Thanks to a knee injury a few years ago, flats are my most worn shoes. Out of all the flats I have, I'm sure that my Havaianas are the most frequently worn.
While I do tend to swap them out for my ankle boots in the middle of winter, like the majority of Queenslanders I love my thongs (a.k.a flip-flops for the non-Aussies). The mild Brisbane weather means I can wear them for most of the year, and often do. I'm not as dedicated as some of my friends or Gold-Coast-living-sister who wear them constantly year round, but I have worn them in winter a handful of times despite how much it makes people like Beth in chilly South Adelaide shiver at the thought!
They are so incredibly easy to wear and I'm sure most people have a pair somewhere, even if they only break them out in summer. Despite their popularity, I doubt you'll see Havaianas announced as one of the latest fashion trends (I hold out hope as it was only recently that slides were 'in'!). There's no denying that they are a very common choice here in the sunshine state of Queensland. I wasn't able to find a better shoe to wear through all trimesters of pregnancy, especially in those final days when my feet were so swollen nothing else would fit!
Here's some different ways you can wear Havaianas away from the pool or beach. And yes, some of these outfits were worn in winter!
Havaianas and Maxi Skirts
One of my favourite ways to wear maxi skirts is with a pair of my Havaianas. You can layer with things like a denim jacket when it's cooler. The outfits below were what I wore for a bunch of different activities: working from home, a coffee date with a friend, visiting the zoo, and a day shopping at the outlets. Not a beach in sight.
Havaianas and Jeans
This is a good way to keep your legs warm if the weather is cooler but not yet cold enough to wear boots. I wear this often in autumn. You can add cosy scarves and cardigans if it's cooler, or wear my spring favourite outfit topper: a pretty printed kimono. Havaianas are so easy to slip on to run errands, go to playgroup, or even a casual BBQ which are some of the activities I wore the outfits below for.
Havaianas in Summer
They really are a great summer shoe! You don't have to just wear them with a bikini, you can try denim shorts, skirts, dresses....you really can wear Havaianas with so many different outfits and to so many different places.
You can see why they are a favourite. Do you have any Havaianas or similar shoes? Do you only wear them for summer?
This post was created in partnership with Flarecom. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.
You might find it hard to believe but that's the 5th month of my no shopping challenge completed with no shopping! Of course now I've shared the secret for how I've been distracting myself from shopping for these 5 months - I was working on an eBook in any spare time I had. Not that you get spare time often with two boys under 3!
This month I think I've been more tempted by things, there have been so many sales. I'd usually use a sale as an excuse to jump online to 'just take a look', but I've distracted myself with doing something for the book instead so I've never had the time to think about purchases for too long. It's also easy to talk myself out of wanting things when I realise I've nearly done 6 months without shopping and I'd hate to go and spoil it so close to the end by buying something!
And now, 30 wears. Still finding it difficult to identify clothing that I've worn 30 times, I'm featuring another accessory. The Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini that I've worn over 60 times in the 4 years since I bought it. A surprisingly low number given that when I get it out of its dustbag I tend to wear it for a few days in a row. It's such a good bag I usually wear it for a while before thinking I need to enjoy some of my other bags again.
#30Wears: Rebecca Minkoff Grey MAB Mini (MAM) Bag
I bought this Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB bagback in 2013, before the boys were born. At the time I liked the flexibility of the bag as you could wear it so many different ways: over the shoulder, handheld, and cross body. It's only now I'm chasing toddlers that I'm really appreciating the cross body feature for more than just a different look, it's a very practical choice for a mum bag! The neutral grey mini MAB goes with so many different outfits and I've worn the bag for many occasions too, as you can see in the 30 ways I've worn it below.
Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB in the Office
The classic shape and neutral colour make the MAB satchel a great choice for the office! It's just large enough to fit in all of the usual things I carry as well as a small notebook, water bottle and snack - essentials for meetings across the city. While my workplace has a business casual dress code, I think this is the kind of bag you could easily wear in a more formal office too.
Mini MAB and Maxi Skirts and Dresses
The beauty of the Rebecca Minkoff MAB satchel is that while it works in a more formal office environment with a pencil skirt, you can dress it down nicely with a maxi skirt or maxi dress for the weekend or stay at home mum style. The rectangular satchel shape of the bag slouches down nicely so it's just as suitable for a casual outfit too.
Grey Mini MAB and Print Mixing
The benefit of neutral grey bag is that it goes with anything, so you can be a little more adventurous with your outfit. You can easily try some print mixing and pair different clothes together, as the bag won't clash with whatever you're wearing. Stripes and skulls, stripes and Aztec print, stripes and stars and even polka dots and skulls. I love my colourful handbags, but you can't beat a nice neutral sometimes!
Grey MAB Bag and Colourful Outfits
Just as a grey bag works in the outfits above when you are wearing different prints, it's the perfect neutral for a more colourful outfit where you're trying a new colour combination. I'm trying to add more colour to my outfits so when I'm wearing two colours I like to opt for a neutral bag. Blue and grey work so nicely together, and continue to do so even when you add in other colours like purple, yellow, pink and red.
MAB Satchel and Printed Dresses
Of course you don't have to be paring different prints or colours together to wear a neutral bag. A fail-safe grey bas is a good accessory with a bright printed dress too. 'Pick a colour from the pattern on the dress to accessorise with' is wise advice, but you can never go wrong wearing a colourful printed dress and a classic neutral bag.
Difference Between the MAB and Mini MAB Satchel Bag
I've used MAB and mini MAB (or MAM) interchangeably in this post. The bag I'm wearing is the mini MAB which I think is better for my petite self. The difference is that the mini MAB is 20% smaller than the MAB. It's the exact same style, just a tiny bit smaller. A mini MAB (or MAM) is 13" wide, 8" high and 5.75" deep. Anything bigger is the MAB. 👍
Grey Rebecca Minkoff MAB Satchel and Monochrome Outfits
A you've seen above, an outfit with prints or colours or combinations of them both can benefit from a neutral handbag. You can try different prints and colours together, or try something a little simpler and wear a monochrome outfit. Black, blue and even orange, a grey bag can compliment a monochrome outfit nicely.
Grey MAB Bag With Jeans and a Tee
Jeans and a tee will always be a go-to outfit for me. A grey tee and denim is a simple outfit, and the grey Rebecca Minkoff MAB works nicely with it too, simple and stress free dressing. I haven't had any denim transfer on the grey leather, even when the bag rubs against my jeans when I wear it cross body. I do spray all my bags with a waterproofer before I wear them though.
Anything and Rebecca Minkoff MAB Satchel
As you've seen above, a neutral grey bag with multiple ways to wear it like this one really will go with everything. You can wear it with jeans, colourful outfits, prints, dresses...it works in so many different outfits. You can wear it year-round, and to multiple activities. It's one of those wear to work, wear on weekend pieces that I wish I had more clothing equivalents of in my wardrobe with my upcoming return to work after maternity leave.
If you've been considering a Rebecca Minkoff bag and haven't been sure which one to get, I highly recommend snapping up the MAB on sale. It's on sale right now at Shopbop, in tan too. It's the first handbag Rebecca Minkoff sold back in 2005 and it really is one of those classic pieces. The video below shows just how much it can comfortably fit inside!
Where to Buy the Rebecca Minkoff MAB:
Where to Buy the Rebecca Minkoff MAB Second Hand:
(While the MAB style has recently been re-released, it was discontinued for a while. There are still a lot more colour options available second hand if you want to get one of the older bags like mine. Just remember to check sizes as mentioned above to make sure you're getting the MAB or MAM you want.)
