Sharing a bit of everything with this What I bought post! Just like last month, I'm wrapping up a few weeks of purchases at once, so sharing my April and May autumn purchases.
Fashion items I picked up before our trip away, as well as the souvenirs I bought in Europe. (Technically the Europe purchases are spring buys but it felt like winter to me over there 😂 )
Quite a few impulse buys this month! The Mickey Mouse tee was something I hadn't intended to buy, I went to Uniqlo to check out the kids Disney tees for our Disneyland trip and when I saw adult sizes I had to get one too! I was hunting for kid's shoes in Big W when I came across the mustard tee and given how much I love mustard and that I've been wearing a lot of v-neck tees lately, had to add that to my trolley!
The berry blouse I'd been admiring at Jeanswest for a while waiting for a sale, and when it was reduced from $70 to $20 I had to buy it! They didn't have my size in store so I had to order it in and when it arrived shortly before we left I decided just to pack it for my trip as a last minute addition. The denim jacket is something I've had on my wishlist for a while, my current one is over 10 years old and I've mentioned a few times I want to update it, and when I saw this one I knew it would be perfect.
The Mickey Mouse scarf and the Edinburgh tourist tee were fun souvenirs from our trip!
How I've Worn It:
Not everything has been worn twice to meet my 'wear twice in the month I buy it' goals. Due to 3 weeks of travelling I'm giving myself a bit of grace there! The orange cami my mum picked up in the sales I couldn't wear due to the cold temps, which is a shame as it's so cute! I did get in one wear when I got back to Brisbane.
I'm thrilled I've hit 30 wears with this dress so I can finally dedicate a post to it! An impulse buy from Zara during a trip to Sydney, before we had a Zara here in Brisbane. This dress is something I love wearing.
30 Ways To Wear: Navy Shift Dress
Cost Per Wear
I can't calculate cost per wear with this dress sadly as I forget how much it cost. I did buy it back in September 2012! It's taken me around 6 and a half years to hit 30 wears with it, despite really wanting to hit 30 wears back in 2018, as it's not the best length for days with toddlers. If you're running around and bending over and picking things and children up the tunic style can feel a little short. Of course there are some ways I can work around that, that I've shown below.
Another factor affecting the cost per wear calculation is that I actually managed to tear this dress a few years ago. I had to have it repaired, so that cost would factor in as well. I can't remember how much that cost though either! 😂
30 Ways To Wear A Navy Shift Dress: Video Style
Navy Shift Dress With A Pop Of Colour
I'm all for adding a little extra colour to an outfit with accessories. And this navy dress is the perfect neutral piece to really let the bright accessories pop! A necklace, bag or jacket, all look great with the neutral navy backdrop. I like red with the navy, but green works well too.
Belting a Printed Shift Dress
This is probably one of the simplest ways to change up a dress, just add a belt! It's a nice way to make an old favourite feel a little fresher, just by adding another accessory.
Tunic Dress Worn As A Top
As mentioned above, this tunic length can feel a little short some days. The longer sleeves and modest neckline mean this top is great for the office, just too short to meet the dress code guidelines. Adding a pencil skirt over the top solves that problem and instantly creates a professional outfit from a casual dress. It works well for stay at home mum days by tucking the tunic into some shorts too!
Navy Printed Shift Dress With More Blue
It's no secret blue is my favourite colour - I love wearing every shade of it! A neutral navy shift dress is a great excuse for me to add more blue to my outfit - even if the shades don't match, the blue on blue colour combination is one I really enjoy wearing. Denim jackets, or blue bags, anything goes!
Shift Dress With Ankle Boots
A dress and ankle boots is a great way to extend the life of your summer dresses into spring and Autumn - it's a classic combo and one that works so well with a shift dress like this.
Printed Tunic Dress With Converse
Of course if boots aren't your thing, a dress and Converse works well too! They are a really practical choice for mum life and like the boots above it's a combination I wear in spring and autumn quite a bit.
Shift Dress In Winter
You can extend the life of your favourite summer dresses by wearing them in winter too! With a cosy pair of tights or leggings underneath, and a few more winter layers. This is a great option for running around with the kids too, you aren't as worried about the tunic length if you have a pair of leggings underneath.
Printed Shift Dress In Pregnancy
This dress was the best in all trimesters! It was simple and fuss free and as you can see the print is great at hiding a baby bump for the early second trimester. It was nice and light to wear when pregnant in heatwaves. Although it did get a little short in the third trimester with the bump pulling it up, nothing a pair of leggings couldn't fix!
Where To Buy Navy Printed Shift Dresses Under $50:
I've been looking forward to doing this 30 wears post for a while, this textured blue lace pencil skirt is a firm favourite!
With this monthly series, I pick a piece from my wardrobe I've worn over 30 times and go back through my blog archives to show you some of the ways I've worn it. Inspired by the #30wears challenge!
30 Ways To Wear: ASOS Blue Contrast Lace Pencil Skirt
There are a few reasons why I've been looking forward to doing this post. This is a pencil skirt that is a frequent reader favourite whenever it pops up on the blog, it was an impulse sale buy that really has worked for my wardrobe, and something I've hit much more than 30 wears on. A few of those wears were way back at the start of my blog so I wanted to wait until I could use a little more recent pics and less of the early days headless shots for this compilation post!
I bought this skirt after falling in love with it in a photo online - I think it may have been a photo of Wendy's but I'm not sure after all these years. I was sad to see it was sold out, and thrilled when it was in stock in my size and on sale a little later. I hurriedly bought it back in January 2012. The elastic waist means it still fits now just as it did pre-babies and during my pregnancies!
Cost Per Wear
Luckily I have the old email confirmation of my ASOS order to know that I paid $35.49 for this skirt 7 years ago! After wearing it more than 37 times, it's down to less than a dollar per wear, that magic figure that seems to be the goal for most people. Pretty good CPW for such a statement piece! Surprisingly, I don't have any of the other things I bought from that ASOS order still in my wardrobe, including a plain black pencil skirt I purchased at the same time. Apart from one small snag to the lace, this skirt still looks as good as new.
30 Ways To Wear A Blue Lace Pencil Skirt: Video Style
Blue Pencil Skirt With Grey
This is a theme that will pop up a lot more often as you scroll through the photos in this post - I really like pairing blue and grey together, so I do that frequently with this navy lace skirt. I particularly like that darker charcoal grey tee with it!
Lace Pencil Skirt Belted
Remember a few years ago when everyone belted everything?! I think it worked really nicely with this pencil skirt, I should probably try it again soon! I think belting this high waisted skirt really helped visually lengthen my petite frame.
Blue Pencil Skirt With Brights
From a bright handbag, bright scarf or just a bold brightly coloured tank, I love the way this blue lace skirt compliments other bright pieces in my outfit.
Lace Pencil Skirt With A Blazer
This blue lace pencil skirt is a work staple, and of course a blazer is an office essential too. The cream jersey blazer is frequently paired with this lace skirt as it matches the beige base background the lace is overlaid on.
Blue Pencil Skirt In Monochromatic Outfit
When you're not sure what to wear with something, pick another piece in a similar colour! While the lace on this pencil skirt is navy, it works so well with different shades of blue. And with blue being my favourite colour, monochromatic blue outfits make me happy!
Blue Lace Pencil Skirt With Purple
Blue and purple is one of those colour combinations I frequently wear. I like how the colours work together. You can try a lot of purple like a purple tank, or a little bit of purple with an accessory like a purple scarf or bag.
Lace Pencil Skirt and Winter Layers
This blue lace pencil skirt is a great spring / summer piece, but it works nicely layered up for winter too, the blue lace really stands out with black layers or tights. It's definitely something I wear more in warmer weather, but being a thick material it's not too cold to wear in the cooler months.
Blue Pencil Skirt With White Tops
Like most mums, white isn't my go-to colour! I do like wearing it when I'm in the office though as it is a little easier to keep white clothes clean when I only have my clumsiness to worry about and not two adorable little toddlers that could leave stains! When I first got this skirt, white was a frequent go-to with it, before I tried more of the colour combinations you've seen above. Nothing wrong with having a classic go-to option for wearing a statement piece.
Where To Buy Lace Pencil Skirts Under $50:
More Posts In the 30 Wears Series
If you're looking for more outfit inspiration with a lace pencil skirt, see all 37+ times I've worn it in my archives.
For even more ways to wear ideas, here are some related posts in the 30 wears series:
