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.

---

Shop more trench coats under $50:

---

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.

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

Corporate Style: Printed Dresses And Trench Coats For The Office

Easy corporate style for those 'I don't know what to wear' days, printed dresses! They are a great go-to outfit for any occasion, not just for office wear.

I picked these two dresses to wear as I felt it had been a while since I'd worn them.

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Cardi: Jeanswest Peggie kimono in purple mulberry marle
Scarf: Cotton On fuchsia pashmina
Dress: Jeanswest 'Melanie' paisley mixed print dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

It was little chilly in the morning, and this is quite a lightweight dress, so I added a purple cardi under my trench coat that you can kinda see peeking out in the first photo. Kept me warm at my desk too as the dress has short sleeves.

Hopefully I can re-create this look when the weather is warmer, without the trench coat as I really liked the cardigan and dress together. I thought the fuchsia pashmina complimented the purple well.


Last worn: black trench, pink pashmina, purple cardi, mixed print dress, ankle boots, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Other ways to wear: trench coat and a pencil skirt, pashmina and a shift dress, purple cardi and jeans, dress in the third trimester, ankle boots and a maxi skirt, Balenciaga day bag and a maxi skirt.

---

Shop more printed dresses at Shopbop:

Desk to drinks - printed dresses at Shopbop.

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Dress: French Connection 'Fast Rhonda' dress in black/caramel
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather (previously owned bargain here)

Why I wore it:

A warmer day so less layers - just a trench over this dress. I didn't add a scarf, because I find this dress a little tricky to wear a scarf with. I don't have many plain scarves, most are printed! Could have done with a scarf to keep me warm in the early morning, but wasn't too bad without it.

It's been a while since I last wore this Mulberry Bayswater bag too! I wore it in March, on my first day back at work after maternity leave. Overall, I've only worn this bag 21 times in the past 3 and a half years (my blog archive is great for finding out info like this!). The leather is extremely sensitive to water, even after I've waterproofed it with the same product I use on all my bags. It tends to get worn mainly for the office. It's such a classic style that will never go out of date though, and some days you just want a formal bag like this for work, so that's why I've held onto it.

I've got a more detailed review of the Mulberry Bayswater on my youtube channel.

Last worn: beige trench, printed sheath dress, camel flats, Mulberry Bayswater tote.

Other ways to wear: trench with orange and burgundy, printed dress with a printed scarf, ballet flats with a boho dress, Bayswater and a baby bump.


Linking up with Let It Shine, Modest Monday, Style Sessions, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing, 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.

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

Corporate Style: Printed Dresses and Winter Layering

I wore these two dresses from my June buys together a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to get around to wearing them a second time. I try wear everything I buy twice in a month after buying it, so that when I'm deciding what to keep  I'm keeping things I will actually wear and that I won't just leave unworn in my wardrobe. This time around, as it was a little colder, I layered up the dresses more.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Nali feather print pashmina scarf
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: Jeanswest Sadie silk printed shift dress
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
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:

This outfit was a hit on instagram, and in my bedroom mirror the night before when I was trying to think of something to wear to work. I like wearing dresses as tops, I've done it before a few times, and this seemed like such a good combination with the colours of the dress and the pants. Made it really cosy too!

The only downside to this outfit was that silk wrinkles, a lot. And with all the sitting down and getting up and re-arranging the dress...it never stayed tucked in perfectly. I ended up keeping the pashmina on at work to try hide most of the creases as by the end of the day I looked quite rumpled! I do want to try wearing this dress as a top again, but maybe with a pencil skirt layered over it so that I don't have to try and tuck it in perfectly each time.

Since it's the second time I've worn this dress, my purchase review:
I am so glad I bought this. It's a beautiful piece, although I am restricted a little with how I wear it and it will be work-only for a while as silk isn't the best material for a day at home with baby! This was an impulse buy, I certainly didn't need another dress, but I do like being able to add some different fabrics to my wardrobe and I have written many times about my love for printed dresses. It's a winner.


Last worn: camel trench coat, feather print pashmina, silk shift dress, burgundy skinny pants, tan ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: camel trench coat with a printed dress, pashmina with a polka dot dress, silk shift dress and tights, burgundy and orange, ankle boots with a maxi skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag with a maxi skirt.

---

More printed dresses for the office, under $50:

---

What I wore:

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace

Dress: Target Dannii Minogue Petites printed wrap dress
Tee: Valleygirl blue 3/4 sleeve tee
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs two tone flats in blush and black
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

Last time I wore this dress, I spoke about how happy I was with the fit, but it was all hidden under the winter layers! I braved the cold without the scarf and trench to take a clearer picture, and to show off the layering tee I added. I didn't need the tee for modesty, I think it's quite a high neckline even though it's a wrap dress. I just thought the colours would go well together and it helped keep me that little bit warmer in the office.

As it's also the second time I've worn this, another purchase review:
I really like this dress! I'm glad I bought it (although I can't say I was pleased coming across it reduced even further recently!). I don't have many petite items, mainly Jeanswest and Asos, so it's nice to find another petite brand which does great work wear. I wish I had waited a little longer to buy it until after the final reductions, but I know I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on it.


Last worn: blue layering tee, geometric print faux wrap dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs flats, Balenciaga sorbet city bag.

Other ways to wear: blue layering tee on it's own, printed dress with turquoise scarf, two tone flats with a maxi dress, Balenciaga city bag and a baby bump.

Linking up with Modest Monday, Hello Monday, Mix It Monday, On Trend Tuesday, Real Mom Style, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, What I Wore today.

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

Corporate Style In Winter: Knitted Beanie, Burberry Cashmere Scarf and Ankle Boots

Commuting early in the morning in the coldest days of winter has meant I've been reaching for warmer accessories for the trip to and from work. The knitted beanie I'm wearing below was part of a competition prize from the PoshLadyIndigo style challenge I did a few months ago. I'm not much of a hat person, although I have started enjoying wearing sunhats more in summer. It's been so cold this beanie has been perfect to keep me cosy, especially paired with my Burberry cashmere scarf.

What I wore:

Hat: white knitted beanie (competition prize)
Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Burberry cashmere tartan scarf
Shirt: Zara star print shirt
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
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:

It was so cold I knew I would be wearing these pants again! I am so glad I decided to wear them to the office one day as part of the style challenge I was doing, it's given me a great option for cooler days. Especially after throwing out all my other (ill-fitting) work pants during my wardrobe detox. I've not been able to find any new pairs, although with #noBuyJuly15 I haven't been looking too hard!

I was looking through my wardrobe wondering what top to wear with the pants when I saw this shirt in my wardrobe that hadn't been worn in a while. I remembered it being quite warm when I last wore it in summer, so it seemed like a good choice for winter!

As it's the second time I've worn the boots, and I'm trying to wear everything twice in the month after buying it to reflect on how it's working for me, my purchase review:
I like these boots. I don't love them, but they fit the gap I had in my shoe wardrobe of a neutral flat pair of ankle boots. I love my Pistol boots but lately I've been wanting flat shoes more often. With an old knee injury wearing heels to the office a couple of times a week is as much as I can take. These boots are comfortable and practical for life with baby, so I'm glad I bought them. Plus they were on sale!


Last worn: beige trench, Burberry tartan scarf, star print shirt, burgundy skinny pants, Asos Chelsea ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag. First time I've worn the beanie.

Other ways to wear: beige trench with a printed dress, Burberry tartan scarf with a star print dress, star print shirt with gold jeans, burgundy pants in warmer weather, Chelsea ankle boots with a maxi skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag at 40 weeks pregnant.

---

More beanies and scarves to keep you cosy:

---

What I wore:

Hat: white knitted beanie (competition prize)
Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket

Scarf: Burberry cashmere tartan scarf
Top: white vintage knit jumper from my mum's wardrobe
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
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:

As the knitted beanie and cashmere scarf kept me warm previously, I wore them again! All out of pants for work though so had to go with fleece lined tights and ankle boots.

The white jumper I've never worn on before. I got it from one of my mum's wardrobe clear outs. I have a few things from her wardrobe! A while back she brought over a big bag and I went through them all before she donated the rest. I was keeping this for a cold day, so it was the perfect time to bring it out. Decided to go with the blue leather jacket as it gives me a chance to wear it without baby (reducing the risk of any more unfortunate accidents) and I wanted to add some colour to the black and white outfit.


Last worn: beanie (above), cobalt blue leather jacket, Burberry cashmere scarf (above), black pencil skirt, black leather ankle boots, MbMJ Fran bag (above). First time I've worn the white jumper.

Other ways to wear: cobalt blue leather jacket with a printed dress, Burberry scarf with pink, black pencil skirt with a polka dot top, ankle boots and a maxi dress, MbMJ Fran bag with a maxi skirt.

Linking up with Mix It Monday, On Trend Tuesday, Turning Heads, Style Sessions, Real Mom Style, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday today.

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

Corporate Style: Printed Pencil Skirts, Trench Coats and Scarves

It's starting to get really cold in the morning taking outfit pictures! Brisbane's winter has reached its single digit temperatures so it's at the coldest point. My trench coats have been getting a lot of wear, being the biggest jackets I have.

Around this time last year I wore a lot less as I wasn't commuting early in the morning and facing the cold temperatures. I had the luxury of being able to nap when baby did in the morning and only venture out with my tiny newborn in the heat of the day, or even staying inside all day and having people come visit us cosy at home. The middle of the night feeds were freezing, but walking around with a doona wrapped around your shoulders is acceptable when the only face you will see is a hungry baby. A trench coat is a poor alternative, although much more socially acceptable for a commute!

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink (on sale!)
Top: Asos crochet shell top in cream
Skirt: Cotton On 'Mica' mesh spot skirt in dusty pink
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

It's been such a long time since I last wore this jumper, almost 2 years ago! I used to wear it a lot in the early days of the blog (with all my headless blogging pics). I realised the other day I haven't worn my jumpers often this winter, so this one was the first one I picked out to try wear more. Although it hasn't been worn in a very long time, I'm keeping it as I liked it in this outfit and I have more ideas for other ways to wear it in future.


Last worn: beige trench, pink skull scarf, crochet knit jumper, polka dot pencil skirt, ankle strap heels, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: trench with a printed dress, skull scarf and shorts in summer, jumper layered over a dress, polka dot pencil skirt with polka dot top, ankle strap heels with a printed dress and bare legs, 40 weeks pregnant with Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

---

Trench coats and pencil skirts:

---

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Top: Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

I really liked this outfit, but hate the photos as I think the scarf looks silly! I looped it around like I normally do after the photos. I wore it this way just to try show off the detail on the top. I know this skirt looks better with heels than flats too, but my knee needed a bit of a break from heels as I knew I had a lot of walking to do that day.

Had been wanting to wear this shirt to the office with this skirt for a while, and I stumbled across a little week-long style challenge on instagram that called for a white shirt. I don't have a white shirt (hate ironing shirts and too clumsy for white) so I figured this white tunic was close enough. So even with the weird looking scarf placement and the stumpy legs the skirt and flats combination gave me, I was really happy in this all day.

That's one of the good things about sharing every outfit I have time to photograph - it means even if the photo is terrible, I still have a record of how great I felt in an outfit to help me on those 'I don't know what to wear' days. I search the blog every now and then when I'm staring at my wardrobe trying to think of what to wear! I'm never going to have perfect photos, and I'm never going to have perfect outfits. I'm happy with that, and I'm happy to have you reading along too. Life doesn't have to be perfectly posed and styled all the time - it never is behind the scenes.


Last worn: black trench, turquoise pashmina, embroidered tunic, blue lace pencil skirt, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: black trench with skinny jeans, turquoise scarf and purple jeans, embroidered tunic with flares, casual summer outfit with lace pencil skirt, black ballet flats with skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote with more printed pencil skirts.

Linking up with Modest Monday, Mix It Monday, Style to Inspire, Manic Monday, Turning Heads, On Trend Tuesday, Style Sessions, Real Mom Style, Confident Twosday, Reasons To Dress, Wardrobe Wednesday, Trendy Wednesday today.

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

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