Frocktober and Comparing Yourself to Photos Online

Continuing with blogging my Frocktober outfits. I'm wearing a different dress every day in October (#31Days31DifferentDresses) to fundraise for Ovarian Cancer Research. I'm blogging the outfits as I wore them, instead of grouping the outfits together into 'themed' posts, so you get a bit of variety in every post! Today, a casual printed dress to work from home and a striped fit and flare dress for the office, as well as a little chat about comparison and perfectionism online.

Your Frocktober donation will raise funds and awareness for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Please help me hit my fundraising goal!

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers

Dress: Atmos & Here Willow printed tee dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots (on sale here!)
Bracelets: the usual plus Edenborough Evans 'Ivy' silver cuff
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC (Shop more Rebecca Minkoff bags here)

Why I wore it:

I'd been looking forward to wearing this dress as part of the Frocktober challenge! It was a heavy favourite last spring/summer, although it did feel a little short in the afternoon when playing with the toddler after picking him up from day care. Might need to wear shorts under it next time I wear it!

I shared this dress on instagram, with a side view as well. I've been reading so many articles and blogs about how everyone compares what they see online with their own lives. I've been reading the #strugglesbook as well which has been really challenging me lately.
My church did a series about online #struggles a while back which you can watch here and is really good viewing! While it does have a basis in Christianity, it talks about the general themes of social media burnout and how comparing can bring us down. A nice reminder to not compare your behind the scenes with someone else's highlight reel.

A picture tells 1000 words, but it can leave so many things unsaid. Never compare your behind the scenes with someone's highlight reel! An insta pic or feed is never the full story, it doesn't show everything. Even if all they've done is try pick a clever camera angle like me 😉 #behindTheScenes #keepingItReal #BloggerLife #yepThatsABabyBump #surprise! #gettingHarderToHideInPhotos #noMissingItInPerson #stylethebump #bumpstyle #babybelly

A photo posted by Mica (@awayfromblue) on Oct 7, 2015 at 2:20pm PDT

It's so easy to hide flaws or things you don't want people to see in photos, you don't have to show the full story. And if you can't use a flattering camera angle, there's always photoshop. The number of photoshopped blogs I see is just so sad. Why do that? I just want to give them a hug. Be yourself. You are perfect in every way, because you are you. Never put yourself down because of something you see online. You aren't seeing the full picture.

I try to keep this blog a frivolous, light-hearted and positive space, but that doesn't mean everything is perfect all the time. Nothing is ever perfect. People are more than what they share online, and you too are more than your instagram/twitter/facebook feed and the number of likes or followers you get.

"Your self-worth is not based on the Likes of others but on the love of God." #strugglesBook @craiggroeschel

— Mica (@AwayFromTheBlue) October 13, 2015

If this is something you've been struggling with lately, I'd highly recommend the #strugglesBook, it has lots of great advice. It's released on the 27th October, but you can pre-order now.
(I got an early e-book copy, but was not expected to or under any obligation to share the book with you. I just think it's that good, especially in light of all the posts I've seen lately from bloggers facing social media burnout).

Last worn: Ray-Ban wayfarers, botanical print tee dress, black leather ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: printed tee dress worn as a top, ankle boots and skinny jeans in winter, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC and a plaid shirt.

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Shop more printed and striped dresses for under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Dogeared silver wishbone necklace layered with Dogeared 3 Wishes stardust bead necklace (Shop more Dogeared here)

Dress: Jeanswest 'Rita' stripe jersey dress
Shoes: Novo Carmina fuschia suede flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes pink clic clac and Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH (Shopbop sell Balenciaga bags now too!)

Why I wore it:

Not as fun as the outfit above, stripes instead of a colourful print, but I added some bright shoes to this outfit I wore to the office. No side pic of this one, but I felt the baby bump was showing quite a bit in it. :)


Last worn: striped fit and flare dress, pink suede flats, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: striped fit and flare dress for a dedication, pink suede flats and a polka dot dress, Balenciaga Part Time bag and denim.


Linking up with Fab Favourites, Friday Favourites, Flashback Fashion, Passion for Fashion, Weekend Linkup, Jaimie's Linkup, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Blog Hop, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Weekend Rewind, Let It Shine, More Pieces of Me, Hello Monday, Modest Monday today.


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

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Frocktober Unplanned and Planned Dress Outfits: Casual Tee and LBD For The Office

I'm currently participating in the Frocktober style challenge to raise funds and awareness for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. While I'm behind with blogging what I wore, you can follow along on instagram where I've been using the #31Days31DifferentDresses tag for my own challenge.

If you'd like to make a donation it would be greatly appreciated! 1 woman dies every hour from ovarian cancer, there is no early detection test. Your donation helps fund research.

What I wore:

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

Necklace: Lovisa blue leaf long necklace
Dress: Choies monochrome stripe shift dress (C/O)
Shorts: Cotton On blue denim shorts (gifted)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs (on sale!)
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

This was not the dress I had planned to wear for the day! After we got home from lunch on Sunday, toddler T seemed a little more upset than usual, and his symptoms ramped up quite badly. He has a little viral bug and was not having a good time. We ended up getting the doctor out to check up on him. Instead of going out and enjoying the beautiful weather for a public holiday Monday, I stayed home and enjoyed cuddles with a little guy who just wanted to be held all the time.

I wasn't really sure what to wear after our plans had to be cancelled. I did contemplate not even getting changed out of my pyjamas...but knew I had the challenge and the fundraising goal to hit. So I hunted for a dress I could wear for a quick stop by the IGA (thank goodness for it being open on a public holiday!) to grab some essentials for dealing with sickness, and spending the rest of the day at home curled up on the sofa with an unwell toddler.

My sister had recently given me these shorts which she no longer wanted, so I figured they would be perfect to go under the too-short tee dress I've worn in the past as a tunic. Comfort-wise this turned out to be a great outfit, and I would happily wear this again! I'd been thinking this dress wouldn't be worn in the 31 days because it's so short, and that I'd end up getting rid of it at the end of the challenge. I'm happy I gave it a go and discovered a great outfit, and changed my mind about it leaving my wardrobe.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, striped tee dress, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC. First time I've worn the shorts as they were just given to me.

Other ways to wear: striped tee dress worn as a tunic over jeans, Havaianas and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff silver mini MAC with plaid and denim.

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More striped tee dresses under $50:

Red cardigans under $50:

Shopbop has a great range of red cardigans and tee dresses too!

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest long red drape cardigan

Necklace: Dogeared silver wishbone necklace
Dress:  Jeanswest tucked ponte black dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs suede flats in red
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

In contrast to the outfit above, this was a little more planned! I knew I wanted to wear this fit and flare dress to the office. I've just worn it recently, but I like it so much I don't mind repeating it again so soon.

The red cardigan was something I added in the morning to keep me warm on the commute to work and in the cold air con of the office. I loved the way it looked in the mirror, not so impressed with it in the photos though. I did really like the colour coordination with the red flats and cardigan, a colleague complimented it too. Makes it look like the red cardi was planned and not a quick thing thrown on at the last minute.


Last worn: red cardigan, black fit and flare dress, red suede flats, Balenciaga part time bag.

Other ways to wear: red cardigan and a maxi skirt, black fit and flare dress and pink accessories, red suede flats and a pencil skirt, Balenciaga part time bag and a floral cami.


Linking up with What I Wore, Wednesday Linkup, Style Me Weekly, Oh Hey Girl, Thursday Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday.


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:
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