Friday, 1 November 2019

30 Ways To Wear: Navy Rebecca Minkoff Medium MAB Tote Bag

I really enjoy putting these 30 ways to wear posts together, it's a good way to look back at my outfits, gives me some inspiration for things to wear in future. I hope it inspires you too!

This month I'm sharing my beautiful navy blue Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote bag. Don't let the name fool you, this bag is quite large! (Although it does come in a smaller size that I also own, and an even larger size too!)

30 Ways To Wear: Rebecca Minkoff Medium MAB Tote Bag

30 ways to wear Navy tote bag Rebecca Minkoff MAB medium tote in moon | awayfromblue blog

I'm surprised it's taken me so long to put this post together! This bag is often worn to the office, it's a great tote for fitting anything and everything in and still looking classy when it sits on my desk. While I have tried it casually once, I much prefer keeping it as an office only bag, when the structured design works better with my outfits.


Cost Per Wear


I picked this up in the Rebecca Minkoff sale for $202.65 back in 2015. At 39 wears, it's still got a lot to go to hit the "$1 per wear" figure people aim for (currently at $5.19) but I can see myself using this for many years to come, it is such a timeless tote design. I do tend to use it for work, which is why I'm only just past 30 wears now, I had a 18 month maternity leave from 2016 to 2017 so I haven't been reaching for it all 4 years I've had it!


30 Ways To Wear: Navy Tote Bag Video Style








MAB Tote Bag with Monochromatic Blue Outfits


4 outfit ideas monochromatic blue outfits with navy MAB tote bag | awayfromblue


Blue is my favourite colour - I wear it to boost my mood and my confidence and also when I'm just having a great day and want to continue that happy feeling! I love a monochromatic blue outfit, and paired with this navy blue Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB bag, it creates an outfit I adore. I just need a blue pair of shoes now to go head-to-toe blue!


Navy Tote Bag with Black


3 ways to wear a navy tote bag with black outfits | away from the blue


If you haven't tried it, navy and black is a great colour combination! I think the two neutrals work so well together. A navy bag with a black outfit is a nice way to try the colour combination out on a smaller scale. You can go monochromatic black with a dress, a little bit of black with a pencil skirt, and even break up the colour a little with a bright scarf if you're unsure about just wearing the navy and black side by side.


Navy MAB Tote Bag With Pink


4 pink and navy outfit ideas with rebecca minkoff mab tote bag | away from the blue


Another much loved colour combination of mine! I like pink and blue together, in any combination of shades. As you can see from these otufits, from a pastel pink blazer to a hot pink tee, the navy MAB tote bag works with every intensity of pink. If you just want to try the colour combination in a small way, and a pink dress with a navy bag like the fits outfit is too bold for you, you could always add a pink scarf to your outfit.


MAB Tote Bag Matching Other Navy Pieces In Outfit


4 ways to wear a navy bag matching other navy pieces in your outfit | away from blue


Matchy-matchy makes it so easy to pull an outfit together! When you're not sure what bag to wear you can just pick one that matches a colour in your outfit. It's a simple tip but it really helps an outfit feel more cohesive, even if it's just as simple as a navy scarf to match your bag.


Navy MAB Tote Bag With Printed Dresses For The office


5 ways to wear a navy rebecca minkoff mab tote bag with printed dresses | awayfromblue

Printed dresses are an office staple, they make getting ready for work so easy as you don't have to mix and match with a one and done outfit! As you can see in the pics, no matter the print or colour of the dress, this neutral navy tote works with them all.


MAB Tote Bag with Pencil Skirts At Work


4 outfit ideas with a large navy tote bag and pencil skirt for the office | away from the blue


Another staple work option for me, the classic pencil skirt. A big tote bag looks nice with a pencil skirt outfit, and works more formally with a blazer to dress up a more casual cardigan and skirt outfit. You can't go wrong with a structured tote and pencil skirt in the office!


Navy MAB Tote Bag With Print Mixing Office Outfits


3 print mixing outfit ideas with navy tote bag rebecca minkoff mab in moon | away from the blue


It's nice to have a little fun with your outfit when you're wearing a neutral bag - you can be more adventurous with colour or prints. Even if you just add a little hint of print mixing to your outfit by adding a printed scarf on top of a different print, a neutral tote is a great complimentary accessory, as you don't have to worry about the big block colour clashing with any of the prints.


Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote Bag Accessorised with Scarves


3 ways to accessorise a navy tote bag with a scarf | awayfromtheblue


This is quite a large tote, and sometimes it can feel a little plain being a big neutral square. As you've seen in the outfits above, a bag charm is a cute addition to the bag to break up the colour a little, and in these outfits I've accessorised the bag by tying scarves around the handles. This works well on the way to the office when it's a hot summer day but you know you will need a scarf at your desk in the cold aircon! It's also a nice way to add another colour or print to your outfit.





Where to Buy Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote Bag:







More Outfit Ideas:


For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all the 39+ ways I've worn this navy tote in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

Linking up with What I Wore Sunday, On Mondays We Link Up.


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Friday, 4 October 2019

30 Ways To Wear: Grey Maxi Cardigan

I'm sharing another outerwear piece for this months 30 ways to wear post! Last month I showed you 30 ways to wear a camel trench coat, this month it's this lovely grey longline maxi cardigan (also known as a duster) from Jeanswest, in the cosiest Australian wool.

Every month I share something I've worn more than 30 times to give you some ideas and inspiration for how you can wear a similar piece in your wardrobe. Inspired by the 30 wears challenge I first heard about in The True Cost documentary.


30 Ways To Wear: Grey Maxi Cardigan


30 Ways To Wear: Grey Wool Maxi Cardigan Awayfromtheblue blog


It does feel a little strange sharing this cardigan right now, in the middle of spring when it's been packed away for a few weeks! It's a very thick and cosy Australian wool cardigan, perfect for a Brisbane winter, but not something that's been needed much in the hot spring we've had so far. I was so happy to realise I'd hit 30 wears with it though this year (35 to be exact) so I was eager to share it.

Cost Per Wear


I picked up this 'Alice' wool cardigan in the Jeanswest autumn sale back in 2017, so I've had it 2 and a half years. I paid $88.15 for it, and with 35 wears so far that works out to $2.50 a wear. Still more wears to go to reach the "$1 per wear" figure most people aim for, but I'm impressed that I've worn it so much so far. 35 wears over 3 winters is about 12 wears a year, and given that our winter weather barely lasts three months in Brisbane that's a great number! It's something I like reaching for over and over when it's chilly.

It is definitely showing its age, there's a lot of pilling on it as it's been worn and washed. I've run a fuzzball remover over it a few times but it's quite a thick wool so I'm not sure you see much of a difference, ha! It's still so cosy and comfortable though so I will continue to wear it, nothing wrong with pieces looking a little lived in! It's expected for wool to have pilling over time I think anyway.




30 Ways To Wear: Maxi Cardigan Video Style







Grey Maxi Cardigan And Bright Jeans

grey maxi cardigan and bright colourful denim skinny jeans | away from the blue



A nice neutral, long cardigan like this is wonderful to wear with different coloured denim! I love wearing my red, green and purple skinny jeans with this cardigan, it's a fun and colourful way to stay cosy through winter. This longline cardigan looks great with skinny jeans in any shade.


Grey Cardigan and Printed Jeans


ways to wear grey maxi cardigan and printed jeans 4 outfit ideas | awayfromblue


Of course it's not just colourful jeans I'll wear with grey maxi cardigan with, I have a couple of pairs of printed jeans too and this cardigan works equally well with printed denim. Pairing this cardigan with the Sass & Bide chevron printed jeans is a frequent go-to, as you can see! If you're a fan of leggings, you could try printed leggings instead.


Maxi Cardigan And Scarves


wool duster cardigan with blanket scarves ways to wear | awayfromtheblue


This wool cardigan is so cosy in winter, but sometimes you need a little extra layer to keep you warm, especially on a windy day. A big blanket scarf comes in helpful, and with the cardigan being a neutral plain block colour you can pick any printed scarf to wear with it. Leopard is a favourite of mine!


Longline Cardigan With Jeans and Boots


5 ways to wear longline duster maxi cardigan with jeans and boots | away from the blue blog


Sometimes a scarf, wool cardigan and jeans just isn't enough on a cold day, so you have to pull out the boots as well! The longline of this cardigan looks so great when paired with tall boots, although as you can see in the last photo there ankle boots work just as well.


Grey Cardigan With Grey Jeans


monochromatic outfit grey skinny jeans and maxi cardigan with bright accessories and printed tops | awayfromblue


Going monochromatic and pairing a grey cardigan with a grey pair of jeans lets you have more fun with the res of your outfit - either picking bright and colourful accessories like scarves or shoes or bags, or a brightly coloured tee to break up all the grey. I like matching things together, and a grey cardigan and jeans are a great combination.


Maxi Cardigan With Skirts And Dresses


grey maxi cardigan with skirts and dresses outfit ideas | away from blue blog


I do wear this grey maxi cardigan a lot with jeans, but I've worn it with dresses and skirts too! These three outfits show you how you can wear a maxi cardigan with a maxi dress, pencil skirt, or maxi skirt. It's a nice cosy warm layer to add on top of a skirt or dress.


Grey Cardigan With Simple Tops and Jeans


simple grey cardigan with jeans and plain tee outfit ideas for fall | away from the blue

Of course, the simplest outfits are the best! A neutral grey maxi cardigan like this is the perfect throw on and go layer on top of a simple jeans and tee (or jeans and tank!) outfit when it's a little too chilly for bare arms. It's fuss free as it really does go with everything, as you've seen from these 30 different ways to wear it.




Where To Buy A Grey Maxi Cardigan Under $50:





More Outfit Ideas:


For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all the 35+ ways I've worn this grey longline cardigan in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:



Don't forget to leave a comment on my previous blog post to be in with the chance to win a scarf!


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Friday, 27 September 2019

Shopping Haul: What I Bought In September & How I've Worn It

So.....after a rather large haul last month I wasn't expecting to buy much of anything this month. I ended up impulse buying quite a few things, with all of the sales going on tempting me!


What I Bought In September: Haul Video




In the video:

  • Kmart teal tassel earrings
  • Kmart mustard gold tassel earrings
  • Kmart teal floral print midi dress
  • Target Preview navy long sleeve collared shirt
  • thrifted cream and navy statement flat bead necklace
  • thrifted black and grey floral crystal statement necklace
  • thrifted statement gunmetal hardware necklace
  • thrifted Equip turquoise cream multi strand bead necklace


Why I Bought It:


With an event looming in October, I needed to find an outfit that fit the dress code. After trying a few options in my wardrobe I decided nothing was quite what I wanted to wear, and so I decided to hit up some local opshops. I had an idea in my head for what I needed to complete my outfit - either an accessory or something to go over my dress.

After spending a week looking for the perfect outfit topper I gave up and decided to go for an accessory instead. The difficulty with looking for necklaces that may work with a formal dress is that you can't wear the formal dress while thrifting, it's a tad overdressed, ha! So I ended up buying a couple of options...and then in the end my mum found the perfect thing in another opshop and bought it for me so I'm not going to wear any of the necklaces I bought to the event! I still like statement necklaces though so expect these to get some wear outside the event, and at just $3 each it was hard to say no.

The Kmart finds were kind of planned. My friend Jess had got an awesome earring haul from the Kmart clearance so I headed into the store to check them out, and ended up spotting this pretty floral dress too reduced to just $12 so that had to come home with me as well!

The Target blouse was a last minute buy at the end of the month - I went into Target to check out the clearance sale and this was reduced from $39 to just $10 so I had to buy it. Luckily for my wallet, none of the other bargains (tops for $5!) I tried on fit right on me.

How I've Worn It:



As you would expect from impulse buys, I didn't manage to wear everything twice to reach my goal of 'wearing things twice in the month I buy them'. A big flag to me that even if it's a bargain I don't need to buy everything I see! I need to take a moment to stop and consider how things will work for my life ahead for the month. After completing #6monthsWithoutShopping 2 years ago I was doing pretty well curbing the impulse buys, I need to make sure I don't fall back into my bad habits!

I do expect I will get wear from these pieces, but statement earrings and necklaces are not everyday wear for me and something I need to be considerate when I wear - pointy pieces are not good when giving toddler cuddles, and big bold necklaces are not the kind of thing I would normally wear to the playground with the kids.

Next month is "Buy Nothing New Month" and it would be great to achieve it this year! I do still have one Jeanswest gift card left from Christmas though...


The 30% off birthday sale at the Iconic is providing me further temptation, as is the Shopbop sale!



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