Friday 8 July 2016

Two Ways To Wear: Chambray Maxi Skirt in Winter

Back in April, Beth over at Almost Posh blogged about a beautiful chambray maxi skirt. I fell in love with everything about it except the price. I added it to my Iconic wishlist anyway and waited for a sale. 2 months later it finally went on sale and I had an extra % off discount code so it was the perfect time to buy!

What I wore:

Blue chambray maxi skirt pink and purple accessories | Away From Blue

Mulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey and chambray maxi skirt | AwayFromTheBlue
JacketJeanswest Peggie kimono cardigan in purple mulberry marle
ScarfAlexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink (on sale in black and white!)
TopDorothy Perkins 3/4 sleeve wrap top (new purchase, on sale!)
SkirtNoisy May long denim maxi skirt (new purchase, on sale!)
ShoesConverse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white (on sale in red!)
BagMulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey

Why I wore it:

Sine The Iconic share measurements for most of their items, I knew this skirt would be too long for my petite self. However when I got it I was pleased to find I could wear it right away...just by pulling it up super high. The elasticated waist helped! Felt really happy in this all day, and cosy for a morning at playgroup with the boys. The wrap top is a new purchase too, although the wrapped portions are held together with a stitch you can open it up below there so it's easy to breastfeed in.


Last worn: purple cardigan, skull scarf, Converse, Mulberry Alexa. First time I've worn the wrap top and chambray skirt as they are new purchases.

Other ways to wearpurple cardigan and a black outfit, skull scarf and stripes, Converse and denim shorts, Mulberry Alexa and a maxi dress


More denim maxi skirts:





I might be doing #noBuyJuly16 and avoiding the sales, but there are some great bargains to be had in the final reductions at a few places:




What I wore:

Noisy May Chambray maxi skirt striped tee grey cardi purple accessories | Away From Blue

Mulberry Foggy Grey Alexa Satchel handheld | Away From Blue
SunniesRay-Ban new Wayfarers (30% off at Nordstrom!)
Jacket: Paper Scissors grey wrap cardigan
ScarfMarc by Marc Jacobs mauve square scarf
TeeAtmos&Here navy stripe v-neck tee
SkirtNoisy May long denim maxi skirt (on sale!)
ShoesMarc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats (on sale!)
BagMulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey

Why I wore it:

I liked the pink and purple the first time I wore this maxi skirt, so decided to wear it with purple again. Blue and purple is one of those colour combinations I love to wear.

I didn't like this outfit as much as the first one though. It had been raining early in the morning and so when we hopped out the car at the post office I stepped right in a puddle, wetting the hem of the skirt. It just dragged the skirt down to my waist again, making it much too long. By the time we'd arrived at the ABA group catch up I was regretting my decision to wear this without belting it in place or without getting it hemmed first.


As it's the second time I've worn this skirt, my purchase review:
I adore this skirt. So much that I wore it twice before getting it hemmed as I was too eager to wear it!
Once I find a new tailor to hem this skirt it will get worn a lot more often - it really is perfect in every way except the length. It has pockets! Even with the cost of a tailor it's still a pretty affordable skirt, and I did know I'd need to get it taken up so I'm happy with this purchase.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, grey cardigan, purple scarf, striped tee, chambray maxi skirt (above), ballet flats, Mulberry Alexa (above).

Other ways to weargrey cardigan and flares, purple scarf and skinny jeans, striped tee with orange, ballet flats and skinny jeans, Mulberry Alexa and denim shorts.








Linking up with Passion for Fashion, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Let It Shine, Shoe & Tell, Hello Monday, Modest Monday, Mums That Slay.


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Wednesday 6 July 2016

Printed Dresses and Boots: Wearing Pregnancy Purchases Post-Baby

Over my pregnancies I never stopped buying clothes. I do love shopping! I tried to buy things I knew would work post-baby most of the time. It's strange wearing those pieces for the first time without a baby bump, and always a relief to find that they still work.

What I wore:

Atmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress Second Birthday party breastfeeding friendly outfit | Away From The Blue

Aquamarine Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC clutch bag silver bracelet stack | AwayFromTheBlue
DressAtmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress in watercolour print (on sale!)
ShoesRMK Chester black ankle boots (on sale!)
Bracelets: the usual
BagRebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather

Why I wore it:

This dress was perfect for the 'it's a wrap' style challenge prompt, although I didn't wear it on the same day. I wore this for toddler T's second birthday! It's hard to believe he's 2 already, he's growing so fast. For his first birthday party, we kept things simple and did everything ourselves. Despite thinking I wouldn't be able to do the same this time with a baby as well, we managed to pull it off. It did mean a busy week as I did some baking in advance, but it was worth it as both boys enjoyed the party.

I knew I wanted to wear this dress for toddler T's party. It's strange seeing it without a baby bump though, after buying it in the third trimester. As I hoped when I bought it, it will still get lots of wear post-baby. A wrap dress is a classic!


Last worn: printed wrap dress, ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC.

Other ways to wearprinted wrap dress in the third trimester, ankle boots and red jeans, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC and skinny jeans.








What I wore:

Winter printed dress tights tall boots yellow colourful scarf outfit | Away From The Blue

Mulberry Foggy Grey Alexa satchel bag | Away From The BLue
DressJeanswest Nikki printed shirt dress
ShoesAsos Cleo leather boots in tan
BagMulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey

Why I wore it:

This dress is another one I bought when I was pregnant. However, this is it's first wear despite having the 'wear everything twice in a month after buying it' rule. In the 2 years I've had that rule, this is the only piece that's sat there new with tags in my wardrobe after a month. Since I bought it in November I really should have worn it before now... I'd bought it in the second trimester, tried it on and while it was snug, I could still fit into it, so set it aside to wear in a few days. By the tine I got around to wearing it though the bump didn't fit into it! A baby belly grows so quickly in the second trimester, I really should have sized up.

Every pregnancy is different, and every experience post-baby is different too. While with toddler T I was back into normal clothes and button up shirts quite quickly, with baby boy things are a little bigger in the chest area! It means that while in theory this button up shirt dress is perfect for breastfeeding, I had to wait until things calmed down a little before I was able to squeeze myself into it! Glad I've been able to wear it now at least - it's easy to layer up for winter despite being from the Jeanswest spring range.


Last worn: yellow scarf, tall boots, Mulberry Alexa bag. First time I've worn the dress as it's the first time I've fit into it!

Other ways to wearyellow scarf and a red dress, tall boots and skinny jeans, Mulberry Alexa bag and a maxi dress.






Linking up with What I Wore, Fresh Fashion, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, A Labour of Life, Fashion Files, Style Sessions, Weekend Linkup.




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