Easy Spring Outfit Formula: Purple Cardi, Skinny Jeans and Printed Top

The upside to having a backlog of outfit pictures is that I can get on top of blogging and schedule posts in advance. The downside is that the outfits don't always make sense afterwards!

As I'm typing up this post, I'm enjoying the beautiful 35+ degree weather (95 fahrenheit) and I'm contemplating turning on the air con... while I look at these photos taken earlier in spring just a couple weeks ago with jeans and cardigans!

Currently sweltering weather aside, these outfits are a great spring outfit formula for a colder day. I've shared similar ones before, it's such easy SAHM style.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Top: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Jeans: Jeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC

Why I wore it:

I wore this to attend my local ABA mum's group meeting and run a few errands. It was a slightly cooler morning so I added the cardigan, although I took it off when it warmed up in the afternoon. The group topic was babywearing, which was perfect for me as I wanted to see if there were different ways to wear my Ergo baby carrier. I learned how to back carry which is awesome, as when you back carry it's easier to sling a cross body bag over. I find when I front carry the thick shoulder straps make it tricky to get any bag to stay put for long.

I really like this navy polka dot tee with the black skinny jeans - in the past I was alway unsure about wearing black and blue together. It was actually an ASOS sale purchase that convinced me, a colourblock dress I no longer have but you can see waaay back at the start of my blog! Since seeing the dress and subsequently buying it, I realised navy and black looked pretty good together, and I've been wearing it since. Sometimes just shopping opens your eyes to new combinations!


Last worn: purple cardigan, navy polka dot tee, prima black skinny jeans, Walnut Melbourne flats, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and embroidered tunic, navy polka dot tee and maxi skirt, prima jeans and embroidered tank, Walnut Melbourne flats and pencil skirt, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi in first trimester, skinny jeans and a belly band in second trimester, ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt.

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Striped Tanks and Polka Dot Tees Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry
Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: Atmos & Here Oregon stripe tank
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

Wore this to work from home, with a cold morning making me reach for my favourite cosy cardigan for daycare drop off. By lunch time I'd taken the cardigan off, although I did need to wear it again for the daycare pick up in the afternoon.

I don't usually carry such a big bag on my work from home days as even when I run errands before daycare pickup I don't need to carry much. I was pretty tired that morning though so grabbed the bag I'd used for work the previous day. The Balenciaga part time is a cross body bag, but I prefer smaller cross body bags that are closer to my body when I'm wearing a bag around my boys, even just for daycare drop off and pickups.

If you're unsure about colourful cardigans, a monochromatic outfit like this is a good time to wear them. It lets the purple be the only pop of colour in your outfit and you know everything will go together nicely. Easy, fool-proof mum style when you're too tired to function in the morning and put a lot of thought into your outfit!


Last worn: purple cardigan (above), striped tank, grey skinny jeans, silver ballet flats, Balenciaga part time bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, striped tank and maxi skirt, grey skinny jeans and Converse, silver ballet flats and chambray skirt, Balenciaga part time bag and striped dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi in first trimester, ballet flats and maternity wrap dress, Balenciaga part time bag and maternity pencil skirt.

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Purple Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Need a way to switch up that mum staple of skinny jeans? Try a printed top like I have in the outfits above. You can go one step further and add colourful accessories - a bright cardigan is a good option for a spring day and the fluctuating temperatures that occur. If you're worried about matching colours, just throw on your colourful cardigan with a monochromatic outfit full of neutrals. Easy!


Linking up with Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Modest Monday.

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Skinny Jeans, Printed Tops and Colourful Cardigans

Easy spring stay at home mum style for me has quickly become jeans, colourful cardigan and a fun bright bag. It's simple to pull together and I always feel confident in it. No matter how great you feel or think you look though, there are days of motherhood that are far from perfect.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Top: Jeanswest Florence print long line tank
Jeans: Nobody Denim Siren skinny super high-rise jeans in power black denim (C/O, on sale!)
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC (on sale, 25% off!)

Why I wore it:

Cooper was being so cute I had to include this pic on the blog! He was staring at me intently while I was trying to take outfit photos this morning for some reason. Adorable.

I loved this outfit. I had time to do my hair in the morning, and an incredible day planned out down the coast for a girly day of shopping (I still have lots of gift cards I'd planned to spend to celebrate the end of #6MonthsWithoutShopping). I wasn't sure if it would be warmer on the coast so took a cardigan, although I did take it off in the middle of the day. My tank ended up untucked too.

Sadly, the outfit was the only thing I loved about this day. This is the perfect example of photos never representing real life. I could talk about how much I liked the colour combo, it's simple and perfect SAHM style for a fun day of shopping....but nothing turned out how I expected. Just a reminder that no matter how great something looks online, you never know the full story!

Long story short, just before we went out shopping I had one of those slow-mo moments of motherhood where you see something happening but are too far away to stop it and time seems to slow down. Baby Boy fell face-first from a height onto his nose. Lots of screaming, tears and blood later we headed to the nearest doctors. More screaming during the x-rays, a half-hearted attempt at shopping and then we went home. Thankfully nothing broken, and I was in the best company all day, but I felt so horrible for not being able to stop the accident and for derailing everyone's day off plans.

Could have been a lot worse, and will be a funny story later I'm sure. Right now it's not so funny when everyone gasps at your baby's bruised face and asks what happened!


Last worn: purple cardigan, printed tank, Nobody Denim skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, printed tank and shorts, Nobody Denim skinny jeans and striped duster, black ballet flats and wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardigan in first trimester, printed tank in third trimester, ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt.

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Black and Grey Skinny Jeans Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This was a much less eventful day! This pic was taken a while ago, as you can tell by Cooper's winter fur coat still being on!

It follows a similar outfit formula to the outfit above, so of course I loved this too. When I bought this polka dot tee I was thinking of pairing it with my mustard yellow cardigan. I love blue and yellow together, and really liked the mustard and navy. And of course I just had to wear my mustard yellow micro Regan bag if I was wearing the yellow cardigan!

This was a simple but colourful outfit for baby boy's planned specialist appointment.

As it's the second time I've worn this tee on the blog, my purchase review:
I like to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to see how it's working for my wardrobe and learn any lessons that could avoid shopping regrets in future. Sometimes though, there are impulse buys like this tee that prove I don't need to over analyse everything before I buy!

This was my first and so far only purchase with my end of #6MonthsWithoutShopping celebratory gift cards. I'd actually walked into Jeanswest to try on another top, and picked this up just to try it on as it was so soft. While I didn't get the top I originally went in for, I couldn't leave without this tee. I have lots of tees. I particularly have a lot of blue ones. But this is still a piece I keep reaching for, and I'm glad I bought it. An impulse buy that worked out nicely!


Last worn: mustard yellow cardigan, polka dot tee, grey skinny jeans, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: mustard yellow cardigan and little black dress, polka dot tee and maxi skirt, grey skinny jeans and purple cardi, black ankle boots and maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: black ankle boots and pregnancy announcement.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

Skinny jeans are a stay at home mum staple as they work for whatever life throws at you (even if your planned day out ends up consisting of sitting in doctor's waiting rooms). In the cooler months, it's so easy to add extra colours to these outfits with a bright cardigan. A bright bag that compliments the cardigan is a fun accessory choice, and something you can continue to wear as a pop of colour in your outfit as the weather heats up and the cardigans get packed away.



Linking up with Style Wise, Hello Monday, Modest Monday, Mix It Monday.

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Embroidered Tops, Black Jeans and Rebecca Minkoff Bags

I'm pleased that the embroidery trend is continuing! Gives me more justification to wear these lovely embroidered pieces from my wardrobe. I'll still wear them when the trend dies down, but it's nice to be able to wear something I'm constantly reading about in blogs. An embroidered top and black skinny jeans is an easy stay at home mum outfit, but to add extra interest to each outfit I have wore additional prints and texture too.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Top: Target embroidered khaki tank
Jeans: Nobody Denim Siren skinny super high-rise jeans in power black denim (C/O, on sale!)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

Hadn't worn this jacket for a while so it was nice to get it out again! I wasn't sure if the embellishment paired with the embroidery on the top would be too much, but I quite liked the resulting outfit. It was a nice change from last time I wore this embroidered top with black jeans too. Now that it's spring and warmer weather, I can hopefully wear this jacket more. It's a bit thin for winter.

I like how this jacket dresses up a casual outfit a bit - even if I was just popping out for a little shopping while hubby watched the boys.


Last worn: boucle jacket, embroidered tank, Nobody Denim skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag. 

Other ways to wear: boucle jacket and fit and flare dress, embroidered tank and denim shorts, Nobody Denim skinny jeans in monochrome outfit, black ballet flats in the office, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag worn 30 ways. 

Perfect for pregnancy: boucle jacket and maternity pencil skirt.

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Embroidered Tops Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Blouse: Jeanswest Elise longline embroidered shirt in coconut blue
Jeans: Sass & Bide Playman skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink, 43% off!)

Why I wore it:

I've tried to wear other prints with these chevron printed Sass & Bide jeans in the past and not been entirely happy with the results. Just like the first outfit, I decided to try something different by pairing the chevrons with the detail on this embroidered top. I liked the result, but not enough to want to wear it again, haha! Will stick with wearing plain black jeans with this embroidered top next time.

Even though the embroidery and print together was busy enough, I added a little extra texture with the cardigan. I love the purple accessories with this - the cardigan is so cosy and wearing the cardigan and plum mini MAB tote bag together is a favourite combination of mine. Kept me warm on a very windy day.

The plan was to go to the in-laws for dinner, but after baby boy wasn't his usual happy self when we went out in the morning, we decided to stay home at night and let him rest and feel better. It's been such a tough winter with illnesses, I'm glad it's spring now as I'm hoping the warm weather and sunshine keeps the bugs at bay.


Last worn: purple cardigan, embroidered blouse, printed skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, embroidered blouse and flares, printed skinny jeans worn two ways, Converse and shift dress, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB tote and pink dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi and stripes in first trimester, Converse for second trimester travel, mini MAB tote and maternity denim shorts.

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Black Printed and Plain Jeans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Black jeans are a great base for any outfit! The are the perfect backdrop to let an embroidered top or jacket shine. You can mix things up a little by buying black jeans with a print on them if you feel plain black is too boring.


Also, I'm thrilled to share that another of my posts was featured on Links a la Mode!

Links à la Mode, September 7th

• Aesthetic Distance: 5 Myths About The Fashion And Blogging Industries
• Alicia Maria: Capsule Wardrobe // PT 2
• April Was Here: Mommy and Me Pre-Fall Looks
• Away from the Blue: #30Wears: Ways to Wear Rebecca Minkoff Yellow Micro Regan Bag in Harvest Gold
• Awesome Yeahh: Embroidery Skirt
• By Sarah Martin: Paris, Blue Eyes and A Surprising Message
• Dangerously Me: Outfit: The Oxford Sleeves
• Girl in Betsey: How to Style a Silk Floral Dress
• Gracielle Camilleri: Floral Love from Valletta City
• Have Clothes, Will Travel: Clothes Worth Repeating
• Heart Print and Style: Statement Sleeves
• La Veine: 6 Things on My Fall Wishlist
• Petite Dressing: Five Must Know Tips to Wear White after Labor Day
• Style Splash: A Comfortable, Chic Outfit for a Day Sightseeing in Zurich
• Tales of Two: Fashion vs Trends vs Style - How Are They Different
• The Wanderbliss: Wildflower
BONUS! Shopbop is currently running an app promotion here for new customers: IFB members can exclusively take 15% off their first full-price app order with a code at checkout. Find the full details here: https://www.shopbop.com/appoffer!

SPONSOR: Amazon's Shopbop AGOLDE, Petersyn Tops, DVF Clothing, Senso, Cafune, Ryan Roche, Corsets, Large Totes, Wrap Dresses, Men's Paterson


Linking up with Fashion Files, Weekend Wear, Fabulous Friday, Flashback Fashion, Passion for Fashion, Friday Faves.

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Aztec Print Dress Worn Two Ways for Different Seasons

While I managed to complete my 6 months without shopping challenge (and even added an extra month!) there were a few things I was eager to buy as soon as the challenge was over in August. This cute tiered little black Aztec print dress was one of those pieces.

I'm wearing it for different seasons in the two outfits below. It shows how versatile the dress is, but also how crazy our weather was near the end of winter. Within a few weeks it went from winter, to summer to winter again. Now it's spring it's thankfully continuing to warm up again.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace (new purchase)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress (new purchase)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

When I first saw this dress I instantly thought of wearing it with tights, ankle boots and a mustard cardigan. I was lucky to find this one at the start of August as I'd missed out on my dream mustard cardigan in an opshop as I was doing my no-buy challenge! It was so good to be able to wear the outfit I'd dreamt up when I first saw this dress. I thought the green necklace was another nice touch of colour with the mustard yellow.

It was a bit of an eventful day for Toddler T. His first trip to the dentist (he did really well!) and then his first play. There was a local production of 'Going on a bear hunt', one of the books he loves reading.

We finished the day with dinner at the in-laws. I liked how well this outfit worked for everything in the day, and at night. It was really cold in the evening so I was glad I wore the tights!


Last worn: mustard cardigan, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan. First time I've worn the dress as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: mustard cardigan and grey maxi skirt, black ankle boots and rolled skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: ankle boots in second trimester.

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Little Black Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress
Shoes: Purple high top Converse look-a-likes
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink, 43% off!)

Why I wore it:

In complete contrast to the outfit above, this was a much warmer day. I added the cardigan because it was a little windy in the morning, but with 30 degree weather when we went for a walk in the park the cardigan quickly came off. It was nice to get a little taste of summer near the end of winter. I'm looking forward to wearing this dress again with Converse now it's spring in Brisbane.

While it's very similar to the outfit above, I think the beauty of a little black dress is that you can make it look a little different each time just by changing the accessories.

Since I like to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to see how it's working for my wardrobe, my review of this little black dress:

I love this dress. It swishes beautifully when I wear it, although as you can see I haven't been able to capture a pic of that yet! I stumbled across it in Kmart while looking for shoes for baby Boy, and I hoped it would be there once my no-shop challenge is over. When it was still there I figured I'd wait until it went on sale. After checking the stock levels each time I went in and constantly thinking about it I decided to go ahead and buy it at full price. It was only $15. I don't like buying things full price no matter the cost, but it was only $15 and it has now sold out in my size without being reduced so I'm pleased I got it. I have so many outfit ideas in mind for it!


Last worn: purple cardigan, Aztec print dress (above), purple high tops, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and pink tank, purple high tops and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag and pink maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi and stripes in first trimester, mini MAB tote bag in third trimester.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A classic little black dress in any style is widely regarded as a wardrobe staple. You can make it look different each time by changing the accessories you wear with it. Both these outfits followed a very simple formula, picking a colourful cardigan and similar accessories. Just like kimonos in summer and scarves in winter, cardigans are good for adding a little colour in those in-between seasons. To keep things simple, you can wear a colorful cardigan with neutral layers, like a little black dress.


Linking up with Friday Faves, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Weekend Wear, Flashback Fashion, Friday Favourites.

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Printed Tanks, Cardigans, Colourful Bags & Skinny Jeans

First, Jeanswest are having a 40% off everything sale for members! Online and in store, ends Sunday!

I've mentioned before I'm happy to keep my summer pieces out and wear them year round. On a mild winter day (which is most winter days in Brisbane to be honest) all I need is a cosy cardi on top and it's perfect.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry (Currently 40% off everything, including knitwear!)

Necklace: For King & Country Priceless Australian coin and crest necklace
Tank: Jeanswest 'Rowena' print tank (Currently 40% off everything!)
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans (gifted, currently 40% off jeans!)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga Day bag in 2005 magenta (20% off with code 'REAL')

Why I wore it:

First wearing of these new jeans! I was lucky enough to know someone doing the $5 challenge who saved more than they expected and decided to surprise people by using the money to treat them. (Can't share who it was as they are surprising multiple people!). I said I didn't need anything with my no-buy challenge, but there is that loophole where if someone else buys it for you it's not breaking the challenge! 😉

I went into Jeanswest, just for a look, and saw these jeans which were the perfect candidate to replace my old (10 year +) grey jeans I wasn't entirely happy with. I prefer a higher rise now. Super excited to have something new in my wardrobe, although it does mean saying goodbye to these old jeans. They had a good run and hadn't been worn a lot recently - I can see very few times in the past few years I've had the blog anyway.

As this was a quiet day, just a couple errands and grocery shopping, I decided to try something I'd been thinking about for a while and pairing the similarly coloured magenta bag and cardigan together. I actually really liked the combination! It was good to get this old tank out too. It hasn't been worn in a while after outgrowing it in pregnancy.


Last worn: purple cardigan, animal print tank, bow ballet flats, Balenciaga magenta day bag. First time I've worn the jeans as they are a recent gift.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and chambray dress, animal print tank and denim shorts, bow ballet flats and flares, Balenciaga magenta day bag and breastfeeding dresses.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi in first trimester, printed tank hiding 20 week baby bump, magenta day bag and novelty pregnancy tees in third trimester.

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More Printed Tanks Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Paper Scissors grey wrap cardigan

Tank: Emerson crochet lace bib print top
Jeans: Nobody Denim Siren skinny super high-rise jeans in power black denim (C/O, on sale!)
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs pearl, howlite and hematite beaded bracelets and black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in blue!)

Why I wore it:

A much more colourful printed tank in this outfit! :) The last time I wore this tank it was the height of summer and despite the heatwave we headed out to see Thomas the tank engine at the rail museum.

Although it was winter this time around, I ended up swapping my thick wool cardigan for this thinner one, as it looked like it might warm up. It was again a hot and sunny day, I was pleased I picked the thinner cardigan! I loved this tank, bag and cardigan together when I wore it with flares so I knew I'd like the combination again with different jeans.


Had a lot of fun with the boys running around the museum and playing with all the Thomas toys, and it was good being able to take a picture in the same spot with the same tank but a different season! Just goes to show you don't have to put all your summer tanks away when winter arrives.

Same tank, different seasons! https://t.co/TPNLX0YdEh @liketoknow.it #liketkit #LTKStyleTip pic.twitter.com/b9WG1U5nDS

— Mica (@AwayFromTheBlue) July 3, 2017

Last worn: grey drape cardigan, printed red crochet detail tank, Nobody Denim skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff studded saddle bag.

Other ways to wear: grey drape cardigan and flares, printed tank and striped maxi skirt, Nobody Denim skinny jeans in monochrome outfit, Converse and a dress, Rebecca Minkoff studded saddle bag and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: printed tank in second trimester.

How You Can Wear It:

Your summer printed tanks can still be layered up and worn in winter with a cosy cardigan. Layering with printed pieces doesn't have to be tricky. For a neutral printed tank, try a plain block colour cardigan like in the first outfit. Neutral layers work well with a textured and colourful printed tank too. Monochromatic greys and black like in the second outfit make a colourful printed tank really pop.


Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Mummy Monday, Hello Monday, Modest Monday, On Monday We Link Up, Mix It Monday.

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Layering to Wear Clothes Year-Round, With Balenciaga Bags

I've mentioned a few times that I try to wear most of my clothes year-round. While winter knits and cardigans and boots don't stay in my wardrobe long before I box them away during warmer weather, there are just a few summer pieces that I store away during winter. Aside from my shorts, I keep my spring and summer items in my wardrobe year-round and try to wear them when it's colder.

The below outfits show how I layer two summery tops.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry (25% off sale on knitwear!)
Necklace: For King & Country Priceless Australian coin and crest necklace
Tunic: Caroline Morgan navy embroidered tunic
Jeans: Jeanswest 'shale' super skinny jeans
Shoes: Asos leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Balenciaga truffle brown RH classic day bag

Why I wore it:

I love this tunic so much! A gift from my mum, it didn't get worn much over summer as it turned out to be pretty impossible to breastfeed in. Now that Baby Boy doesn't need breastfeeds during the day, it was a good reason to get this top out again. While it was too cold to wear on it's own, I made it winter appropriate with the jeans, cosy purple cardigan and ankle boots. A very different outfit from when I previously wore it as a bikini coverup!

With the navy tunic, purple-ish jeans and purple cardigan, I wasn't sure what bag to wear with this when I remembered my Balenciaga day bag. It's been a while since I've worn it so it was good to get it out again, and I think it went quite nicely with the tan ankle boots and colours in my outfit.

Wore this to go out shopping with my mum and the boys - with Toddler T's upcoming third birthday my mum wanted to get him a bike so we went around a few stores looking at all the options and trying them out. Was a really fun day, topped off with making cookies in the afternoon after we picked the perfect bike.


Last worn: purple cardigan, embroidered tunic, slate skinny jeans, tan ankle boots, Balenciaga truffle Day bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and shirt dress, embroidered tunic and shorts, slate skinny jeans and purple accessories, tan ankle boots and chambray dress, Balenciaga truffle Day bag.

Perfect for pregnancy: cardigan in the first trimester, skinny jeans in the first trimester, ankle boots and printed dress in second trimester, Balenciaga day bag for second trimester travel.

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More Balenciaga Day Bags

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What I wore:

Jacket: Atmos&Here Nigella collarless shirt dress (worn as kimono)

Necklace: Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel
Tank: Jeanswest round neck lace detail top
Jeans: Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

If you've been reading my blog a while you'll know I love my kimonos. Sadly there are a few months in the year where it's just too cold for short sleeves and they don't get worn. This shirt dress made an awesome long sleeved kimono though, and was just the right layer over my black tank.

I'd been wanting to wear this dress as a kimono after seeing Shea wear hers that way. Over 8 months ago, oops! It was too warm then. It was only when I saw another instagrammer wearing her shirt dress as a kimono that I remembered the outfit inspiration and realised it was the perfect temperature to try it! The red skinny jeans were a good choice with the red in the print of the dress. I really liked wearing this, it was fun to give a new outfit idea a try.

Had a less than fun day while wearing it though! Had to go to the dentist, which is never pleasant, no matter how sweet the dentist and lovely receptionist are.

It's been a while since I've worn this Balenciaga bag too! Such a good bag, but I've been favouring my smaller Rebecca Minkoff cross body bags a lot lately as they are easier to juggle with two toddlers. Also less expensive leather for sticky toddler fingers to be around!


Last worn: shirt dress, lace detail tank, red skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Balenciaga part time bag.

Other ways to wear: shirt dress in winter, lace detail tank and pleated skirt, red skinny jeans and printed cami, black ballet flats and printed skirt, Balenciaga part time bag in the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: tank hiding an early baby bump, jeans in the first trimester, black flats and maternity jeans, Balenciaga Part Time bag and striped dress in second trimester.

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More Balenciaga Part Time Bags

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How You Can Wear It:

You don't have to bid farewell to all your favourite warm weather pieces when autumn arrives. With the right layers, you can wear the most summery of pieces year-round. Jeans, boots and cosy cardigans are good ways to wear a lighter piece in the cold weather. You can have fun with your layering too - try something colourful like blue and purple, or something unexpected like a long sleeve dress worn unbuttoned as an extra layer.


Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Hello Monday, Mix It Monday, Modest Monday.

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