Friday 28 October 2022

Orange Tops, Cobalt Bag, Floral Kimonos and Denim

Two bright and colourful outfits, wearing some orange tops with my cobalt blue Rebecca Minkoff Jumbo love bag. Although we don't really celebrate Halloween here in Australia, it being October seemed like a good reason to get these orange tops out again, and pair them with some other colourful pieces too!


What I wore:

orange cami, grey skinny jeans, converse, floral duster, cobalt jumbo love bag | awayfromblue

Rebecca Minkoff quilted jumbo Love bag in cobalt


JacketJeanswest Melanie floral kimono
Necklace: thrifted blue statement beaded necklace
TopNew Look orange strappy cami top
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
ShoesConverse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bracelets: the usual plus turquoise and silver bracelet stack
BagRebecca Minkoff quilted jumbo Love bag in cobalt


Why I wore it:

This was a very busy day so I went with the "clothing as armour" approach Sheila favours and dressed nice and brightly! I have worn this navy floral duster with orange before, but not this orange cami. I really think it popped, especially with the cobalt blue Jumbo Love bag. With the blue bag I just had to go matchy-matchy with the blue necklace too. I added another shade of blue against the bag, kimono and necklace, with the turquoise and silver bracelet stack as well! I kept the rest of my outfit neutral with the grey skinny jeans and the white Converse.

I had an appointment after school drop off I needed to bring some paperwork along for, so the Jumbo Love bag was a great size! After working from home and then doing the school pick up, I had an appointment for my son in the afternoon too. A very busy day! The Converse were good for all that driving around.


Last worn: earringsnavy floral duster, orange cami, blue beaded necklace, silver bracelet stack, grey skinny jeans, white Converse, Rebecca Minkoff cobalt Jumbo Love bag.

Other ways to wearnavy floral duster and chambray dress, orange cami and printed jeans, grey skinny jeans worn 30 ways, white Converse and shorts, Rebecca Minkoff cobalt Jumbo Love bag and dress.

Perfect for pregnancywhite Converse in second trimester.


Rebecca Minkoff Jumbo Love Bag Reveal






What I wore:

orange tee, black denim skirt, floral kimono cobalt blue jumbo love bag | awayfromblue

floral kimono, aRebecca Minkoff quilted jumbo Love bag in cobalt | awayfromtheblue



JacketSomedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
NecklaceHouse of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tee: Jeanswest essential v-neck tee in marigold
Skirt: thrifted Target black stretch denim skirt
ShoesNew Balance Coast women's running shoe in black 
Bracelets: the usual
BagRebecca Minkoff quilted jumbo Love bag in cobalt


Why I wore it:

This was not quite the outfit I had planned to wear!

Similar to the outfit above, I was going to wear jeans with this, as it was predicted to be a very wet Spring day here in Brisbane. However it was so hot and humid that morning I decided to go with this black denim skirt instead of my black jeans. Definitely a good choice, it was so humid on the school run, although thankfully hadn't started raining. Even when the storm and rain hit in the afternoon I was glad I'd picked the skirt over jeans as it was still quite warm while picking up the kids, despite the rain.

This kimono has a little bit of orange in the floral print with a few orange leaves. It doesn't quite match the shade of the marigold orange tee, but I thought they complimented each other nicely enough. And just like the first outfit, there was a little matchy-matchy with the cobalt bag too, as there are blue leaves in the print of this kimono as well.

Knowing it was going to be a very wet day I picked my most supportive shoes. I did regret that decision on the way home from school when I accidentally stood in a puddle and it soaked right through the perforated fabric uppers on these sneakers! Thankfully it was on our way home so I could dry off afterwards!


Last worn: grey floral kimono, marigold tee, sunburst necklace, black denim skirt, New Balance sneakers, Rebecca Minkoff cobalt Jumbo Love bag (above).

Other ways to weargrey floral kimono worn 30 times, marigold tee and shorts, black denim skirt and leopard printRebecca Minkoff cobalt Jumbo Love bag and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancygrey floral kimono in third trimester.



How You Can Wear It:

Orange and blue always look so good together, in any combination of the shades! If you're not sure about it, try it in small amounts, like a blue bag with an orange top, as I have in these outfits.




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Wednesday 26 October 2022

Magnificent 8 - Western Style

For this quarter's Magnificent 8 style challenge, the theme was Western style. I admit my wardrobe doesn't really have a lot of Western pieces, and I don't own any cowboy boots! I had to think hard to see what I had in my wardrobe that would work for this theme, and that I would feel comfortable wearing, as of course everything I share on the blog is an outfit I've worn in real life.

In the end I focused on some abstract pieces of western style. Ankle boots instead of cowboy boots for starters. While I could do double denim I don't have a pair of flared jeans, so double denim with Bermuda shorts it was! I added tan belts to both of these outfits (with mixed success) and my recent purchase, my mini Darren messenger bag worked as a tasselled crossbody, although it is a little more structured than I'd think of for a "Western style" bag!


What I wore:



Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Jeanswest Taryn turquoise tassel bead necklace
TankCotton On 'eternity' tank in charcoal marle
Belt: embossed tan leather belt from my Mum's wardrobe
Shorts: Jeanswest Trinity Bermuda denim shorts
ShoesAtmos&Here tan Lola leather ankle boots
Bracelets: the usual plus turquoise and silver bracelet stack
BagRebecca Minkoff olive mini Darren


Why I wore it:

Big thank you to my Mum for helping me complete this look! When I thought about trying double denim with a big belt with a statement buckle for this challenge I realised I didn't actually own a belt with a statement buckle. My mum had this thick tan leather one that perfectly matched my tan ankle boots though, so that was a winner. And as she doesn't wear it much any more, I got to keep it! Very pleased to add it to my wardrobe.

I think this outfit is a little more "slight Western vibe" than a true Western style but I liked how the pieces came together with the plain tank, double denim, and turquoise necklace. I'd considered turquoise earrings too but I figured my everyday studs would be better for a day that had over 5 hours of meetings that I'd need to wear my headset for. Luckily, while I was at my parent's place all day working on my laptop, mum took the kids out to enjoy the school holidays down the coast, so they had a lot of fun while I was in endless meetings.


Last worn: denim jacket, grey tank, turquoise tassel necklace, Bermuda denim shorts, tan ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini Darren bag.

Other ways to weardenim jacket worn 30 ways, grey tank and printed shorts, Bermuda denim shorts and kimono, tan ankle boots and dress, Rebecca Minkoff mini Darren bag and navy stripes.

Perfect for pregnancydenim jacket in second trimester, grey tank in third trimester.


Reveal: Rebecca Minkoff Darren From The Real Real






What I wore:




Dress: Kmart long sleeve black tie neck dress in floral wisteria print (new purchase)
Belt: tan belt that came with an old dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
BagRebecca Minkoff olive mini Darren


Why I wore it:

Another outfit that doesn't really scream "Western", but has little nods to the theme in it. I really love this dress, but the day and outfit didn't at all go according to plan! I'd stumbled across this $25 long sleeve black floral print dress in Kmart, reduced to $2, and just had to buy it. I had a night out planned with a friend so I figured this would be a good outfit to wear. And because it would be a little chilly by the water at night, I had picked out my black ankle boots to wear with it.

Unfortunately, my son fell sick the night before so the night out was cancelled, and instead I spend the morning shopping for a few essentials to help him feel better. I figured I'd wear the pretty dress anyway, even if I wasn't going anywhere exciting.

This belt was the part of the outfit that didn't really go to plan. I figured it might make the dress work for a Western theme, although the belt isn't the big statement buckle wide belt I would have wanted, it was the best I could find in my wardrobe! Being pleather and having sat unworn in my wardrobe for a few years, it was flaking a little. I thought that with the relaxed fit of the dress, the extra fabric bunched over the belt would hide the flaking parts where you could see the white fabric underneath. The photos prove that wasn't quite the case, and I was a little confused when I looked down at my dress when getting into the car to drive home and realised that it was covered in little pleather belt flakes. It looked really bad! The belt went in the bin as soon as I got home!

Despite it not really meeting the theme, the day and the belt not going to plan, I was able to get some treats at the grocery store to cheer up my son and soften the blow of having to cancel my night out and his playdates over the next couple days. And thankfully fully recovered quickly!


Last worn: tan belt, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini Darren bag (above). First time I've worn the dress as it was a recent purchase.

Other ways to wearblack ankle boots worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff mini Darren bag and jeans.

Perfect for pregnancyblack ankle boots in second trimester.


How You Can Wear It:

When you have a challenging theme to dress for, try thinking outside the box! You might not have the perfect pieces for a head to toe Western outfit, but you can try some western inspired accessories.



The Magnificent 8

The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration of 8 stylish women, ranging in age from early 20’s to early 80’s. The mission of this collaboration is to showcase how ageless style is. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence. And be sure to check out all 7 of these other amazing ladies at the links below.




Every quarter, the group chooses a theme and each create an outfit that suits our own personal tastes and fashion choices. We post them on the last Wednesday of every third month. Check out everyone’s posts with the links above for style inspiration at any age as they show you their much more themed Western outfits! Yee haw!


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