Chambray Shirt Alternatives: Dress and Maxi Skirt With Balenciaga Bags

A chambray shirt is a blogger staple, and is on so many 'wardrobe essential' lists. I've never found the perfect one for me, but I do love the chambray dress and maxi skirt I have. Pairing something chambray with a printed kimono makes an easy autumn outfit.

What I wore:

Jacket: The Kindness Kimono 'Dream Catch Me' print

Necklace: ZuriCollections blue polymer clay necklace
Dress: Jeanswest Rachel Lyocell chambray dress (C/O)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH
Towel: Tesalate 'The Swell' sand free towel (C/O)

Why I wore it:

Another warmer than expected autumn day! I actually managed to spend some time in the pool in morning, before the rain and a storm blew in in the evening. While it was a little frustrating having summer continue well into autumn, it's been good to take advantage of the heat and get in more pool time before it's too cold!

I had the chance to use my new Tesalate towel too, you might have seen my review of my first Tsalate towel on the blog before. This time around I enjoyed its absorbency features more than its sand-repelling features! Especially after a rather rigorous paddling session from the boys, who thought it was too cold to join me for a swim in the pool but had fun splashing on the sidelines.

While I had a relaxed morning, it was a busier afternoon getting groceries and doing my eye test. So funny chatting to the optician as last time I was there I was very heavily pregnant with Baby Boy, we were amazed how quickly things change. Luckily no new glasses needed for me!

It's not the first time I've worn this dress with a kimono. I love the way prints look against the blue chambray dress, it's a nice combination. It was a good layer to have when it did start getting cooler in the evening too.


Last worn: Kindness Collective kimono, button up chambray dress, Havaianas, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: printed kimono and shorts, button up chambray dress for breastfeeding, Balenciaga Part Time bag in the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: chambray dress in second trimester, Balenciaga Part Time bag in second trimester.

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My Balenciaga Handbag And Accessory Collection:

(This video is from 2012! I've filmed an updated Balenciaga collection video that will be on my YouTube channel soon, so subscribe to my channel if you don't want to miss that!)

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What I wore:

Jacket: New Look Petite print kimono
Necklace: ZuriCollections blue polymer clay necklace
Tee: Atmos&Here grey v-neck tee with rolled sleeves (also in black)
Skirt: Noisy May long denim maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

A slightly more autumnal outfit here! I added the kimono and the Converse as we were running a few more errands and going to playgroup. The playground is mostly in the shade and can be cooler in the mornings so I thought the extra layers and cosier shoes would be useful! Of course by the time we left playgroup I was wishing I'd stuck with my trusty Havaianas, it turned into another really warm day.

I do find this chambray maxi skirt tricky to layer with sometimes, as it is a fuller skirt. Usually it's better to pair more fitted pieces with it, but I wanted comfortable loose layers so picked this slouchy grey tee and then added another voluminous piece with the kimono on top. Thought it turned out okay though, the perfect relaxed outfit for a relaxed morning.

We stopped at the opshop, spent time at playgroup and picked up some groceries (that I'd forgotten to get on the previous day!). The highlight of the boys' day was definitely the huge bag of toys we got from the opshop for $4 - plenty of trains to keep them happy!


Last worn: new look navy kimono, grey v-neck tee, chambray maxi skirt, Converse Chucks, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Other ways to wear: navy kimono and burgundy pants, grey tee and skinny jeans, chambray maxi skirt and leather jacket, Converse and denim shorts, Balenciaga tempete day bag and pencil skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: navy kimono in second trimester, grey tee for second trimester travel, Converse in second trimester, Balenciaga tempete day in third trimester.

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Chambray Dresses and Maxi Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

If the latest 'must have' item doesn't work for you or your wardrobe, try finding something similar to get the look instead. For a popular fabric like chambray or velvet, you can find a piece that fits a need in your wardrobe. A chambray shirt may be a classic, but I wear dresses and skirts more often than shirts! Much like denim, a chambray piece is a perfect backdrop for a colourful printed kimono, as I've worn in both outfits here.


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Dressing Up Tees For The Office: Business Casual Style With Pencil Skirts and Blazers

The benefit of working in a business casual environment is that it's perfectly acceptable to wear a tee to work. It was a staple for casual Fridays for me (back when I worked 5 days a week) but I thought I'd give it a go again recently. With some heels, a pencil skirt and a blazer, I felt my tees were dressed up perfectly for my office - particularly when my boss is wearing jeans. I do have a very casual business casual office.

What I wore:

Jacket:  Zara cream jersey blazer
Necklace: Lovisa wooden statement bead necklace
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Mimi' heels in mushroom
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

I didn't like this outfit as much as I'd hoped. Last time I wore this cream blazer with grey I wasn't very impressed with the final outfit. I decided to try it again with a grey tee this time, one of my favourite grey pieces, so I was sure I'd love it. I really didn't like this combo though. It was a comment from Sheila that explained it to me: the grey tee is a cool neutral, the cream blazer a warm neutral, and they are both a similar intensity of colour, so they don't look great together.

It's definitely not going to be a combination I repeat again in a hurry. I did think about a bright necklace with this in the morning to add some more colour, and think that or a scarf would have helped. I thought the purple Balenciaga work bag would be bright enough but it really wasn't.

It was a really busy day at work though, so it flew by and I didn't have much time to question my outfit choices, other than to kick myself for not taking an extra minute or two to try something different when I looked in the mirror that morning before leaving the house! I forgot my lipstick and mascara that morning too - I think I was still half asleep for a while! 😂


Last worn: cream jersey blazer, grey v-neck tee, ASOS lace pencil skirt, mushroom heels, Balenciaga purple work bag.

Other ways to wear: cream jersey blazer and a-line skirt, grey v-neck tee and kimono, ASOS lace pencil skirt, mushroom heels and flares, Balenciaga purple work bag and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: cream jersey blazer in second trimester, grey v-neck tee in second trimester, ASOS lace pencil skirt.

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Review and Contents of the Balenciaga Work Bag

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer

Necklace: Eye Candy LA 'Sasha' statement necklace

Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in washed lilac

Skirt: Warehouse navy jacquard pencil skirt

Shoes: Wittner 'Lumen' heel in patent leather

Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

Was a little unsure about the lilac tee with the darker purple bag when I was planning this in my head, but I really liked this outfit! Unlike the outfit  above, I think this black blazer matched the outfit nicely, with the black texture on the skirt.

It's really interesting how even if you follow the same outfit formula you can have such different results with the outfits you create! Definitely shows me I still have lots to learn about style :)

What also helped I think was the bright colourful statement necklace to make me look more awake this time, as well as remembering to put my lipstick on! 😂

Last worn: black jersey blazer, lilac v-neck tee, jacquard pencil skirt, patent heels, Balenciaga purple work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: black jersey blazer and dress as a top, lilac v-neck tee and jeans, jacquard pencil skirt in winter, patent heels and burgundy pants, Balenciaga purple work bag and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: black jersey blazer in third trimester, lilac v-neck tee in second trimester, jacquard pencil skirt in first trimester.

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V-Neck Tees Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A tee is one of those pieces you can easily dress up or down just by changing what you wear with it. If you have a more formal dress code these might be casual Friday only options for you. If you have a business casual environment like mine or aren't in a customer facing role then dressing up a casual tee for the office with a blazer, pencil skirt and heels could be a great mid-week outfit idea for you!


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