Frocktober: Balenciaga Bags and SAHM Casual Daytime and Evening Printed Dresses

Continuing on with the Frocktober outfits. I'm doing a #31Days31DifferentDresses challenge and wearing a different dress every day in October to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Research.

Every donation helps! Thank you to everyone who is donating to this great cause.

What I wore:

Hat: white knitted beanie 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink
Dress: Atmos&Here navy stripe tee dress
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bracelets: the usual plus Edenborough Evans 'Ivy' silver cuff
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

It was a little chilly, so perfect time to wear one of my warmest dresses. And since it was Hat Day too, I was able to meet the #myStyleOctober challenge of 'hattitude' by wearing a cosy beanie. Layered up with a scarf as well as it got quite cold with the wind and rain.

I was so grateful to be wearing this dress, and not just for the extra warmth. The dress has a longer hem in the back that comes in helpful for toddler wrangling. I spent the morning at the accountants getting my tax done, having had to take toddler T along with me. Although he did sit there quietly 'reading' a book most of the time, every now and then he'd try running around. He managed to drop down and crawl under the accountant's desk at one stage!


Last worn: knitted beanie, skull scarf, striped tee dress, Chelsea ankle boots, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: knitted beanie in the office, pink skull scarf with blue and teal, striped tee dress in winter, Chelsea ankle boots and jeans, Balenciaga Part Time bag and denim.

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Shop more Balenciaga bags:

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What I wore:

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

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Dress: Jeanswest grey snake print maxi dress
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet

Why I wore it:

We went out for dinner in the evening with hubby's family, so I figured I'd wear one of my 'dressiest' dresses for the occasion. I'm trying to plan out the month so I'm not left with something completely inappropriate to wear near the end! Dinner out seemed like the best time to wear such a formal dress.

We weren't doing much earlier the day though, so I tried to dress this down a little, and settled on the denim jacket and casual bag. I've been wearing my Balenciaga bags a bit lately!

This dress hasn't been worn much - it's been almost 10 months since I last wore it! It's definitely staying in my wardrobe though. I just don't wear it much as I keep it for more formal occasions. I think it's perfectly okay to only wear a floor length formal dress a couple times a year. I expect my 'everyday' wardrobe to get worn a lot more though!


Last week I shared about the Shopbop sale, so I wanted to share with you all what I bought too. I picked up a couple things, after feeling like treating myself as I ended up doing #noSpenderSpetember!

What I bought:

• Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow
• Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, denim jacket, snake print maxi dress, Ikwetta sandals, Balenciaga sorbet city bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and a maxi skirt, snake print maxi dress at 39 weeks pregnant, Ikwetta sandals and a maxi skirt, pink Balenciaga sorbet city bag in the office.


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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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