Monday 14 August 2017

Black Printed Dresses and Mulberry Bayswater: Winter Office Outfits

I've always loved printed dresses for work. A dress is an easy instant outfit, quick to pull together and a print adds a little extra interest. Don't let the winter weather put you off either! Add fleece lined tights to your dress, a cosy trench coat, scarf and maybe even a cardigan too.

Below I'm wearing an old favourite dress in a new way, and a new-to-me dress I got from my Grandma's wardrobe. It was good to get my Mulberry Bayswater out again too, it's been packed away for over a year and a half while on maternity leave as I use it as an office-only bag.

What I wore:

Leona Edmiston Jemima fern print dress navy mac jacket azure skull scarf mulberry bayswater office outfit | Away From Blue

navy macintosh, Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather | Away From The Blue
ScarfAlexander McQueen Azure wool skull scarf
Dress: Leona Edmiston Jemima fern print dress
ShoesMarc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
BagMulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather (get it second-hand and cheaper here, or here)


Why I wore it:

This Leona Edmiston dress is an old favourite, perfect for the office. I liked how the loose lower half worked nicely in pregnancy too, from hiding an early baby bump to fitting a second trimester belly. After not being able to squeeze into the outfit I'd planned to wear the week before, I was grateful to have this in my wardrobe as I knew it would definitely fit!

When I've worn this dress in the past I've usually picked pink accessories to wear with it, tying in with the pink in the fern print. I thought I'd try it with blue instead for a bit of a change, I liked it. Since I was trying a new colour combination, I kept the shoes and bag neutral.


Last worn: navy mac jacket, wool skull scarffern print dress, Marc Jacobs flats, Mulberry Bayswater tote.

Other ways to wearnavy mac jacket and printed jeans, wool skull scarf and teal topfern print dress and pink accessoriesMarc Jacobs flats and colourful jeans, Mulberry Bayswater tote for casual Friday.

Perfect for pregnancy: printed dress in second trimester, Mulberry Bayswater and third trimester bump.



Black Printed Jersey Dresses Under $50:








What I wore:

knitted midi dress and flats for office winter trench coat and tights | Away From Bluw

Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather for the office | Away From The Blue
Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Scarf: Supre neon pink leopard print scarf
Dress: black and white knit dress from my Grandma's wardrobe
ShoesMarc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black!)
BagMulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather (get it second hand and cheaper hereor here)


Why I wore it:

My mum bought this dress back from a visit with my grandparents at the start of the year. It's labeled to be 3 sizes larger than I usually wear, but we are all fairly certain the label is wrong. It's a lovely knit dress, so perfect for winter.

I wanted to add a little colour to the outfit and was hunting through for a scarf when I saw this neon leopard print one hasn't been worn yet this year I thought it was ideal. I figured it was far enough from the fun blurred black and white print on the skirt to work.

Still not completely sure on it looking at the photos now, but I did feel happy and comfortable in this during the day.

I'd love to wear this dress with heels too - being petite, midi lengths like this can sometimes make me look shorter than I am. I considered getting this hemmed but not sure I want to loose the slight scalloped edge that's there at the moment, so I'll just try it with heels next time.


Last worn: camel trench, neon leopard print scarf, gold mouse flats, Mulberry Bayswater (above). First time I've worn the dress as it's a hand-me-down from my Grandma's wardrobe.

Other ways to wearcamel trench and jeans, neon leopard print scarf and grey tee, gold mouse flats and skinny jeans, Mulberry Bayswater and orange dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: trench coat in the first trimester, scarf hiding a first trimester belly, mouse flats and maternity pencil skirtMulberry Bayswater and wrap dress in second trimester.



Black Knit Dresses Under $50:










How You Can Wear It:



A classic little black dress works for so many occasions. Just like a plain dress, a printed dress is perfect for the office. A dress is an instant pull-on and go outfit that you don't need to think too hard about accessorising with. You can definitely have fun and try different accessories with it though, especially in winter when you pull most of the layers off when you get to your workplace anyway.


Linking up with On Trend, Trend Spin, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, Style On The Daily, Fashion Frenzy, Modest Monday.


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Friday 11 August 2017

Winter Maxi Skirts, Knits and Red Saddle Bag

I love my maxi skirts, even in winter. An easy way to make them winter-appropriate is by adding a cosy knit jumper. My bright handbags are another thing I wear often in winter too, I don't think you need to reserve brighter bags for summer wear.

What I wore:

monochrome blue maxi skirt knit winter outfit with red accessories saddle bag | Away From Blue

blue knit and chambray with red Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag | Away From The Blue
Jumper: Valleygirl blue knit jumper
SkirtNoisy May long denim maxi skirt
ShoesConverse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
BagRebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in blue!)

Why I wore it:

I decided to wear this knit because as I said in my previous post, I'm trying to wear through more of my winter things before the cold weather disappears. I thought this jumper would look nice in a monochrome outfit with my chambray maxi skirt.

It was a very cold day when I wore this to playgroup though. As we'd have to be outside, I added a few extra layers. A long sleeve top under my jumper, and some leggings under my maxi skirt. The chambray isn't the thickest material to keep me cosy in winter, but the leggings underneath worked perfectly for our time spent at the playground outside.

I've worn red and blue together before and liked the combo, so the red skull scarf and saddle bag seemed like a nice touch with all of the blue.


Last worn: cobalt marle knit, red skull scarf, chambray maxi skirt, white Converse, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag.

Other ways to wearcobalt marle knit and pencil skirt, red skull scarf and striped dress, chambray maxi skirt in summer, Converse and printed dress, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag and printed kimono.

Perfect for pregnancy: red skull scarf in second trimester, Converse and maternity denim shorts.


Colourful Knits Under $50:








What I wore:

Wildfox Couture rainbow dreamer Lennon distressed knit, striped maxi skirt | AwayFromBlue

striped skirt, Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red | AwayFromTheBlue
JumperWildfox Couture rainbow dreamer Lennon distressed knit (from my bestie's wardrobe)
Skirt: Target black and white striped maxi skirt
ShoesConverse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
BagRebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

First time I wore this knit I didn't manage to get a blog photo, although I did share a pic on my insta stories. My friend very generously let me have this Wildfox Couture jumper when she had a wardrobe clearout last year. It took a while for the weather to be cool enough to wear it again.

It's a very comfy knit, and it's got a lot of distressing on it. So much so that when I shared it on Insta stories people asked if Cooper had gotten to it, ha! The first time around I found that the rips were a little inconvenient with a toddler, he kept grabbing at them.

This time around I rolled up the sleeves and tucked the jumper in a little to keep the distressing out of the way, and found it a lot more kid-friendly. I wore this to work from home and do the daycare drop off/pickup so it limited the amount of time the boys could tug on it too 😂

Will try pick a fairly kid free day for the next time I wear this jumper too. It's too cosy and pretty to leave in a box until next winter when the boys are bigger and less grabby.


Last worn: striped maxi skirt, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag (above). First time I've worn this rainbow knit on the blog.

Other ways to wearstriped maxi skirt worn 30 ways, Converse and printed shirt dress, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: stripe maxi skirt and graphic tee in third trimester, Converse for a weekend away in second trimester.



Maxi Skirts Under $50:










How You Can Wear It:


Maxi skirts can be layered up and worn year round. You can add a colourful and cosy knit to be weather appropriate. If it's a really cold day or you plan on being outside a lot, you can add hidden layers with a long sleeve tee or even leggings underneath. I'm wearing Converse in these outfits but ankle boots are another option to keep your feet cosy.

Make these outfits work for breastfeeding by layering a breastfeeding singlet under and just lifting the jumper to feed.


Linking up with Friday Faves, Friday Favourites, Passion for Fashion, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, On Monday We Link Up, Hello Monday, Modest Monday, Mummy Monday.



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