Mulberry Bayswater and Wrap Dresses For the Office

I still think a printed dress is the easiest, simplest outfit for work. Add some neutral accessories like this classic Mulberry bayswater bag and some ballet flats and you have easy spring office style. No further accessorising required, although you can always add a bright necklace on top like I did with these outfits to feel like you put a little effort in!

What I wore:

Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace

Dress: Atmos&Here Arlette jersey wrap dress

Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel

Bag: Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather (cheaper second hand)

Why I wore it:

I'm not entirely sure the length of this necklace worked with the wrap neckline of the dress and the tie over the waist, but I did like the little touch of colour it added to this outfit! With the black and white printed wrap dress and neutral tan Mulberry Bayswater and Marc Jacobs flats, a little bit of green through the necklace was a nice way to add a pop of colour.

I did consider wearing statement earrings with this outfit too, but felt it was busy enough. It was my first day back at work after a week off sick, and there was so much to catch up on. The simple yet comfortable dress worked well, for meetings and for sitting at my desk reading all the emails I missed!

Last worn: tulip hem wrap dress, green beaded necklace, camel flats, Mulberry Bayswater.

Other ways to wear: tulip hem wrap dress and purple bag, camel flats with olive and mustard, Mulberry Bayswater and pencil skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel flats in third trimester, Mulberry Bayswater in third trimester.

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What's In My Bag: Mulberry Bayswater

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What I wore:

Necklace: Starfish Project Veronica short yellow multi strand necklace

Dress: Target Dannii Minogue Petites printed wrap dress

Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats

Bag: Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather (cheaper second hand)

Why I wore it:

Sometimes I find this dress a little tricky to wear. It 'reads' as blue from a distance, but up close you can see the pink, red, black, green and blue in the geometric print. I decided to try mix things up a bit and wear this bold yellow statement necklace with it. I really liked the combination, and I felt it distracted from how tired I felt and looked. I did manage to get a lovely compliment from a colleague who said I looked just like his niece - and she's 20, so I was very happy with that! I think it was maybe the ponytail, or all the makeup I threw on to try look a bit more perky.

Unfortunately despite feeling much better and just a little tired, my voice sounded terrible! I'd started to loose it the day before when working from home as everyone ended up calling me, and by mid-afternoon it was almost entirely gone. I soldiered through the day though, lots of charades and having others speaking for me and managed to wrap up everything from my to-do list before I left, so I felt productive! Even if I did have to postpone one meeting as the person I was meeting with thought it was too much to try make me talk for 30 mins! 😂 They were probably right!

Last worn: faux wrap dress, yellow statement necklace, gold mouse flats, Mulberry Bayswater (above).

Other ways to wear: faux wrap dress in winter, gold mouse flats with purple skinny jeans, Mulberry Bayswater and chambray dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: faux wrap dress in second trimester, gold mouse flats in third trimester, Mulberry Bayswater in second trimester.

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Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A wrap dress is a classic wardrobe staple that can work for many different occasions. Mine get worn mostly to the office though! They are a fail-safe outfit option that work for a business casual office like mine as well as a more formal business attire dress code. If you're wearing a sleeveless version like I am in the last outfit, a blazer or cardigan is a good option to keep shoulders covered for formal meetings.

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Dresses and Leather Jackets With Scarves and Balenciaga Day Bags

I'm always excited to get my leather jackets out. They are the perfect pieces to keep me warm in our Brisbane winters, and they look great with everything. I wore them recently with dresses to the office. I get to work early so the extra warmth from a leather jacket is appreciated in the cold winter commute. I did swap the jackets for a cosy cardigan when I got to my desk though.

What I wore:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket
Scarf: grey and gold embroidered feather scarf
Dress: Jeanswest Aztec print dress
Belt: Rebecca Minkoff Liv double wrap velvet belt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Balenciaga truffle brown RH classic day bag

Why I wore it:

While this dress only gets worn to the office, it is one of my favourite dresses. I love the colour and print, and it was definitely overdue a wear. I knew the cobalt of the leather jacket would go so nicely with the navy on the dress, but I was undecided about the scarf. I set aside a few to try in the morning and see which looked best, but as soon as I put this one on I knew I wasn't going to have to try any others - the grey scarf with gold embroidered feathers works so well with this printed dress!

There was nothing I'd change about this outfit - I did think of ankle boots in the morning but the ballet flats were fine. My legs were kept warm with my fleece lined tights, another winter must-have for me!


Last worn: cobalt leather jacket, feather embroidered scarf, velvet double wrap belt, Ikat print dress, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Balenciaga Day bag.

Other ways to wear: cobalt leather jacket and maxi dress, feather embroidered scarf with black and white, velvet double wrap belt over a vest, Ikat print dress in summer, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and printed skirt, Balenciaga Day bag and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: Ikat print dress in third trimester, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats in second trimester, Balenciaga Day bag for second trimester travel.

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What's In My Bag: Balenciaga Day

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What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Scarf: Louis Vuitton monogram shawl in bleu
Dress: Target Dannii Minogue Petites printed wrap dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

While I liked this outfit, I didn't like it as much as the one above. I thought that the blue bag and scarf would look nice with this faux wrap dress. The dress is such a fun mix of colours, but I do wear blue with it frequently. Even this black moto jacket has a little bit of blue print on the sleeves, as you can see in the close up shot of the bag.

With the dress being such a bold and colourful print, again I was unsure what scarf to go with it. I decided on this blue monogram shawl. While it does have a monogram print on it, like the leather jacket it's so subtle I think it worked really nicely with this dress.

Might not have been my favourite outfit, but it was still nice for a busy meeting filled day at the office. I just loved the first outfit more!


Last worn: printed leather jacket, Louis Vuitton monogram shawl, Dannii Minogue Petite faux wrap dress, black ankle boots, Balenciaga tempete Day bag.

Other ways to wear: printed leather jacket and flares, Louis Vuitton monogram shawl and pencil skirt, Dannii Minogue Petite faux wrap dress and pink bag, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, Balenciaga tempete Day bag and pencil skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: Dannii Minogue Petite faux wrap dress in second trimester, black ankle boots in second trimester, Balenciaga tempete Day bag in third trimester.

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Faux Leather Jackets Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Just because you're heading into the office, it doesn't mean you have to leave your leather jacket behind. A tougher moto jacket works well with a feminine dress and keeps you cosy for the commute. It's so easy to throw your jacket over your chair when you get to your desk, and swap it for a cosy cardigan if the office aircon is a little chilly, or a blazer if you want to look more formal.


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Printed Black Wrap Dresses For The Office With Purple Balenciaga Work Bag (and Cyber Monday Sales!)

I love wrap dresses. Perfect for breastfeeding in, I wore them on maternity leave and yet they work nicely for the office too. With a classic black and white print, it's easy to accessorise with colourful statement necklaces and a purple bag.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest grey jersey blazer (new purchase, via facebook)
Necklace: Eye Candy LA 'Sasha' statement necklace
Dress:  Jeanswest floral wrap dress
Singlet: Jeanswest Jenni basic singlet in Royal Lilac purple
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

This floral wrap dress is one of my wardrobe oldies. I love how well it worked for two pregnancies and afterwards, still going strong considering it's at least 10 years old. I added the purple singlet underneath for a little extra colour and more coverage for work. While the dress is floral print, I thought the statement necklace accompanied it nicely. The bright colours near my face and the blazer on top were a bit of a distraction too.

You thankfully can't really see it in the photos (unless you look too closely at my knee) but that morning I'd woken up covered in a rash having a reaction to something. Bright accessories to disguise that and I headed to work for a busy day with a bunch of meetings. I stopped off on my way into the office to get an antihistamine to try keep the reaction at bay. Unfortunately after the first meeting of the morning I realised that if I didn't take my bracelets off they were going to cut off circulation, I'd swollen up so much. Not fun. Off to the doctors and a shocking amount of medication later, I was restricted to working from home for a few days until everything died down. And it started to, and then we all caught gastro. It wasn't the best week!


Last worn: purple singlet, floral print wrap dress, silver bow flats, Balenciaga work bag. First time I've worn the blazer as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: grey blazer with stripes, purple singlet and maxi skirt, floral print wrap dress in summer, silver bow flats and red skinny jeans, Balenciaga work bag and blue dresses.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple tank in second trimester, floral wrap dress in second trimester, silver ballet flats and maternity jeans.

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Black and White Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: pink bead statement necklace
Dress: Atmos&Here Arlette jersey wrap dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

A much better day health-wise when I wore this! Feeling better and back at work, again I went with the easy option of a black and white wrap dress. I stuck to a similar outfit formula, with the colourful statement necklace and the purple Balenciaga work bag.

Jersey wrap dresses like this are so comfortable, and the long sleeves and midi length skirt helped beat the slight chill when a storm rolled in that afternoon.


Last worn: Atmos&Here wrap dress, black ballet flats, Balenciaga purple work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: Atmos&Here wrap dress and Louis Vuitton neverfull, black ballet flats and silk skirt, Balenciaga purple work bag and textured pencil skirts.

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Atmos & Here Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Wrap dresses are a classic wardrobe staple, especially in black and white! Floral print or zig zags, you can't go wrong pairing them with bright accessories. Perfect office wear, and easy to add a blazer.

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Cyber Monday Sales!

The sales and discounts are still ongoing if you haven't finished all of your Christmas shopping yet!

• Rebecca Minkoff Sale: Use discount code 'BLACK25' for 25% off orders over $100

• The Iconic Sale: Get 30% off selected items with discount code 'CYBER30'

• 40% off sale for members at Jeanswest: sign up for free online to take advantage of the deal if you aren't already a member!

• 20% off everything in ASOS Cyber Monday Sale: use discount code 'WIN20'!

• Shopbop Sale! Get an extra 35% off already reduced sale items with code 'WOW35'!

I may have done a little splurging on myself for Christmas at Rebecca Minkoff! Have you bought anything in the sales?

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Pink Balenciaga City Bag and Wrap Dresses For The Office

With my return to work from maternity leave, I feel like a have a lot more outfit options in my wardrobe. It's been fun getting to unpack my office clothing I set aside while I was on maternity leave, and wear some of my fancier dresses, but I've also enjoyed using more of my handbags.

While I've shared my secret for how to wear a handbag and a baby bag before, I still prefer cross body bags when running around with the toddlers.  Being back in the office means getting to wear those bags I didn't wear frequently during maternity leave, like this sorbet pink Balenciaga city bag.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Necklace: Zanele 40 handmade rope necklace
Tank: Jeanswest brown marle singlet
Dress: Jeanswest floral wrap dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black!)
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

This dress is one of the oldies in my wardrobe. The benefit to having so many pieces from Jeanswest in my wardrobe is that I can tell how old things are from the different tags they've used through the years! This dress is practically vintage as it's around 10 years old. I might have to add a singlet underneath for modesty now but I still love wearing this just as much as I did when I first got it.

I found the wrap style worked perfectly for pregnancy too! Pink accessories with a little black dress is an outfit combination I wear a lot of, and I love this wrap dress and pink Balenciaga city bag together.


Last worn: camel trench coat, brown marle tank, floral wrap dress, gold mouse flats, Balenciaga sorbet city bag.

Other ways to wear: camel trench coat and burgundy pants, brown marle tank and ombre maxi skirt, floral wrap dress layered up for winter, gold mouse flats and skinny jeans, Balenciaga sorbet city bag and navy kimono.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench in the first trimester, floral dress and pink bag in second trimester, Balenciaga city bag at 37 weeks pregnant.

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Pink Balenciaga City Bags:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Dress: Target Dannii Minogue Petites printed wrap dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

Pink and blue is another favourite colour combination of mine. While the print of this dress is made up or pinks, reds, blue and turquoise it 'reads' blue so I wore it with the blue necklace and jacket to compliment it.

Just like the gold mouse flats in the first outfit, these silver ballet flats are a nice neutral. A good choice with such a colourful outfit.

Unlike the wrap dress above, this is a faux wrap dress. I usually stay away from faux wrap pieces. Being petite with a short torso it's hard enough to find proper wrap pieces that fit me and impossible with faux ones. This dress is from the Dannii Minogue petites range at Target though and fits perfectly!


Last worn: navy Macintosh, faux wrap dress, silver ballet flats, Balenciaga sorbet city bag (above). 

Other ways to wear: navy Macintosh and fit and flare dress, faux wrap dress and winter layers, silver ballet flats and monochrome pencil skirt outfit, Balenciaga sorbet city bag with monochrome pencil skirt outfit.

Perfect for pregnancy: faux wrap dress in second trimester, Balenciaga city bag and maternity shorts.

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Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A wrap dress is a great outfit choice for work. They suit everyone and are an easy, instant outfit. If you're worried the wrap doesn't give enough coverage, you could layer a tank underneath like I have in the first outfit. They work perfectly for breastfeeding too!

With a classic corporate dress code friendly wrap dress, you can have a little fun with your accessories and try a bold colour like this pink bag.


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Outfits for Expressing Breastmilk at Work: Pumping Friendly Dresses

It can be difficult finding affordable, stylish and professional breastfeeding friendly clothes! If you're returning to work while your baby is small you may need to find things you can wear that allow you to express breast milk through the day.

While I've expressed breastmilk for my babies at home and when out and about (like at a wedding!), I haven't had to express in the office or negotiate any pumping breaks during my day. I do know from my experiences outside the office that these outfits would work perfectly for expressing. They are ideal for attending and facilitating meetings too.


One more thing to note before I get to the outfits is that you have legal rights in Australia that allow you to continue to work and breastfeed - you can read more here to find out how to get the support you need to return to work while breastfeeding. "It is generally against the law to refuse to make arrangements to assist you to breastfeed at work, if these are reasonable". Your rights in more detail.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: star print pashmina
Dress: Atmos&Here Arlette jersey wrap dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

This dress is one of the handful of pieces I've bought that failed the 'wear twice in a month after buying it' rule. I bought it while on maternity leave, not wanting to pass on the sale bargain and knowing I'd get a lot of wear out of it when I returned to the office. I do like wrap dresses for easy breastfeeding, but this one seemed a little out of place in summer when I wore it and so it was put aside until my return to work. This is only it's second wear now, 7 months after I bought it!

Glad I bought it though, it is perfect for the office. I layered a colourful tank underneath but you can't really see it with all the layers on top! Really enjoyed wearing this, and I enjoyed getting out this Marc Jacobs Fran bag again too. It only really gets worn to the office so it's been a while since I've worn this too, over a year and a half!


Last worn: camel trench, star print scarf, zig zag print wrap dress, Walnut Melbourne Ava ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and pencil skirts, star print scarf and skinny jeans, zig zag print wrap dress worn outside the office, black ballet flats and printed jeans, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: trench coat and hidden first trimester bump, star print scarf and second trimester bump, black ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt, Marc Jacobs Fran bag in second trimester.

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Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs bright blue stole

Tank: Kmart navy ribbed tank
Dress: Atmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress in watercolour print
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

Unlike the wrap dress above, this one has been worn quite a few times since I bought it while pregnant. Even though I bought it a size larger than normal to accommodate a growing baby bump in my final trimester, being a wrap dress it still fits nicely without the bump.

Decided to go with the blue coat, scarf and tank underneath too. I like all the blue with the turquoise print of the dress. I didn't feel quite as confident in this dress as I did in the same one with a different print above. Only because I kept stopping to realise through the day that the last time I'd been in the office with this dress I was pregnant, and it made me miss my boys. Hopefully it will be easier next time I wear this dress, I'll spend less time caught in my own thoughts.

Returning to work is an emotional time, compounded by baby boy not adjusting to the change well and having disrupted sleep. Walking into a meeting room, or the lift, or the kitchen, or sitting at my desk and realising last time I did those things in this dress I was pregnant made it a bit of a tough day to get through as my boys were always at the forefront of my mind.


Last worn: navy mac, cobalt scarf, navy tank, printed wrap dress, black ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag (above).

Other ways to wear: navy mac and chambray dress, cobalt scarf with monochrome maxi skirt outfit, navy tank and printed shorts, printed wrap dress and ankle boots, black ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag and burgundy pants.

Perfect for pregnancy: wrap dress in the last trimester, Fran bag at 40 weeks pregnant.

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More Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A wrap dress is a classic wardrobe item that a lot of people have. They are timeless, suit so many different people and are usually pretty affordable. The wrap detail makes access for breastfeeding easy, and it's this feature that makes them a good dress choice for anyone who has to express too. You can easily layer a breastfeeding singlet underneath, or quickly slip them off to put on a pumping bra instead if you have one.

A wrap dress can make you look and feel good, meet corporate office dress codes and work for you if you're returning to work and breastfeeding or expressing.



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Atmos&Here Wrap Dresses and Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote

In the third trimester of my last pregnancy I snapped up a wrap dress by Atmos & Here in the boxing day sales. I loved the wrap dress style with a baby bump and it works just as well post-baby too. When I saw a similar style in a different print in a boxing day sale again, I had to buy it! A wrap dress is always a classic.
Wore the two dresses in similar ways with a Louis Vuitton neverfull bag to attend some specialist appointments for baby boy.

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Dress: Atmos&Here Arlette jersey wrap dress (new purchase, on sale!)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

This wrap dress was just $26 (now reduced even further to just $21!), so I snapped it up in the December boxing day sales. Even though the thicker fabric and long sleeves aren't ideal for a Queensland summer... I regretted choosing to wear this dress on such a hot day! Didn't hit my goal of wearing this dress twice in a month after buying I like I aim to do with all my purchases. The summer heatwaves have made wearing it an unattractive choice and they seem set to stay a little longer.

I am trying to wear more of my dresses as I've realised I've been favouring denim outfits during my maternity leave. To try and make this dress a little more casual I wore my Havaianas with it but I think any other shoe would have looked better, I felt they looked strange with the dress. Just a little too casual with it.


Other than the less than perfect shoe choice and feeling too warm in the dress, I actually enjoyed wearing this. It helped that we got good news at Baby Boy's appointment. Made me so happy.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton neverfull. First time I've worn the wrap dress as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: Louis Vuitton neverfull and a maxi skirt.

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More Atmos&Here Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers
Necklace: Ruby Olive Softies Charlotte teething necklace
Dress: Atmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress in watercolour print
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush (on sale!)
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Another specialist appointment, another wrap dress! While this watercolour print and colours in the dress are different from the black and white zig zag print on the wrap dress above, I think the Louis Vuitton Neverfull still goes nicely with it. I've mentioned before I see this bag as quite simple to wear, almost seeing the checkerboard print as a neutral.

I liked the sandals better with this dress instead of Havaianas, and this was again a nice easy outfit to wear for a morning in the city after our appointment.


Hopefully I'll get more wear out of these wrap dresses over my maternity leave. While they are perfect for the office I think a wrap dress is a classic style you can wear casually too. They are breastfeeding friendly, so I just need to get over my hang-up that makes me think they are too 'dressy' to be worn for SAHM life and wear something other than denim for a change.


Last worn: watercolour wrap dress, studded sandals, Louis Vuitton damier azur Neverfull (above).

Other ways to wear: watercolour wrap dress for officewear, studded sandals and denim shorts, Louis Vuitton damier azur Neverfull and skinny jeans. 

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