Printed Jersey Mini Dresses and Owning One Item In Multiple Colours

I've shared a few times on the blog that when I really like something, I tend to buy multiples of it in different colours. I'm trying to really question my "need" for this, to reduce the size of my wardrobe. I wore two cute little jersey dresses a couple of days ago, with the goal of picking one to keep and one to remove from my wardrobe and add to the donate pile.


Here's what I wore to visit my parents:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus enamel coated Marc By Marc Jacobs Katie bracelet


Brisbane was tipped to get over 40 degrees Celcius (104 Farenheit for my American readers), so I wanted to wear as little as possible. A bikini was out of the question though, haha! I picked this cute little printed dress as it's great in the heat. We all headed over to my parent's place for the day, to sit and soak up their air-conditioning and protect baby T from the worst of the high temperatures.

I did add a cute little bracelet to accessorise a bit, but it was really too hot to want to do anything to wear this dress differently! Didn't even take a bag - had all my stuff in the baby bag.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, printed jersey dress, Havaianas.

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Here's what I wore to catch up with a friend:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: French Connection star dancing jersey dress in red rust/almond
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"


Wore this second dress simply too, just added my trusty pistol boots. I know that when the summer heat comes to stay, I won't be wearing them very much, so I'm getting all the wear out of them I can now in Spring! Simple outfit to go visit a friend for a chat with baby T.

I've worn this dress 9 times since I've been blogging, and the butterfly printed one 7 times. Not sure how long I've had them, although I do have an old picture of a night out in 2008 wearing one of them. They've both had a good run in my wardrobe, but as I'm trying to downsize, getting rid of things I have multiples of seems to be a good way to go.

I picked this burgundy star print dress to wear after the multi coloured printed one above, as I was certain that this would be the dress that would be leaving my wardrobe after looking at them both hanging up. However, after wearing this dress, I've decided to keep this one and donate the more colourful printed one above. I just love the burgundy colour of this dress too much!


What do you think? Would you have kept this burgundy star print dress as well, or do you think I should keep the more colourful printed one?


Last worn: Wayfarers (see above), star print dress, Acne Pistol boots.


The Thanksgiving holiday in the US brings a lot of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales! I'm always updating the Sales and Discount page, but below are a few of the sales that have started already:

• ShopBop The Big Event Sale. 15% off orders of $250+, 20% off orders of $500+, 25% off orders of $1000+ with code 'GOBIG14'
• The Iconic Shop More, Save More sale. Get $15 off $100 with code 'SHOP15', $40 off $200 with 'SHOP40' and $100 off $400 with 'SHOP10'.
• Reebonz Pre-Black Friday Sale - extra 11% off with code 'BLACK11'

• Bloomingdales Big Brown Bag sale - up to 50% off.
• Diane Von Furstenberg 40% off sale
• French Connection (US) - 30% off with code '30FCBF'
• J. Crew 30% off full price and 40% off sale with code 'HOLIDAY'
• Juicy Couture - 50% off and free shipping with code 'JCBLACK'
• Luisaviaroma - extra 20% off with code 'BFRS'
• Modcloth - 50% off new arrivals. No code needed!
• Nine West (US) -  up to 50% off.
• Saks Fifth Avenue Sale - up to 60% off

Hope all my American readers have a lovely Thanksgiving!


Shop similar printed jersey dresses:

Linking up with What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Thursday Favourites today.

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Monochromatic Dress and Bag Combination Outfits: Weekday Wear Linkup!

Making the most of the warm summer-like spring days and wearing simple dress outfits. Making them a little monochromatic by picking handbags in similar shades, but then breaking with it a little as the shoes are black and white!

What I wore:

Necklace: blush pink and gold beaded tassel necklace
Dress: Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey dress in Fuchsia
Shoes: New Balance Coast women's running shoe in black 
Bracelets: the usual plus Edenborough Evans 'Ivy' silver cuff
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff small Darren messenger bag in peony (more affordable preowned!)

Why I wore it:

This was a fun day for my youngest boy! He'd been looking forward to a party for weeks and today was the day! I didn't want to dress up too much so I wore this pretty Kmart tiered midi dress with a pair of sneakers to keep it casual. Helpful for all the running around we did the morning of the party too with the school drop off! I wanted to try this pretty pastel Rebecca Minkoff small Darren bag with the fuchsia pink dress, I really liked the combination together of the different shades of pink! And then of course I couldn't resist going a little matchy-matchy with this blush tassel necklace. I've worn it together with the bag before, it's a combination I really like.

This dress was so perfect for the hot day too - the party was outdoors so I just sat in the shade away from the still hot afternoon sun as my little one ran around with his friends.

Last worn: Kmart tiered fuchsia midi dress, blush tassel necklace, New Balance sneakers, Rebecca Minkoff peony pink Darren bag.

Other ways to wear: Kmart tiered fuchsia midi dress with teal, Rebecca Minkoff peony pink Darren bag and blush shorts.

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More Ways To Wear Colourful Bags:

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What I wore:

Earrings: Lovisa mini mustard tassel earrings
Necklace: layered Tai gold alphabet necklaces
Dress: Jeanswest Rachel Lyocell chambray dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne Ava white leopard ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual plus House of Harlow sunburst wrap bracelet in cobalt
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford zip satchel in twilight

Why I wore it:

This was a really busy day! I'd taken the day off as I had a couple of appointments and things to do that were easier without the kids. After school drop off I headed out to my fave trail, camera in tow to take some pics and have a relaxing start to the day. Even got an outfit pic! Luckily the nature photographer with cameras literally hanging off him didn't see me as I passed him on the trail later with my laughable little camera as he was too busy trying to get a pic of something I couldn't see through the trees. I did get some good pics of some birds and a butterfly myself further along the trail though, although I'm sure he got better ones with one of his giant zoom lenses. 😂

I'd seen this dress pop up on my Insta archives a few days before and knew it was due another wear - was nice and light for a hot morning, even though I was out on the trail early it was pretty warm! Spent the morning running errands and ticking things off my to-do list. With the chambray dress and the navy micro Bedford bag it was looking a bit monochrome, I decided to add the mustard tassel earrings to break it up a little as the blue ones I'd been considering felt like a bit much. This was a really comfortable outfit all day, from a zoom launch in the morning, running errands and even at my little one's appointment later in the evening. I did swap the cute ballet flats for my running shoes before walking along the trail though!

Last worn: mustard tassel earrings, gold initial necklaces, wrap bracelet, chambray dress, leopard print ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag.

Other ways to wear: chambray dress layered over a tee, leopard print ballet flats and pencil skirt, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: chambray dress in second trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

A nice block colour dress is so easy to accessorise with! You can try a monochromatic look by picking a bag in a similar shade, either lighter than the dress (like in the first outfit) or darker then the dress (like in the second outfit). Such an easy way to wear a colourful bag - see the video above for more ideas!

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Weekday Wear Linkup #97

Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!

Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!

Subscribe for The Weekday Wear Linkup reminder emails

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Blazer, Printed Dress, Leather Boots | Leopard Scarf, Hoodie, Skinny Jeans and Converse

Baby T has arrived, and I'm blogging less regularly as life revolves around a newborn. When I do go out and change out of my usual stay-at-home outfit of pyjamas, I try take a photo so I can still blog when I have time.


Here's what I wore to run some errands:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Zara black blazer
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress
Leggings: Cotton On
Boots: Asos Cleo leather boots in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag (not in pic)


DH and I had an appointment and a couple of errands to run, so as always I planned the outfit in my head the night before. I used to actually try on outfits the evening before, but there's no time for that now with baby. Sleep is more important ;)

In the rush to get out the house I went to put on my chosen outfit...and realised that although I'd like to be able to squeeze into my old fixed waist skirts, I'm still not there yet! Stretchy fabrics are still a post-baby essential. Quickly decided to go with a dress instead. Printed dresses are always a good option as you don't really need to think too much! And with a crying baby and already being 10 minutes late, I wanted the simplest, quickest option.

Last time I wore this dress, I was using the tie and print to disguise my little early second trimester baby bump. It works equally well to disguise the little 3 week post-baby belly! I'm finding that post-pregnancy, the easy outfit options I wore for the first few trimesters are coming in helpful again. And when I'm uninspired, there's always my helpful maxi skirts that I grew to love so much over pregnancy. With elastic waists of course!


Last worn: Ray-Ban, Zara black blazer, French Connection jersey dress, grey leggings, Asos leather boots.

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Here's what I wore to go to baby T's newborn photoshoot:

Jacket: Juicy Couture Long Sleeve Original Zip Hoodie in 'Silver Lining'
Scarf: Supre neon pink leopard print scarf (new purchase)
Tee: Kmart plain black tee
Jeans: Jeanswest maternity super skinny jeans in antique blue
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag (not in pic)


Nice comfortable, casual outfit for baby T's newborn photoshoot! At 3 weeks old, we were finally feeling confident in our ability to settle him long enough to get a couple of good shots in a photo shoot ;) Our photographer is awesome, the same guy who did our incredible wedding photos. I can't wait to see the final result, we have had a sneak peak at a few of them and they are great. Will try pop one or two up on instagram, @awayfromblue.

Jeans and a tee seemed the most comfortable outfit to wear. I added the scarf for a bit of colour, to keep me warm with the chilly early morning start, and so that I could have something to put on after the session if baby T got a little messy. It came in handy to hide the ruined outfit on the way home! Plus I wanted to wear my new scarf. An impulse sale by from our lunch date the other week. I can't resist a cute scarf, and it was a bargain at $5!


Last worn: Juicy Couture Hoodie, black tee, maternity skinny jeans, Converse. First time I've worn the scarf as it's a recent purchase.


Linking up with Real Mum Style, Stylish Tuesday, Style Sessions, What I Wore Wednesday, Wardrobe Wednesday today.

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French Connection Printed Dress, Converse, Balenciaga Part Time | Colour Block Tee, Paisley Skirt, RM MAC

Here's what I wore on Saturday: 

Necklace: gift from DH
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual plus Indigo Rose Design black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with GSH


Had to do a bit of walking around Saturday morning as well as running a few errands so I decided to wear my Converse with one of my dresses. I really liked last time I tried that combination. Felt good in it, comfortable for walking but a good way to beat the heat in the sunshine. :) Wearing a dress instead of jeans was helpful when I went to the physio for my knee too, didn't have to change my clothes. After recently aggravating my old knee injury I'd been hoping it would heal over time, but when it wasn't getting any better it was time to call the experts, haha.


Linking up with Mix Match Fashion today.

Last worn: butterfly print dress, Converse, Balenciaga part time.

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Here's what I wore to visit family today:

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Top: Jeanswest 'Lucy' colourblock tee in orchid/grey marle (New purchase)
Skirt: Minkpink grey and black paisley print skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag in deep purple


First day of Spring and Father's day today! We visited both of our families and dropped off the gifts that we bought at DFO last weekend. Wearing my Chucks again for comfort, and the tee is something I picked up for myself at DFO on our shopping trip, hehe! My knee is taped up for support after seeing the physio yesterday.

As it's a long weekend in the US, there is a Rebecca Minkoff sale on at the moment, and you can get an extra 20% off with code 'SUNNY20' :) I've updated the sales list with a few more items.


Last worn: paisley print skirt, Converse (see above), Rebecca Minkoff purple MAC. First time I've worn the tee as it is a new purchase.

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Butterfly Print Jersey Dress, Asos Chain Cardi, Balenciaga Sapphire City Bag

Worked from home this morning, and then went to the office for a meeting this afternoon. Wanted something comfortable for both places, so this jersey dress fit the bill.

Here's what I wore:

Jacket: Asos black cardigan with chain trim
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress from Asos
Necklace: Chanel from Reebonz
Bracelets: the usual
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs patent mouse flats (similar at shopbop)
Bag: Balenciaga 2008 Sapphire RH city

Cooper popped over to see why I was standing at the fence again. He's such a cute little photobomber!

Closeup of accessories:

French Connection Printed Jersey Dress, Balenciaga Magenta Work, Marc By Marc Jacobs Flats

Here's what I wore to work today:

Sunnies: Pink leopard print sunglasses from Paddy's Markets in Sydney
Bracelets: the usual plus Indigo Rose Design rutilated quartz bracelets
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress from Asos
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs Logo Plaque Flats in Two Tone blush and black
Bag: Balenciaga RH work in 2005 Magenta

Close up of accessories and bag:

Got ready in a hurry this morning but forgot to put on a necklace, oops! Luckily the dress has such a bright colourful print I don't really need a necklace.

I really liked the last time I wore this dress with the bright pink Balenciaga bag so thought I'd try it again today. So bright and sunny, bright colours were called for :) Maybe a bit bright to be taking photos - need to watch the light direction next time ;)

The dress was last worn here, shoes here and bag here.

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French Connection Printed Dress, Miu Miu Bag | Jeanswest Grey Maxi Dress, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC

Here's what I wore on Saturday:

Sunglasses: pink leopard print sunglasses from Paddy's Markets in Sydney
Necklace: custom Cooper charm by Silhoupette
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress
Shoes: gifted black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Miu Miu cammeo studded clutch bag


First official day of my Christmas leave! Spent today running errands at the post office, picking up some groceries at the IGA, getting lunch with DH and watching a movie. Such a nice way to start my holidays. Just wore a simple dress as it was quite warm.


Last worn: pink leopard print sunglasses, French Connection print dress, Havaianas, Miu Miu studded bag.

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Here's what I wore  today:

Sunnies: gifted Cotton On 'Risky Business' sunglasses in sky blue
Necklace: Lovisa blue leaf long necklace
Dress: gifted Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
Shoes: Nine West silver strap sandals
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC


Another hot day! Summer has definitely settled in. Spent the day relaxing and finishing up writing my Christmas cards. A comfortable dress seemed like a good choice again :) Also had Church Online in the evening.


Last worn: blue sunglasses, grey maxi dress, Nine West silver sandals, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC.

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Butterfly Print Jersey Dress, Balenciaga Work, Purple Leopard Print Scarf

Here's what I wore to work today:

Too cold to smile this morning, haha!

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat (similar here)
Scarf: Sportsgirl animal scarf in Violet (Now on sale)
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress from Asos
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs patent mouse flats (similar here)
Bag: Balenciaga 2005 Magenta RH work (similar here)

Close up of accessories:

Necklace: Chanel necklace from Reebonz (similar here)
Bracelets: the usual plus Indigo Rose Design black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet


Those of you who follow me on instagram or twitter would have already read, but we had to rush Cooper to the emergency vets last night. Luckily he is okay now, the vets were lovely and really helpful. 
The vet warned us that he would be sedated after the injections and probably feel sick, but apart from a short nap in the car home he spent the remainder of the night running around like a crazy dog. It was very funny to watch him running around and being so hyperactive after being so worried about him. Very good to see him back to normal so soon too.


I wouldn't normally have paired all this colour and print together, but after last night's stress worrying over Cooper I just threw on some of my favourite pieces I think it works okay. Would you have worn anything differently?


The dress and shoes were last worn together here, trench coat here and the bag and scarf have been worn together here.

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Frocktober: Blue. Printed Dresses and Balenciaga Tempete Day Bag

Continuing with playing catch up with my Frocktober outfits here on the blog, two different printed dress outfits. A casual one, and another for the office. Days 19 and 20 of the challenge!

I wore a different dress every day in October to participate in Frocktober and raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. While I was sharing what I wore each day on instagram, I've been a little behind with blogging the outfits.

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers (on sale!)

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Dress: Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Balenciaga coated stud wrap bracelet in icy blue and old blue bead bracelets
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

I really enjoyed wearing a maxi dress the day before, so decided to wear another one the next day to go to playgroup with toddler T. I was a little worried all my shorter dresses would be too short for playing with a toddler, with the growing baby bump. This was perfect.

Also pulled out one of my favourite bags - my Balenciaga tempete day bag, for a bit of a boost as I was starting to feel a little over wearing dresses after nearly 3 weeks! All for a good cause though.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, tie dye maxi dress, Havaianas, Balenciaga Tempete day bag.

Other ways to wear: tie dye maxi dress worn knotted, Havaianas in autumn, Balenciaga Tempete day bag and skinny jeans.

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Beautiful blue printed dresses under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: rectangle pendant necklace

Dress: French Connection blue Paisley print dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bracelets: the usual plus two beaded Sportsgirl Butterfly Foundation bracelets, Roie Designs swarovski crystal bracelet, and old blue beaded bracelets
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

Although I'd quickly outgrown most of my zip up dresses for work and put them away, I'd kept this blue one and the same style in orange out, as I figured they had a bit more space around the belly region and should fit the bump well. I'd planned to wear the orange version to the office on this day, but found out that I couldn't zip it over the bump any more! Even though I'd tried it on a couple of days before! Luckily this blue one has a little more stretch to it so I was just able to squeeze into it. I really liked wearing this outfit.

The fact that I'm wearing 31 different dresses in a month and that I've outgrown a large number of them and still have enough dresses left to wear a different one every day, shows how much of a hoarder I am! I knew I had more than 31 dresses, but it's crazy to think I can wear a dress every day for a month and still have some left over. There's no need to have that many dresses! I was really expecting to get rid of more dresses through the challenge, but so far I've liked pretty much every one I've worn.


Last worn: French Connection paisley print dress, camel flats, Balenciaga tempete day bag (above).

Other ways to wear: French Connection paisley print dress and ankle boots, camel flats and denim, Balenciaga tempete day bag and shorts.



Linking up with Modest Monday.

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Butterfly Print Jersey Dress, Trench, Mulberry Bayswater Bag, Tan Accessories

Here's what I wore to work today:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat (similar here)
Necklace: gift from DH (similar here)
Bracelets: the usual plus Indigo Rose Design labradorite bracelets and untreated leather glass bead wrap bracelet
Dress: French Connection blue butterfly print jersey dress (similar here)
Belt: Asos skinny boyfriend belt (tied in a double loop knot using this tutorial by Kileen from Cute and Little)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs Logo Plaque flats in Camel
Bag: Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather


Close up of accessories:

In an effort to take pictures in the sunlight today, DH took these outfit photos for me in a car park this morning. Not very glamorous, but it did get good lighting. I just need to not stand in front of a car next time and you would never know ;)

The MyTheresa sale has just stared - up to 50% off and there are a few nice bags and accessories on sale :) I really like these shoes - they are so insanely awesome! I know I would never wear them though.

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French Connection Printed Dress, Jeanswest Leather Jacket, Mulberry Alexa, Asos Aggie Boots

Here's what I wore to work today:

Jacket: Jeanswest black leather jacket
Necklace: gift from DH
Bracelets: the usual plus gifted purple Salvatore Ferragamo leather bow bracelet
Dress: French Connection butterfly jersey tie waist dress from Asos
Shoes: Asos Aggie leather western ankle boots in black
Bag: Mulberry regular size Alexa bag in foggy grey from Reebonz sale

Close up of accessories and bag:

It was a very cold and wet day today, so I wore my leather jacket and boots to keep warm. Had a little bit of colour from my printed dress and bag. Only one photo today as it was too cold to take my jacket off. The proportions look a little odd to me in the photo, but I just wanted to keep warm. Had a scarf in my bag in case it was needed too, although the air con at work was broken again so it was really hot inside.

Asos have a 50% off sale at the moment, and you can get an extra 10% off using the code "MEGA10". I'm trying not to buy anything and stick to the Buy Nothing New Month challenge, but we'll see how long I last!


The jacket was last worn here, dress here, bag here and boots here.

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