello Monday, Thursday Fashion Files.


This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Corporate Style: Balenciaga Tempete Day Bag, Pencil Skirts and Leather Jackets

Two more office outfits, both featuring blue prints. It's been a while since I've worn my Balenciaga day bag and so I thought it was a good idea to get it out again. I like wearing it with blue.

Just wore my leather jacket instead of my usual go-to trench coats as it was a little warmer. I am looking forward to the end of winter and being able to wear fewer layers!

What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket

Scarf: Nali feather print pashmina scarf
Shirt: Target blue abstract floral print shirt (new purchase)
Skirt: Jeanswest black ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

Excited to get to wear my newest purchase! I bought this Target top back in July, when I was supposed to be doing #noBuyJuly15. I always end up buying something in sales, so I should never have decided to take a look at the sale. At least I only bought one thing. For only $10 I'm really happy with it, it's the kind of top I can wear to work and at home with baby too, so I'm not beating myself up too badly for buying something and not meeting the challenge 100%.


Last worn: printed leather jacket, feather print pashmina, black pencil skirt, Walnut Melbourne flats, Balenciaga Day bag.

Other ways to wear: printed leather jacket worn with stripes, pashmina with a navy dress, black pencil skirt hiding a second trimester bump, black flats with skinny jeans, Balenciaga day bag and summer dresses.

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More Balenciaga Day bags:
(including some second hand under $700)

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What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket

Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue
Top: Jeanswest 'Tilda' black shirt
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

It's been a while since I wore this blue skull scarf too! During my wardrobe detox it was called out as a colour that's not great right next to my face, and something I should get rid of. I couldn't part with it though! I'm keeping it as I can live with the fact that I'll just look more tired on days I wear it, like I do here.

I'm trying to wear this pencil skirt a little more over winter. I tend to wear it a lot in the warmer months with bare legs, and not so much with black tights in winter. I'm trying to wear it more often to ensure I'm making the most of my wardrobe year-round. Not everything will work for all seasons, but I'd rather have the majority of things in my wardrobe being able to be worn all year, so I'm not leaving things unworn too long.


Last worn: printed leather jacket (above), blue skull scarf, black top, lace pencil skirt, Walnut Melbourne flats (above), Balenciaga temptete day bag (above).


Other ways to wear: leather jacket and a grey dress, skull scarf and striped dress, black top in the second trimester, pencil skirt worn casually outside the office, black flats with a printed dress, Balenciaga temptete day bag and denim shorts.

Linking up with Pleated Poppy, Style Me Weekly, Style Me Wednesday, Trendy Wednesday, The Wednesday Pants, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday.

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Lazy SAHM Dressing: Printed Pants ~ Same Outfit, Different Prints

Two extremely similar outfits. I felt I hadn't worn my printed jeans in a while, they were overdue a wear. Unlike some of the other posts I've shared with similar outfit formulas, I wore these one day after the other, and I didn't even notice that I'd pretty much worn the same thing until I went to upload the pictures!

So a very unimaginative set of outfits - printed jeans with a jumper and the same jacket, scarf and boots! At least the bags were different I guess? Some days you just want to go with an easy option, and accessories that work with anything you wear are a good choice.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Jeanswest black leather moto jacket

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Jumper: Chicabooti red fine knit jumper (with Cotton On red singlet underneath)
Jeans: Sass and Bide 'The Archetype' feather print zippora skinnies
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff striped coated canvas mini MAC in berry stripe

Why I wore it:

I liked the colours in this outfit, but it was a pain to wear in practice. Definitely an outfit fail. Luckily I didn't have to wear it long - a checkup for baby and then stopping by the shops on the way home to pickup lunch.

These jeans are one of the pairs I bought off ebay post-baby to celebrate fitting back into 'regular' jeans again. They are a little larger than I need right now so they were annoying. Plus while the zipper detail on the hems is awesome to look at, it's not so great when it's rubbing against the top of my ankle boots. It's turned me off these jeans so much they are leaving my wardrobe! They would always need to be belted if I kept them anyway, not too much of a loss.

Leaving My Wardrobe: Sass and Bide Printed Jeans

Outfits: one, two, three, four.

Last worn: Ray-Ban wayfarers, leather jacket, taupe skull scarf, red knit, Sass and Bide printed zippora jeans, Asos Chelsea Ankle Boots, Rebecca Minkoff canvas stripe mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: leather jacket with a printed dress, skull scarf with a printed dress, red knit and blue jeans, my favourite outfit with these printed jeans, ankle boots and black jeans, striped mini MAC and a baby bump.

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More printed pants, under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest black leather jacket

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Jumper: Jeanswest 'Serena' ombre knit
Jeans: Portmans pink leopard print skinny jeans
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

Unlike the (extremely similar) outfit above, I much preferred these jeans with the ankle boots. I think cuffing them looks better and it definitely feels better to wear. Did result in some cold ankles early in the morning though!

Just a simple outfit for a morning out with DH and baby T running errands and getting lunch. I did wonder if the leopard print and the ombre would be too much together at first, but I'm glad I tried it anyway as I think it looks good.


Last worn:leather jacket (above) skull scarf (above), ombre knit, leopard print jeans, Chelsea boots (above), Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran.

Other ways to wear: leather jacket with a dress, scarf with a maxi skirt, ombre knit at 40 weeks pregnant, pink leopard print jeans with a grey tee, Chelsea boots and a maxi skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran and a little red dress.

Linking up with Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Pleated Poppy, Oh Hey Girl, The Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion Friday, Feature Friday today.

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