Corporate Style: Winter Printed Dresses For a Business Casual Office

First up, had to share this sale with you! Shopbop are having an extra 25% off the designer boutique sale items with the code '25EXTRA'. It's sales like these that make #noBuyJuly15 so difficult to stick to! I love the extra discounts on Shopbop on top of their already good sale prices.

If you're not on a shopping ban, check out the sale! I will be skipping this sale, I'm at the halfway point with #noBuyJuly15. I've been so good for the first half of the month, just need to continue that for the rest of the month! If you're doing the no shopping challenge with us too, ignore the sale info above (sorry!) and make sure to check out the survival plan on Beth's blog for some great tips about making it through the month without buying anything!


Just like the previous post, more dresses for the office! I thought after the June Dress Week style challenge I did I'd be over dresses, but I am enjoying the simplicity of them for work. Just throw on and go, no need to try coordinating pieces. I even kept the same coat and bag. The two dresses below are new ones from my June purchases.

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Cardigan: Jeanswest Peggie kimono in purple mulberry marle
Dress: Jeanswest Sadie silk printed shift dress (new purchase)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

This dress was a complete bargain for a silk dress! It was on sale at Jeanswest, and then reduced to an extra 50% off on top. A $130 dress reduced to $30, just had to get it. I know that silk (and any hand-wash only item) is not the most practical fabric to have around baby, so I'll be keeping this dress as work-only for a while.

This was great for the office, lunch with the girls and then dinner after work with friends. I was a little paranoid about baby's sticky hands on my dress at dinner though, may have been wiser to have worn this on a different day. I just kept wrapping my cardi around to cover as much of the dress as possible!

This is actually the third time I've worn these ankle boots. The second time I posted them, I forgot to do my usual purchase review!
I bought these in June to replace my heeled black ankle boots, wanting a pair that feel better suited to life with baby. I really like these. They go with everything, from jeans to maxi dresses.
They are leather, only have the tiniest of heels (about a centimetre), they are the perfect ankle boot height for me and even better, they were on sale at The Iconic so were a bargain. They will be getting a lot of wear over the rest of winter, and in Spring too!


Last worn: black trench, purple cardi, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote. First time I've worn this dress as it is a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: pencil skirt and black trench, purple cardi with denim, ankle boots with a maxi dress, print mixing with Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote.

---

More printed dresses:

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina
Dress: Target Danni Minogue Petites printed wrap dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

This dress is almost completely hidden by the trench coat and scarf, but it was a cold day! This is the first faux-wrap dress I've ever owned. Usually I hate them, they have the look of a wrap dress but none of the flexibility to adjust them to sit just right. I've never had one look good on me before. This is from the Dannii Minogue petites range at Target (maybe an Aussie only range) and it fits perfectly! I'd seen it a few times in passing but been put off by the price, so when it was on sale I took the chance to try it on. I discovered it was a faux wrap dress in the change room but decided to try it anyway, and fell in love. It just sits perfectly! I'm pleased I tried it on, and although I haven't bought any more from the range (as my size was almost always sold out) I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye any sales on the line in future.

As it's the second time I've worn these shoes, my purchase review:
I like these! I think I'll keep an eye out for this brand going on sale again too! Marc by Marc Jacobs is my usual go-to for ballet flats, but with the Aussie dollar not doing so great even at sale time they are pushing my 'limit' for shoes, so it's nice to find another brand I like. The flats are comfortable, practical and easy to wear. The sole is thicker than a usual ballet flat so it's nicely padded, and the elasticated backs don't rub at all (which I was a little concerned about). Not sad to see my old black flats go, and really happy with these replacements.


Last worn: black trench (above), turquoise pashmina, Walnut black flats, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote (above). First time I've worn the dress as it is a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: black trench with black, white and tan, turquoise pashmina with a different printed dress, black flats with skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote with pencil skirts.

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

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Facebook : Twitter : Google Plus : Instagram : LikeToKnow.It : Youtube 

State of Origin Maroon Outfit and The Wednesday Pants Link Up

A special post today - a Maroon outfit for the State of Origin! I've posted about the game before, it's a bit of rivalry between two Australian states; Queensland (maroon) and NSW (blue). I'm linking up with Allison and The Wednesday Pants wearing my maroon and Allison will be wearing her blues. You can join the linkup below.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat (similar, on sale!)

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: Next brown polka dot and lace top
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

This is a great way to wear some maroon in the office, burgundy pants. Very appropriate for the 'Wednesday Pants' theme too! On game days, our office dress code is relaxed enough that people can wear footy shirts to the office. But if you don't have a team shirt, or you have meetings with customers so you have to stick to the dress code, then maroon items are a great way to still show your team spirit. Plus you can re-wear things you already own.

I haven't worn this top in a long time (almost 2 years!) so it's overdue a wear! It's a mock layer top so it's one piece, but it looks like two. It's very easy to wear, just has been neglected for a while as it's better in cooler weather and it didn't fit when I was pregnant and it's not ideal for breastfeeding. Glad to be able to wear it to the office again.

I was a bit shocked to see it's been 9 months since I used my Fran handbag too! It is still a favourite of mine, but when I last wore it I found it a bit much to juggle with the baby bag also, as it's quite large. I figured it would get more wear when I returned to work, but that hasn't been the case. Partly because I bought a new tote for work and partly because all of my handbags are hidden away in boxes under the bed now and it's easy to forget about them when I can't see them all out on display like I did before. We turned my dressing room into a nursery instead.
After buying another handbag in June, I think I need to put the breaks on the bag buying a bit and just enjoy what's left after my big bag clearout on ebay a while back. #NoBuyJuly15 means no buying handbags either! Despite all of the tempting sales.....I have kept away from the handbag sections of Shopbop, Matches Fashion and Net-A-Porter to avoid breaking my shopping ban.


Last worn: trench coat, brown lace polka dot top, burgundy pants, patent heels, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: polka dot top with tweed pants, burgundy pants on the weekend, trench with a LBD, Marc Jacobs Fran bag with a maxi skirt 4 weeks postpartum, nude patent heels with pencil skirt in summer.

---

This week I'm excited to be co-hosting The Wednesday Pants Link-Up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter. Allison created her blog to share her experiences of hunting down that perfect fashion item in the beautiful harbour city she calls home. She's a globe trotting, shoe loving, designer handbag toting Aussie who loves to cook up a storm with a wine glass in hand. On the blog she mixes high end and high street. In "The Wednesday Pants" series she has set herself a challenge to wear the same white pair of Calvin Klein pants every Wednesday for an entire year, styled differently of course! This week is the State Of Origin decider and Allison is supporting NSW by showing her colours and proving that you can be stylish while still supporting the boys on the field.  Head on over to her blog and follow along.

We'd both love to see your style this week so link up below following these simple rules:-

1. Follow your host on Facebook, Bloglovin', Twitter and/or Pintrest.
2. Follow your co-host on Bloglovin', Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook.
3. Your post should be either a white pants outfit from your archives or your best OOTD from this week.
3. Ensure your link goes to a specific blog page rather than you blog home page.
4. Include a link back to Sydney Fashion Hunter in your blog post.
5. Visit a couple of the other links and discover new blogs to love.

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking this post up with Wardrobe Wednesday(showing lingerie so not safe for work), Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Pleated Poppy, What I Wore, Style Me Weekly, Oh Hey Girl, Trendy Wednesday, Brilliant Blog Posts, Thursday Favourites, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday, Feature Friday, Fashion Friday today.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Facebook : Twitter : Google Plus : Instagram : LikeToKnow.It : Youtube 

June Dress Week: Corporate Style - Polka Dots and Floral Print - Monthly Purchases

Sharing my June purchases and the final two outfits for the June Dress Week Style challenge, two work outfits. I enjoyed playing along with Kiki during this challenge, but I do think it was extremely challenging for me wearing so many dresses in winter. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone though, which is a nice benefit from a style challenge.

June Purchases:

• thrifted blue Mossman knit jumper (already worn here)
• Zalora Basics maroon stepped t-shirt 
• Jeanswest Peggie long sleeve line kimono in purple mulberry marle (worn below)
• Jeanswest Sadie silk printed shift dress
• Target Dannii Minogue Petites printed faux wrap dress (not in video as it was in the wash sorry!)
• RMK Chester black ankle boots (already worn here)
• Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
• Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
• Rebecca Minkoff mini quilted affair bag in fire engine red

With all of these purchases this month it's easy to see why I've decided to do a #noBuyJuly15 challenge! I definitely don't need to be adding any more to my wardrobe. I still have completely unworn items from my May purchases, as well as things I bought and have only worn once! I didn't hit my goals of wearing things twice in a month after buying them...because of this I returned all of the tops from my Jeanswest order. I think I need a bit of space to wear and use what I own instead of buying more in July and compounding the problem.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Scarf: Alexander McQueen magenta skull scarf in roses print
Dress: Atmos&Here Polly navy polka dot shirt dress
Skirt: Atmos&Here grey marle jersey pencil skirt (same in navy or in black)
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was 'shirt dresses or wrap dresses' so I wanted to wear my newest shirt dress purchase. Wearing a dress as a top isn't a new thing for me (I've done it here and here before) but I actually really hated it this time! I don't know if it was the lack of a belt or just the mix of the materials with the dress, tights and skirt. It didn't stay in place and I kept tugging at it all day. The jersey pencil skirt wasn't very forgiving when the dress bunched up underneath it either.

I like the idea behind this outfit and all the pieces, but not how it all worked together. If I was to try this again I'd wear a different skirt, add a belt and pull the dress down. I think part of the problem was that I tried to let the dress drape a little over the top of the skirt to disguise that I didn't add a belt. See how Kiki had a better outfit for the challenge here.


Last worn: metallic jacket, roses skull scarf, polka dot shirt dress, grey marle pencil skirt, ankle strap heels, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: metallic blazer with a sequin tank, skull scarf with spring dresses, polka dot shirt dress with Converse, grey marle pencil skirt with Converse in spring, ankle strap heels and bare legs, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote with printed pieces for work.

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs print scarf in croc-print
Cardigan: Jeanswest Peggie long sleeve line kimono in purple mulberry marle (new purchase)
Dress: Jeanswest floral wrap dress
Tank: Jeanswest Jenni basic singlet in Royal Lilac purple
Shoes: Asos Aggie leather western ankle boots in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

This was what I wore for the 'Floral Friday' challenge. I did think of wearing this wrap dress for the previous day's challenge, but as it was one of the few floral print dresses I own I wanted to save it for this day instead. I've worn it a few times in the blog, during pregnancy and post-baby too. I've never worn it layered up quite so much, even pre blog I kept it as mainly a warm-weather dress. Was good to try something different and wear it in winter. See how Kiki wore the floral Friday theme on her blog.

I really liked this outfit to wear, but I think the photo shows how rushed I was that morning - everything was kind of thrown on and I didn't even have time to try straighten anything out before I took the photo. Taking daily outfit photos will never be more than something I quickly do before I go out each day, I'm not trying to and never will be perfectly posed and styled. I figured a rushed photo was better than nothing, as I was doing the style challenge I felt I had to get a picture. Still pretty pleased I managed get ready and take photos and get to work on time though, I was really running late that morning.

Leaving My Wardrobe: Asos Aggie Black Ankle Boots

This is the last wearing of these ankle boots too. The heel just limits the amount of time I can wear them, and I've already bought a pair of flat ones to replace these as shown in the video. They were comfortable and did well in my wardrobe, I just need things that are a little more suited to life with baby. From the first wear to now, I've worn them 36 times. Not bad for a sale buy 3 years ago!

Last worn: trench coat, croc print scarf, purple tank, floral wrap dress, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above). First time I've worn the cardigan as it is a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: black trench coat with a different printed wrap dress, printed scarf with striped maxi skirt in third trimester, purple tank with a pencil skirt in summer, floral wrap dress in summer with a baby bump, ankle boots in spring with a floral dress.

Linking up with Let It Shine, Modest Monday, Styled Up, Budgeting Bloggers, Bless Your Heart, Mix It Mondays, Manic Monday, Daily Express, On Trend Tuesday, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions, Reasons To Dress, Wardrobe Wednesday, The Wednesday Pants, What I Wore today.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Facebook : Twitter : Google Plus : Instagram : LikeToKnow.It : Youtube 

Corporate Style: Scarves and Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote

I've only been back at work a few months, so I have lots of summery work outfit ideas. I'm trying to wear them and go bare-legged as long as possible. It's certainly warm enough to do during the day, but it is pretty cold in the mornings!

Two autumn work outfits, one that got a lot of love on instagram despite how much I hated it in person, and another I really liked!

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Grey and pink leopard print scarf from Paddy's Markets in Sydney
Dress: Leona Edmiston Jemima fern print dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

I really did not like this outfit. I liked the idea in my head, and it met the style challenge theme of 'a hint of pink' with both the dress and scarf...but it just felt really bulky on. It was all too much with the layers and the print mixing. Cosy with all the layers, just didn't feel very confident in it, felt a bit 'bleh'. Thankfully I didn't need the scarf indoors, and I was able to change as soon as I got home.

Everyone on instagram really seemed to love this outfit though! It even got more likes than Baby T's newborn photo! Maybe the print mixing didn't look as bad as I thought.


Last worn: trench coat, leopard print scarf, Leona Edmiston printed dress, ankle strap heels, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: leopard print scarf with skinny jeans, trench coat with jersey dress, ankle strap heels with pencil skirts, navy MAB tote with a monochrome blue outfit.

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Tee: Thrifted valleygirl blue 3/4 sleeve tee (new purchase)
Skirt: vintage pencil skirt from The Thrifty Kitten
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

The next style challenge was 'powerful' and I don't really think I have any clothes that make me feel powerful. Confident I do though! Like most people, I tend to think heels make me feel more confident. Heels, a pencil skirt and a blazer is a staple work wear combination for me so I feel pretty confident in it.  Just might have been a little cosier with the trench coat on top rather than the blazer, as I was bare-legged. Winter temperatures are definitely here in the mornings!

This top is one of the new-to-me ones I got from the 'fill a bag for $2' op-shop sale. I wanted to wear it like this as I remembered the comment Kiki had made last time I wore this skirt about how nice it would look with cobalt blue. I've worn it with white, brown and purple before but this is the first time I've tried it with blue. This top isn't cobalt, but I did really like the blue with the printed skirt.


I'm always so grateful when you leave constructive criticism or outfit suggestions - it's good to get some ideas from an impartial third party about how things look, and some different things to try. As I learnt in my wardrobe detox session with the personal stylist, I'm not always using my wardrobe to it's full potential or dressing in the most flattering outfit combinations. But just like the terrible outfit above, I'll still share what I wore anyway - and think of different ways to wear things in future so I am back to feeling confident and happy with what I'm wearing.


Last worn: cream blazer, skull scarf, printed pencil skirt, nude heels, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above). First time I've worn the tee as it's a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: blazer with skinny jeans, tan skull scarf with red, printed pencil skirt in summer, nude heels with a printed dress, navy tote with printed dress and pink blazer.

Linking up with WIW, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, I Feel Pretty, The Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Wardrobe Wednesday, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Favourites, Look What I Got today.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Facebook : Twitter : Google Plus : Instagram : LikeToKnow.It : Youtube 

Corporate Style: Rebecca Minkoff Medium MAB Tote in Moon Navy For The Office

The first wearing of my latest handbag purchase, the medium Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote!

If you follow me on youtube, you would have already see my reveal video, complete with interruptions from baby T. He can be really adorable, but also slightly distracting when I'm trying to film! He much prefers being in front of the camera than playing quietly with all his toys behind it ;)

What I wore:

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey

Knit: thrifted Valleygirl blue knit jumper
Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (new purchase)

Why I wore it:

It's been over a year and a half since I last wore this pencil skirt! I wore it with a navy bag then too. While it does have an elastic waist, it wasn't quite as forgiving as I needed during pregnancy, so it has been a while between wears. I still see pencil skirts as office items and haven't had much luck trying to wear them casually. I'm happy for this to stay a work-only piece, and to keep it in my wardrobe.

The Fox in Flats style dare challenge for the day was 'blue baby' so I took the chance to wear everything blue and came up with this monochrome outfit. I kinda wished I had a pair of blue shoes to go with it...but that might have been a bit too much blue anyway!

It's the second time I've worn this thrifted blue jumper, and I'm reviewing everything I buy after wearing it twice (reasons why here). My purchase review:

I like this knit! I need to try and expand my collection of jumpers (which is predominantly grey!) to include some other colours, and so I knew this top would be perfect when I spotted it in the local op-shop. It's a blue marle so it even has little bits of grey running through it. It's a good lightweight piece too, not too heavy which is perfect for Queensland autumn and winter. One of those pieces I can wear casually or to the office. Really pleased I bought this, it's a keeper!


Last worn: blue jumper, navy jacquard pencil skirt, nude heels. First time I've worn the bag as it's a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: blue knit in a casual maxi skirt outfit, blue pencil skirt with purple tee for the office, nude heels with skinny jeans, similar navy tote with the same pencil skirt.

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood (on sale!)
Top: Jeanswest 'Tilda' black shirt
Skirt: Cotton On 'Mica' mesh spot skirt in dusty pink
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale, 40% off!)

Why I wore it:

The style challenge for the day was foxy flats, so just like I did last time this was a style challenge, I wore my gold Marc by Marc Jacobs mouse flats. They are definitely the cutest pair of shoes I own!

I've slowly been trying to wear my way through all of my pencil skirts now I'm back in the office again after my maternity leave. This one is pretty and I definitely don't want it to leave my wardrobe, but I do tend to wear it with black a lot. I had a different top in mind that I wanted to wear this skirt with (a floral cami), but it was such a cold day and I had wanted to go bare-legged, I decided a long sleeve top was the most practical.

Also the first wearing of my trench coat for the year - hasn't been worn since last winter. With the scarf as well it kept me really cosy, even if it was a little tricky to see what I was wearing under the coat and scarf! In the past I've tried to take pictures without all the layers for winter, but it does take a bit more time to take photos that way so I stopped doing it. Hopefully you can still manage to see what I wear under my coats as I start to layer up for the cooler weather!

As it's the second wear of my new Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote also, another purchase review:
I tend to prefer unstructured, softer bags over structured bags, but I can't deny that structured totes (like my bayswater or neverfull) are perfect for the office. After selling a lot on ebay, I decided to treat myself to a new handbag for work. I sold three bags so that justified buying another one ;) I had been looking at a few and then I got the email that there was a 70% off Rebecca Minkoff sale....so I knew I had to try the MAB tote!
It's much bigger than I expected it to be - looks quite large on me, because it doesn't slouch down. It's perfect for work though. Although not a style I'd usually go for, and something pretty limited in that I'd only want to wear it to work, I'm glad I bought it. I'll need to do a full review of it on my youtube channel once I've worn it some more.


Last worn: trench coat, Paisley print snood, black top (in the third trimester), polka dot pencil skirt, metallic mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: trench coat and skinny jeans, Paisley print scarf with a striped dress, black top with a lace pencil skirt, print mixing with polka dot pencil skirt, mouse flats with printed skinny jeans, navy tote with a red dress for the office.

Linking up with WIW, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Me Weekly, Get Your Pretty On, Thursday Fashion Files, Happiness at Midlife, Look What I Got, What I Wore to Work, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Fun Fashion Friday, Feature Friday today.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Facebook : Twitter : Google Plus : Instagram : LikeToKnow.It : Youtube 

March Update and What I Learnt From a Wardrobe Detox

Thought I'd break with the standard outfit posts template to share my March wardrobe update. I made some purchases this month, and I got rid of a lot of things from my wardrobe. I even listed some on ebay! Also had my first session with a personal stylist, so I wanted to share what that was like with you all.

What I bought in March:

Emerson red skinny jeans (already worn here)
Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe

Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (already worn here)
Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer
Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Not bad considering the last time I bought clothes for myself was in December! You can tell I had a few Jeanswest gift cards to spend ;)

March was the month I returned to the office after maternity leave. As I did so, I got all of my old office clothes out of the 'for after baby' box they had been hiding in and - honestly - started to get quite frustrated that I didn't really have any space for those things in my wardrobe. The slow and steady wardrobe clear-out process got a bit more focused and ruthless over the month. There are so many considerations and emotions around going back to work, and tackling my wardrobe at such a time was probably not the best idea in hindsight. I was just getting more frustrated trying to turn my wardrobe into something that would work for my new lifestyle. So I called in the professionals! One of my instagram friends (@sophisticatedmumma) recommended a personal stylist who lived near me (@istyl). I've been thinking about having someone help me with my wardrobe for a while, and facing a big lifestyle change with returning to work after maternity leave seemed like an ideal time to get an expert!

If you are thinking about getting a personal stylist to come help you with your wardrobe, do it! If you're wondering, I always disclose my sponsored posts. This is not one of them. This is all my own words and I paid for the services with my own money. I didn't even mention that I was going to blog about it. The wardrobe detox was not as stressful as I expected, and was actually really fun. It helped that baby T and Cooper were on their best behaviour and that Maudie was happy working around baby and his needs through the day. She was a superstar.

What I learnt from my wardrobe detox:

• Babies never nap as long as you expect them too!
• You will be trying on lots of clothes so you want to dress appropriately (maybe matching undies) or set up a little hidden spot to change if you're feeling modest. Dancing around the room half naked asking for a little help struggling to pull off a pair of stubborn skinny jeans / needing to fix a zipper caught halfway up a dress might happen more than once.

• There are certain colours you can wear that can make you look incredible, and some that wash you out.

• If your wardrobe is full of colours that don't make you look your best, there are a few tricks you can employ to get around this. It isn't about buying a whole new wardrobe, but learning how to make what you have work for you.

• You'll never really comprehend how much stuff is in your wardrobe until you start going through it all.
• It is extremely frustrating realising just how many 'perfect for nursing' tops you had hidden in your wardrobe, after you've stopped breastfeeding.

• You will come up with the craziest justifications to explain oddities in your wardrobe. (Like why each and every one of your 14 grey tees is a complete essential and different from all the rest.) Thanks for humouring me Maudie!

• A wardrobe detox is very emotional. Saying goodbye to old pieces, and re-discovering old favourites. You might feel compelled to tell stories of when, where, and why you bought things. It's a trip down memory lane.

• Even you will be surprised with how stubborn you can be on keeping some pieces....and how happy you will be to toss others.

• If there are things you just have to have despite the expert opinion saying it doesn't work for you, you can get ideas of different ways to style the items to make them work a little better.

• Even an overflowing wardrobe can have 'gaps' in it.  It is really helpful to know what things you should look for next time you are shopping, and what you should avoid buying more of. (Like jeans!)

• Sorting things into piles of 'keep', 'tailor' and 'toss' is so much easier with an impartial third party helping.

• It's never about you. You look amazing. Your clothes might not be working to show off your best self. And that can be easily fixed.

• Hearing sincere and flattering compliments is always a good boost, especially after having a baby.
• Some things you might be considering getting rid of can stay and become stand out pieces in your wardrobe very quickly when you know how to wear them.
• Finding out why things make you look and feel good will help guide your shopping for the better.
• A few hours, a bin bag full of cast-offs and a little bit of wardrobe reorganisation can make such a positive difference.

If you're in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast I'd recommend Maudie as an awesome personal stylist. If a wardrobe detox isn't in your budget, try inviting a friend over and getting an honest opinion on some of the things you own. It's so helpful getting another view. I know some bloggers have check lists or flowcharts or things to help you do your own wardrobe detox too. Please feel free to link up any great advice you have or have come across in the comments.

As a result of my little spring-cleaning before my wardrobe session and a very productive couple of hours during it...there are a bunch of things that have left my wardrobe this month. I've included pictures of just some of them below, as they didn't all have a 'last wear' outside. You can find a few things on ebay. I'll be listing more as I find the time, and the rest will be donated to the Animal Welfare League shelter to end up in their op-shops.

Winter Skinny Jeans and Boots: Orange and Burgundy, Blue and Purple

Sharing what I wore on a cold and rainy winter weekend in Queensland. Ended up wearing coloured denim and boots both days...continuing on with the denim theme from my last post! I do love a good jeans and boots outfit in winter!

Here's what I wore to brave the rain to go to the post office:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Knit: Vintage David Jones orange wool knit jumper from AWLQ vintage sale
Jeans: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan


Being on maternity leave I'm home with baby T for the majority of each day, yet I seem to have a special ability to be out whenever there is a parcel delivery! Had to go out in the rain to go to the post office and pick up a parcel I'd missed the delivery of. It was an unexpected and cute little outfit someone had sent us for baby T, so worth the trip in the rain to go get it.

A couple weeks back (when I took this photo) I was doing the Style and Shenanigans texture challenge and had been wondering what winter items I had in my wardrobe for each day of the challenge. The first day was wool, and I remembered I have this awesome vintage wool jumper that hadn't been worn all winter. It was such a cold and rainy day, it was perfect for it! Being in tropical Queensland, it doesn't often get cold enough to need wool. Thought I'd be a little more adventurous and pair the orange knit with some burgundy skinny jeans. Not a colour combination I've tried before, but I really liked how it turned out.


Last worn: trench coat, wool jumper, burgundy skinny jeans, leather boots.

---

Here's what I wore to go out for a walk with DH and baby T:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Scarf: Alexander McQueen skull scarf in light blue
Jumper: Jeanswest 'Serena' ombre knit
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in black


Expected it to be as cold and rainy as the previous day, but it was actually dry and quite warm in the sun. So left the jacket behind, just needed a jumper and scarf. Was funny wearing this ombre jumper - when I last wore it, I was overdue and wondering when baby would arrive! (He didn't wait long to make an appearance!)

To be completely honest, this is not the outfit I wore all day, it's just what I wore in the afternoon for our walk. We had visitors over so jeans, jumper and a scarf seemed like a nice thing to wear. After getting dressed and cleaning up the house, there was no time for an outfit photo before everyone arrived. I decided to wait and take the photo later in the afternoon when our visitors were gone and we went out for a walk. Right before we were going to leave, baby T decided that he didn't like the blue jeans that I was wearing, and made his opinion clear by peeing all over them! As they were the last pair of clean blue skinny jeans I had, I quickly changed into these purple ones instead so we could go out. I do like blue and purple together! Thankfully the purple jeans survived to the end of the day. Life with baby is many things, but it is always messy ;)


Last worn: Ray Ban Wayfarer, blue skull scarf, ombre knit, purple skinny jeans, leather boots.



Linking up with Let It Shine, Style to Inspire, Manic Monday, Real Mom Style, Mix it Monday, Stylish Tuesday, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions today.

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Facebook : Twitter : Google Plus : Instagram : Youtube