Well... I bought another bag 😂 Despite saying I didn't need or want anything this year I've managed to make an impulse buy or two every month. But this one was definitely worth it!
We have an internal recognition program at work and there's a little monetary reward associated with it. Which I was lucky to get, and immediately put towards getting this bag! I hadn't used my Christmas bonus gift card yet either which covered the rest.
I'd checked out the Rebecca Minkoff sale and gotten as far as adding this bag to my cart before I realised that even with the extra % off, the shipping cost and exchange rate didn't make it that much of a bargain. It's a style I'd been wanting to try for a while but didn't want to pay the $400+ it retails for here either.
When I later browsed eBay with that work reward in mind I stumbled across the exact same bag I'd been eyeing on the Rebecca Minkoff site. At $100 cheaper than I'd seen in the Rebecca Minkoff sale! Of course I had to buy it!
As you can see in the video it didn't quite go as smoothly as I'd hoped but the handful of times I've used this bag it's been issue free and I've really enjoyed wearing it!
How I've Worn It:
The seller on eBay was super sweet and shipped this bag so quickly, it arrived much sooner than I expected. Which let me wear it for the first time on my return to the office. We had a celebratory lunch planned related to the work I mentioned above. It was so good to catch up with my colleagues and empty out all the food I'd left behind in the office before lockdown last year! It was nice being back, although throwing out all that expired food that hadn't been touched in over a year was not a nice experience!
Just a couple of unexpected purchases in February! Even though I hadn't planned to buy anything this month I scored some shoes in the Kmart clearance and I also couldn't resist scooping up a lucky opshop find. An authentic designer bag!
What I Bought:
thrifted Marc by Marc Jacobs Dr Q Convertible clutch in electric violet
I'd seen some clearance shoes in Kmart earlier in the week but didn't have time to stop as we were on the hunt for things for my son's upcoming birthday party. Next time I was in Kmart I had a proper look, and although there was a much smaller selection, the shoes were reduced to $2! I wouldn't normally go for chunky platform sneakers - but since ballet flats and pretty sandals are out at the moment as my knee continues to heal, I have been wearing a lot of sneakers and for just $2 these looked like fun to try!
The bag was a bit of a splurge! It was actually out on display in the opshop and so the first thing I saw when I walked in the door before I headed off to the book section. I was sure it wouldn't be authentic but realised when I picked it up that it was. $65 is a lot of money to spend in an opshop but I wasn't going to let the chance pass me by to snag this!
As mentioned in the video, I've once got a gift with purchase cotton Balenciaga clutch in an opshop for $2 which I was pretty pleased with, but this is the first time I've ever seen an authentic designer handbag. Once I picked it up and verified it was real (I used to have a few MbMJ bags back in the day) I wasn't going to put it back down again! I walked around the opshop with it for about 10 minutes before I decided just to get it, and I'm glad I did. If I'd left it behind it would have been long gone by the time I couldn't get it out of my head and decided to go back to grab it, and I do love a good magenta bag 😉
How I've Worn It:
Being a platform sneaker, these chunky shoes not only give my petite self an extra little height boost but are also quite comfortable on my knee! I've enjoyed wearing them so far.
I didn't wear the bag right away as I wanted to clean and restore it first, it had a little bit of wear and needed some TLC, but I've enjoyed wearing it after giving it a bit of a clean and condition. Shoulder bags aren't my thing at the moment, being a mum I prefer crossbody bags, but my Rebecca Minkoff guitar strap is the perfect length to allow me to wear this cross body and it's super comfortable to wear. An amazing colour too, it looks great with pink!
Again, I'm not planning to buy anything next month, but as I have this month I'm not going to leave anything behind if I stumble across any more bargains or lucky finds 😂 I've only bought 7 items so far this year, these two included. It means that despite consistently buying things each month I have both spent less and bought fewer things than I did at this time last year, so still on track with my budget goals!
A striped tank is such a staple wardrobe basic, so it's no surprise I've worn this white and navy striped tank 30 times already! Such a good piece to feature for a 30 wears post as I wear stripes with everything, there are a lot of different outfit ideas here.
Each month I look through my blog archives for pieces I've worn 30 times or more over the years I've owned them, to put this post together. Inspired by The True Cost documentary, which I recommend watching as it highlights that we need to commit to wearing all the clothing we buy at least 30 times to minimise the environmental impact of our shopping.
30 Ways To Wear: Navy and White Striped Tank
This tank is called the 'Josie' striped back strap tank as it has a cut out on the back with some fabric straps over it. It's a nice feature but it's something I've never gotten a photo of in any of the 30 times I've worn it sadly! I like that it makes it a little different from a standard striped tank in that way though, even if you don't see it in the pics.
Cost Per Wear:
I bought this tank from Jeanswest at the end of March 2014, while in my third trimester with my now 6 year old! I didn't track my fashion spending back then as I do now, but I did order online so I still had the email showing me I paid $11.99 for this tank during the sale. At 30 wears so far that's 40 cents a wear, pretty good value for money!
As I bought it almost 7 years ago it's gone through 2 pregnancies and is a piece I've worn to the office as well as on days off with the kinds. It's the perfect wardrobe staple for a mum wardrobe and still has a lot of life left in it! Thankfully the first time I wore it over a third trimester bump didn't stretch it out! It's fun to look back on the different ways I've worn it, and hopefully it gives you some outfit inspiration for how you can wear a similar piece in your own wardrobe.
Stripe Tank and Skirts
As I said above, you can really wear this striped tank anywhere! Dressed up for the office with a pencil skirt and blazer, or dressed down with a pencil skirt and kimono, even a pretty maxi skirt looks good with this striped tank. I don't have any mini skirts in my wardrobe but you could certainly wear a striped tank with a mini or even midi skirt too - it works with any length of skirt.
Layering Up A Striped Tank
The beauty of Brisbane's tropical weather is that I can layer up a tank to wear in winter and still stay perfectly warm! As you can see in the first and last outfits, neutral layers like grey cardigans or hoodies work well with this tank, but so do colourful layers like the blue scarves I've added there in the middle. Basic block colour pieces layer well with a striped tank.
Navy White Striped Tank Worn With Red
Red is something I wear with this top a lot. Navy and white stripes with a touch of red can seem a bit nautical but I think the thinner navy stripes on this tank don't give off that vibe. I really like red accessories with this tank, like a red scarf or bag, but other red clothing pieces like the cardigan or the skinny jeans also work well with it.
Wearing Green With a Navy And White Stripe Tank
While green isn't the most worn colour in my wardrobe this striped tank is so easy to wear with green and it works so well with any shade that I wanted to call it out specifically. With the green or olive skinny jeans it's a simple outfit, and it works with the olive green shorts too on warmer days. I like navy and green together so it's no surprise this tank is worn so much with green.
Navy And White Stripe Tank In Outfits With Brights
While I've called out the red and green, there really aren't any bright colours that don't work with this tank! From an amber skirt, blue scarf and magenta bag, teal and yellow, even neon orange or pink leopard print, the neutral navy and white stripes on this tank go with any bright pieces you have in your wardrobe.
Print Mixing Outfit Ideas With A Navy And White Stripe Tank
Stripes are always one half of any print mix I try, I find them the easiest base piece to pair with other prints. And while not all of these print mixes were successful I do really like trying different prints with this striped tank! Sticking to the rules and matching blue prints with the navy stripes seems to work well.
Baby Bump Outfits With A Navy and White Stripe Tank
I always love looking back at baby bump pics when doing these 30 wears posts! This comfortable tank was perfect over a growing baby bump, and the first two photos here are some of my favourite pregnancy outfits. it's always nice to have a non-maternity piece that works even into the third trimester. I find a stripe really enhances the baby belly too 😂
