Away From Blue | Aussie Mum Style, Away From The Blue Jeans Rut

Honestly, I had no idea wearing things in my wardrobe 30 times would be so difficult! When I first heard about the challenge (in The True Cost movie) I thought I'd have a few pieces I'd achieved it with. As I take a photo of what I wear every day, I had my blog archives to look through and was surprised how little even some of my favourite pieces are actually worn.
I thought attempting 6 months without shopping would give me time to wear and enjoy what's in my wardrobe and rack up 30 wears. But if I want to get 30 wears of something in these 6 months, that's wearing something 5 times a month on average. That's more than once a week.

Since I own much more than a week's worth of outfits wearing things 30 times isn't often achieved. There are a few pieces I've already clocked up 30 wears of, but they are mainly accessories. Even my most worn kimono has only got 20 wears so far! I thought I'd be able to feature it in this post until I saw that count. Wearing everything you own 30 times sounded like a bit of a challenge, but I didn't realise just how difficult it would be for someone like me with such a large wardrobe.

I'd really like to show something other than an accessory or a maxi skirt in this 30 wears series soon, but as I'm challenging myself to find something every month to share, it means that this month it's going to be another maxi skirt. A printed one at least, so a little different from the plain one I featured previously.

30 ways to wear a black and white striped maxi skirt | Away From The Blue Blog #30Wears

#30Wears: Target Black and White Striped Jersey Maxi Skirt

I've worn this maxi skirt 44 times, so it was difficult narrowing down to just 30 outfits! I really like this skirt. Purchased it while pregnant with (now Toddler) T as I wanted something stretchy and comfortable. I'm amazed I'm still loving and wearing it over 3 years later, and to have gotten through another pregnancy with it. There is no sign of wear on it either, still as stretchy and comfortable as ever so it will be worn a lot more in the future.

Striped Maxi Skirt in a Monochrome Outfit

A classic black and white maxi skirt makes an easy monochrome outfit. You can pair it with white, grey or black and not worry about looking boring as the stripe print adds an extra bit of interest to the outfit.

4 Monochrome Outfit ideas with black and white striped maxi skirt | AwayFromTheBlue

Black and White Striped Maxi Skirt with Colourful Tops

A colourful tee or tank really pops against a black and white base. You can go bright with blue or purple or stick with another neutral like olive.

3 ways to wear striped maxi skirt | away from the blue blog

Striped Maxi Skirt and Scarves

I like to wear my maxi skirts year round, and when the weather cools a little a scarf is a great addition to a maxi skirt outfit to keep you cosy in autumn or spring. You can even do a little pattern mixing with a printed scarf. Stripes are so easy to pair with other prints.

print mixing: striped maxi skirt and patterned scarves | AwayFromBlue

Black and White Striped Maxi Skirt in Winter

While you do need to do a little more layering and perhaps wear boots, I've never had any issues wearing my maxi skirts in winter. Of course we don't get snow in Brisbane which helps!

Ways to wear a striped maxi skirt in Winter with layers | AwayFromBlue

Striped Maxi Skirt in Pregnancy: Second Trimester

I originally bought this maxi skirt in pregnancy when I was looking for something that would fit a growing baby bump. It was affordable, comfortable and stretchy. I had no idea I'd love and wear it so much that it would be worn through two pregnancies and beyond!

Second trimester comfy outfit ideas striped maxi skirt | AwayFromBlue

Striped Maxi Skirt in Pregnancy: Third Trimester

In the third trimester you outgrow a lot of the non-maternity pieces in your wardrobe that worked in the first and second trimesters. I ended up making a pregnancy capsule wardrobe last time with pieces I knew would fit and wore that for the final trimester. Luckily the elastic waist on this maxi skirt comfortably accommodated a growing bump. In fact it was the last thing I wore before Toddler T made his overdue appearance into the world.

Jersey striped black white maxi skirt in third trimester non-maternity wear | AwayFromTheBlue

Jersey Stripe Maxi Skirt in PostPartum Days

The stretchy waistband that made this skirt so good during pregnancy also makes it a perfect choice in the early post-partum days where your stomach changes daily and you need something quick and easy to wear as it's going to get covered in baby spit up anyway! Paired with a oversized tee or a cosy soft knit it's a comfortable outfit option to help you feel pulled together on little sleep.

Postpartum style: easy maxi skirt comfortable outfit | Away From Blue

You'll know from reading my blog that I obviously have a bit of a maxi skirt obsession, but I think this post illustrates quite well why I adore them so much. You can wear them so many different ways.

I think I bought this for $20 (or something close to that), so at 44 wears that's 45 cents a wear, for those who like to calculate cost per wear. Not bad for an impulsive pregnancy purchase over 3 years ago!

Want more outfit inspiration? View all 44+ ways to wear this maxi skirt in my blog archives.

I hope you found this post useful. Don't forget to share or pin!

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I'm amazed we are in March already! Baby boy's birthday is this month and it really doesn't feel like he's almost a toddler. A new month means a new 30 wears, this time sharing 30 ways I've worn my Rebecca Minkoff studded gladiator sandals. I explain more about 30 wears here and why I'm doing it.

#30 Wears: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina Studded Sandals

I bought these studded gladiator sandals in October after having my eye on them for a while. Amy Ann wore them so well on her blog! I originally wanted the gold pair, but waited for the Shopbop sale and these blush ones were the only ones left in my size. I'm glad I ended up with this pair, the neutral colour goes with absolutely everything. 30 wears in 5 months is pretty good too, considering I mostly live in my Havaianas over our hot and humid Queensland summers.

Wearing Studded Gladiator Sandals and Dresses

A simple dress and sandals combination is ideal for warm weather. I haven't been able to wear these sandals with all the dresses in my wardrobe yet as they aren't all breastfeeding friendly, but I'm eager to wear them with more dresses soon. The sandal straps are ankle height so they work perfectly with knee-length, midi or maxi length dresses.

The only problem with pairing them with maxi dresses is that you don't always get to see the sandals under the long hem, but it's a combination I adore anyway. The neutral pale blush shade means you can wear them with brightly coloured or printed maxi dresses, and I've enjoyed wearing them that way. Three of the dress outfits above are my favourite on this page.

Wearing Gladiator Sandals and Maxi Skirts

Just like when I wear these sandals with maxi dresses, it can be hard to see them peeking out from under the hem. As they go with everything though, I'm happily wearing them under maxi skirts. Wearing them with my chambray maxi skirt is an outfit staple for me, as you can see from the pics!

Studded Gladiator Sandals and Printed Skirts

This is another reason I'm glad I got the neutral blush colour - I can pair them with any colour print and they work well. Stripes go with everything, but they also look good with my knee length pleated printed skirt.

Studded Gladiator Sandals and Printed Shorts

Just like the printed skirts above, the sandals work equally well with printed shorts. Sandals and printed shorts look a little less casual than my usual Havaianas, so this is a nice combination to feel a little more pulled-together. Again I don't have to worry about what colours I'm wearing with them and can stick with the pallette in the print of the shorts, or be more adventurous and try pink and yellow too.

Studded Gladiator Sandals and Printed Kimonos

You can see I love my Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and my Somedays Lovin' kimono just as much as my sandals! I tend to reach for these sandals more often when I'm wearing colourful printed kimonos as they don't compete with the print or clash with any of the colours.

Studded Gladiator Sandals and Denim Shorts

Just like my chambray maxi skirt above, I think the studded gladiator sandals work so nicely with denim. Perfect with denim shorts on a hot day, and the neutral blush means I can play with prints or colour or both in the rest of my outfit.

I like these studded sandals so much I've even considered buying another pair in a different colour, once my #6MonthsWithoutShopping challenge is over of course. The only downside to these sandals is that they have a lot of buckles to do up, which isn't ideal when you're already running late trying to get yourself and two little boys dressed and out the door on time!

They are extremely comfortable though, even from the first wear, and are available in so many different colours. Really easy to care for too - as they are leather I've treated them like all the other leather things I buy and have given them a quick waterproofing spray just to be safe.

There are a few places to buy the Rebecca Minkoff Georgina sandals, and they are on sale at most of them!

You can see all of the outfits I've worn my Rebecca Minkoff Georgina sandals with in my blog archives, or click the image below to see all 30 different ways to wear them side by side.