SAHM Style: Maxi Skirts in Winter ~ Adding Some Colour

These pictures were taken earlier in June, before the 'Antarctic Vortex' hit Australia. No chance of going jacket-less now, ha! I'm just a little behind with blogging, so these are some different ways I've worn maxi skirts in winter with slightly more normal Queensland temperatures! I'd been feeling a little like I'd been neglecting my maxi skirts lately so I made more of an effort to wear them.

First, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to the public! I mentioned it when it was open to card holders last week so you could add some things to your wishlist ready to purchase. Wanted to share the sale with you now it's open to everyone, even though I'm doing #noBuyJuly15 and won't be buying.
Don't let my shopping ban stop you from picking up some bargains! Unless of course you are also doing #noBuyJuly15, in which case don't click on the links, think of how much you're saving by skipping the sale instead.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)

Scarf:  Seed Heritage Paisley print snood (on sale!)
Jumper: thrifted blue Mossman knit jumper
Skirt: Target black and white striped maxi skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini quilted affair bag in fire engine red (on sale in pink and on sale in black)

Why I wore it:

I was actually quite cosy in this outfit - good for a quiet Sunday doing some shopping. We had a big night the evening before with friends so a relaxing day was welcome! Did a little bit of print mixing with the paisley snood and the striped maxi skirt, and I thought the bright colours of the bag and jumper worked well together.

It's the second time I've worn both the jumper and the handbag, so I'll be doing purchase reviews for both. I don't know if it's the fact that I'm so behind with blogging or because I just bought so much in June, but I've really fallen behind with sharing what I wore immediately after buying it. Although I did manage to wear both these items in June, the same month I purchased them, it's just taken them a while to get onto the blog. I think #noBuyJuly15 will help me get on track and just wear and enjoy what I own for a while! I definitely need a break from shopping. Despite all the great sales at the moment!


This jumper was an impulse buy, I saw it as I walked past the local op-shop and couldn't stop thinking how perfect it was for winter. It met the 'wardrobe gap' I have of being a nice plain block colour top, so I bought it. It's cosy and comfortable and machine washable so great for winter with baby. I like the curved hem, it's a really good length on me for layering over skirts (or dresses!) as it's slightly cropped and hits at a flattering spot without overwhelming my petite frame. I did recently buy another blue knit, so this wasn't a real 'must have', more an impulse buy. I do think the two tops are different enough for them both to get some wear, and I got rid of a third blue knit I already had to make this purchase make a little more sense! Otherwise my wardrobe is going to turn into a big pile of blue again....

The handbag was another impulse buy! June really was the month of unnecessary purchases....I'd often thought about trying this style of Rebecca Minkoff bag, as I like my mini MAC bags, and I know this is similar in size. When I saw it on ebay, and then when it was relisted again...I decided to just go for it. It was a bargain! I'm still not sure it's a keeper in my bag collection - it's nice, but I do prefer the mini MAC style so this probably was not the best purchase. It's still going to get used, maybe just not as much as my other Rebecca Minkoff cross body bags.

I did a video review for the bag too:

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, paisley print snood, blue knit jumper, striped maxi skirt, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini affair bag.

Other ways to wear: snood in spring with chambray, jumper layered over a maxi dress, striped maxi skirt with purple, black ankle boots with denim, red bag with a neutral outfit.

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Some great maxi skirt options:

What I wore:

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf in Island pine-print

Top: Jeanswest 'Aubrey' pintuck yoke henley in deep teal
Skirt: Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

This outfit was not warm enough, even with the scarf! I spent a bit too much time in the morning trying to see if any other scarves looked nice before I settled on this combination - which I've worn before - so that when I did manage to get out the door with baby I hadn't spent any time thinking I'd need a jacket! Luckily we weren't outside for too long.

I wasn't too sure of the combination of scarf and top together last time I wore them, but I really liked it this time around. I would have liked it even more if I'd remembered a jacket of course ;)


Last worn: printed scarf, teal henley, black jersey maxi skirt, Converse, Louis Vuitton Speedy bandouliere bag.

Other ways to wear: printed scarf with jeans and a blazer, teal henley with jeans, black maxi skirt with a printed tank, Converse with skinny jeans, Louis Vuitton Speedy bandouliere bag for the office.

Linking up with Passion for Fashion, Friday Favourites, Casual Friday, Flashback Fashion, Favourite Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Fashion Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Let It Shine, Shoe and Tell, Modest Monday today.

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Corporate Style: Winter Printed Dresses For a Business Casual Office

First up, had to share this sale with you! Shopbop are having an extra 25% off the designer boutique sale items with the code '25EXTRA'. It's sales like these that make #noBuyJuly15 so difficult to stick to! I love the extra discounts on Shopbop on top of their already good sale prices.

If you're not on a shopping ban, check out the sale! I will be skipping this sale, I'm at the halfway point with #noBuyJuly15. I've been so good for the first half of the month, just need to continue that for the rest of the month! If you're doing the no shopping challenge with us too, ignore the sale info above (sorry!) and make sure to check out the survival plan on Beth's blog for some great tips about making it through the month without buying anything!


Just like the previous post, more dresses for the office! I thought after the June Dress Week style challenge I did I'd be over dresses, but I am enjoying the simplicity of them for work. Just throw on and go, no need to try coordinating pieces. I even kept the same coat and bag. The two dresses below are new ones from my June purchases.

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Cardigan: Jeanswest Peggie kimono in purple mulberry marle
Dress: Jeanswest Sadie silk printed shift dress (new purchase)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

This dress was a complete bargain for a silk dress! It was on sale at Jeanswest, and then reduced to an extra 50% off on top. A $130 dress reduced to $30, just had to get it. I know that silk (and any hand-wash only item) is not the most practical fabric to have around baby, so I'll be keeping this dress as work-only for a while.

This was great for the office, lunch with the girls and then dinner after work with friends. I was a little paranoid about baby's sticky hands on my dress at dinner though, may have been wiser to have worn this on a different day. I just kept wrapping my cardi around to cover as much of the dress as possible!

This is actually the third time I've worn these ankle boots. The second time I posted them, I forgot to do my usual purchase review!
I bought these in June to replace my heeled black ankle boots, wanting a pair that feel better suited to life with baby. I really like these. They go with everything, from jeans to maxi dresses.
They are leather, only have the tiniest of heels (about a centimetre), they are the perfect ankle boot height for me and even better, they were on sale at The Iconic so were a bargain. They will be getting a lot of wear over the rest of winter, and in Spring too!


Last worn: black trench, purple cardi, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote. First time I've worn this dress as it is a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: pencil skirt and black trench, purple cardi with denim, ankle boots with a maxi dress, print mixing with Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote.

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More printed dresses:

What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina
Dress: Target Danni Minogue Petites printed wrap dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

This dress is almost completely hidden by the trench coat and scarf, but it was a cold day! This is the first faux-wrap dress I've ever owned. Usually I hate them, they have the look of a wrap dress but none of the flexibility to adjust them to sit just right. I've never had one look good on me before. This is from the Dannii Minogue petites range at Target (maybe an Aussie only range) and it fits perfectly! I'd seen it a few times in passing but been put off by the price, so when it was on sale I took the chance to try it on. I discovered it was a faux wrap dress in the change room but decided to try it anyway, and fell in love. It just sits perfectly! I'm pleased I tried it on, and although I haven't bought any more from the range (as my size was almost always sold out) I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye any sales on the line in future.

As it's the second time I've worn these shoes, my purchase review:
I like these! I think I'll keep an eye out for this brand going on sale again too! Marc by Marc Jacobs is my usual go-to for ballet flats, but with the Aussie dollar not doing so great even at sale time they are pushing my 'limit' for shoes, so it's nice to find another brand I like. The flats are comfortable, practical and easy to wear. The sole is thicker than a usual ballet flat so it's nicely padded, and the elasticated backs don't rub at all (which I was a little concerned about). Not sad to see my old black flats go, and really happy with these replacements.


Last worn: black trench (above), turquoise pashmina, Walnut black flats, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote (above). First time I've worn the dress as it is a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: black trench with black, white and tan, turquoise pashmina with a different printed dress, black flats with skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote with pencil skirts.

Linking up with Pleated Poppy, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, The Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Fashion Files, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday, Feature Friday today.

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Corporate Style: Fit and Flare Dresses ~ Winter Layering

Two simple fit and flare dresses for the office, layered up with some colour for winter. I took these photos without my trench over the top so you can see the layering better, but winter mornings are especially cold so I still needed a jacket. I do like being able to show all of the layers for photos instead of hiding them under a jacket, but it's much colder this way...probably will go back to wearing all my layers and staying cosy for pictures!

What I wore:

Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood (on sale!)

Tee: Valleygirl blue 3/4 sleeve tee
Dress: Jeanswest 'Rita' stripe jersey dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

Had to brave photos in the cold without my jacket so you could see the blue tee underneath! This tee was one of my May purchases, and I just managed to wear it twice in June. I took these photos in the last week of June, I'm just a bit behind in blogging. I had planned to wear it sooner, but having to stay home and look after an unwell baby meant I was just waiting for another chance to wear this outfit! I was pleased I got to wear this eventually, I much preferred this outfit over the last time I wore this dress.

So since it's the second time I've worn this tee, my purchase review:
I'm pleased I bought this. I used to have a wide range of layering tees like this and I ended up donating them as I had much more than I would ever wear. I think the last I ever wore one was back in 2013! However I noticed the gap this winter, pieces like this are great under dresses to add some colour and keep warm. Plus with the fill a bag for $2 sale at the local 'op shop' and a bag full of clothes for baby T, adding in an extra top didn't cost me any more. I'm pleased I got it and although I don't wear this style of top very often I'm glad I have it for those occasions I do want something like this. Happy with this purchase, even if it's not the kind of thing I need to wear everyday.

The difficulty with wearing this top twice in the month after buying it made me re-evaluate and return some of my June purchases too. While plain, bright coloured tops are a gap in my wardrobe, I don't need more tops, I have plenty! So I'm definitely going to be buying less tops for a while. (I won't be buying any in July while I'm doing #noBuyJuly15 of course!) I'll focus on wearing more of the tops I own and getting rid of the ones that no longer work for me to free up some space!


Last worn: plain blue top, printed snood, stripe fit and flare dress, ankle strap heels, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: blue top with a pencil skirt, snood in spring with chambray, stripe dress in summer for baby's dedication, ankle strap heels with pencil skirts, Rebecca Minkoff navy MAB tote with printed pieces.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink (on sale!)
Dress: Jeanswest tucked ponte black dress
Belt: Kmart thin black glitter belt
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

Although I wasn't too happy with the full outfit last time I wore this blazer (it would have been better with a different scarf) I really liked it belted so I was eager to try it again. I really liked this outfit! It's taken me a while to figure out how to make this blazer work for me but I think belting is the way to go! It looks much better belted with a LBD for the office than worn loose.


Last worn: pink Alexander McQueen skull scarf, pink boyfriend blazer, black glitter belt, black dress, black heels (above), Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: Alexander McQueen skull scarf with a maxi skirt in spring, pink boyfriend blazer with denim shorts, printed dress with a glitter belt, belted LBD for the office in summer.

Linking up with Modest Monday, Style To Inspire, Mix It Monday, On the daily Express, More Pieces of Me, Turning Heads Tuesday, Style Sessions, Real Mom Style, Confident Twosday, Trend Spin Linkup, Wardrobe Wednesday today.

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