Corporate Style: Maternity Pencil Skirts and Grey Tees in Summer, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB Bag

I will always love a grey tee! Even after my wardrobe detox session and finding out that grey wasn't the best colour for me, I still wear it and still have a bunch of grey tees in my wardrobe. They are just so easy to wear. And thankfully, my very relaxed 'business casual' office dress code makes a tee and a pencil skirt an easy outfit for a day without a lot of face-to-face meetings.

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)

Necklace: Diva red stone necklace
Tee: Atmos&Here charcoal grey v neck tee
Skirt: Asos maternity graphic print pencil skirt (non-maternity version here)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs studded mouse flats in grey (on sale in black)
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes Kelly double tour bracelet in rubis
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

This was the first outfit for the Fox in Flats style challenge, the theme was 'stripes' so I thought the graphic stripe print on this pencil skirt worked well, especially when worn with my favourite grey tee.

I added the red necklace for a bit of colour with the otherwise fairly monochrome outfit - and also as that was one of the tips the stylist gave me. If I insisted on keeping my grey tees (I did keep most of them...) then I should try to wear colourful accessories with them.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, grey tee, graphic print pencil skirt, studded mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB.

Other ways to wear: grey tee for casual Friday, graphic print pencil skirt and a black tank, studded mouse flats and denim shorts, casual SAHM outfits with Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB.

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Great pencil skirt options under $50:

Maternity pencil skirts under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: pink beaded disc necklace (maybe Diva? Really old!)
Tee: Asos new forever grey tee (on sale!)
Skirt: Asos maternity panelled pencil skirt in tartan check (non-maternity version here)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs two tone flats in blush and black
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes twilly Kelly en Calèche tied as bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

Again, going with the easy option of a grey tee and a printed pencil skirt. The style challenge for the day was 'new do' and as I'd got my hair cut the day before I just fell back on this simple outfit as the summer heat usually gets me feeling pretty uninspired and looking for easy options. That's why the DAREcember style challenge is so great, at a time I want to do nothing other than sit in the pool in a bikini, I'm encouraged to explore my wardrobe, try different things and have some fun with my clothes. I've shared more before about why I love instagram style challenges.

I just wouldn't go do anything as permanent as actually get a new haircut for a challenge next time, I regretted the cut pretty quickly! Thankfully I still have some unshared pics with my longer hair as I figure out how to style the new length.


Last worn: grey tee, tartan pencil skirt, Hermes twilly, cap toe flats, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB (above).

Other ways to wear: grey tee layered up for winter, tartan pencil skirt and a ruffled cami, two tone flats and tights, Hermes twilly bow on a bag, Rebecca Minkoff MAM and a printed dress.

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Asos is a great place to pick up some bargain pencil skirts that really last - I have skirts over 5 years old that are still going strong, and this is the second pregnancy for these maternity skirts! Plus you can get up to 70% off in their outlet.

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Linking up with Hello Monday, Modest Monday, Classy Monday, Mix It Monday, On Trend Tuesday, Confident Twosday, Style Sessions, Fresh Fashion, What I Wore, Oh Hey Girl.

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Handbag Gift Guide! Jeanswest Maternity Shorts, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere

Two simple summer outfits with my Jeanswest maternity shorts. I'm glad I picked up a second pair last month, they are being worn often.
Also thought I'd put together a handbag gift guide (for any budget!) after a few of you suggested it when I asked for your opinions on gift guides. Time to snap up last minute gifts now, with a week until Christmas!

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)
Scarf:  Jeanswest Lux paisley print scarf (C/O)
Singlet: Jeanswest maternity tank in black (new purchase)
Shorts: Jeanswest maternity rolled up shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

An easy, simple outfit for a hot day. I wanted to add a little bit of interest to the outfit with the printed scarf, I think it worked pretty well as it's a lightweight scarf so didn't keep me too warm. I've recently gone through my scarf collection and pulled out a few of the light ones to try and wear them a little more over spring/summer.

Wore this to take toddler T to his gymboree class, it was a perfect outfit for running around with a toddler.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, mixed print scarf, Jeanswest maternity shorts, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere. First time I've worn the tank as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: mixed print scarf and a chambray dress, Jeanswest maternity shorts in the third trimester, LV speedy bandouliere and a dress in winter.

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If you are a handbag lover, or you have a handbag fan on your Christmas list to buy for, you definitely can't go wrong with a designer bag! All of the options below are under $500.

Of course, the budget can't stretch to a new bag every Christmas, so here are some more great gift ideas from Shopbop that are a little friendlier to the wallet - bag accessories!

1: a handbag raincoat for the lady who has everything!

2: a cute bag charm to adorn one of the many bags someone already owns.

3: a coin purse a mini, budget-friendly version of that bag they've always wanted.

Shop more bag accessories at Shopbop. 
(With free express shipping worldwide, it's a great place to pick up that last minute gift!)

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What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Tee: Jeanswest Sonny maternity tee in lagoon marle (C/O)
Shorts: Jeanswest Georgie maternity boyfriend shorts (available in non-maternity also)
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

Extremely similar to the last time I wore this tee, only with different shoes and without the scarves. I like wearing the tee with denim though I think it's a lovely combination and it's an easy go-to!

Wore this for a very hot day out at Seaworld on the gold coast. My sister was lucky enough to score free tickets, and they had just opened up the recently re-done kid's area so we thought it would be fun for toddler T to go have a play. Even though I could only go on one ride, being pregnant. As we had been to Seaworld earlier in the year, we'd seen a lot of the shows so the day was all about toddler T having fun.


As it's the second time I've worn these shorts since I bought them, and I try to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to learn more about my shopping habits, my purchase review:

I love these shorts. I confess they were a total impulse buy, I hadn't even thought about getting another pair of shorts when I wandered into Jeanswest and spotted these. I'm so glad I bought them though. They are perfect for being pregnant over summer, when it's just too warm for my maternity jeans.


Last worn: Ray-ban Wayfarers (above), green maternity tee, Jeanswest maternity shorts, Converse Chucks, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere (above).

Other ways to wear:  green maternity tee with a scarf, denim shorts and studded mouse flats, Converse with a dress, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and skinny jeans.



The Net-A-Porter sale is on now, up to 50% off pretty things I can't afford until sale time rolls around. Perfect time to score that handbag you've been lusting after!




Linking up with Flashback Friday, Fab Favourites, Passion For Fashion, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Let It Shine, Shoe and Tell.

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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