Wearing Maxi Dresses in Winter: with Scarves and Cardis

Here's what I wore to have lunch and spend the day with family:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in Boysenberry
Dress: Jeanswest 'Chantelle' crochet detail blue printed maxi dress
Belt: Asos metal keeper skinny waist belt in bright blue
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"


Strange to see this maxi dress without the baby bump! I bought it in my third trimester when I felt I was running out of pretty dresses to wear, knowing I'd be able to wear it post-pregnancy as well. It's got gorgeous lace detail on the back, but as it's winter I covered it up with a cardi and added some boots to keep warm.

I first tried the belted jacket and maxi dress combo during my pregnancy, and I really liked it. Thought it would be a good way to keep cosy and look nice for spending the day with the in-laws. We had lunch and Baby T got the chance to meet some more of his relatives from out of state, it was a lovely day. Picked this cardigan to wear over my other ones as I really like purple and blue together, and the way the little waterfall drape looks with the maxi dress.


Last worn: waterfall cardi, skinny belt, printed maxi dress, Acne Pistol boots.

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Here's what I wore to go to my new parent group:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood
Dress: MEV Havana maxi dress C/O Zibibo
Belt: Asos skinny pale yellow belt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs two tone flats in blush and black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


I'm glad I can still wear this maternity maxi dress post-baby! It was one of my favourite maternity pieces, and is a nursing dress too, really practical. I did worry that it might be a little too long on my petite frame without the belly holding it up a bit, but belted it's still a nice floor-skimming length.

I've been wanting to wear the dress and denim jacket together for a while. It's also the perfect piece for the last day of the Style and Shenanigans texture challenge. Minus the snood, this was the outfit I had planned out to wear the evening before I unexpectedly went into labour. I woke up early in the morning, feeling funny. When DH got up I was sitting on the end of the bed breathing through a contraction and as soon as I could I said "I think I'm in labour!". Instead of the pretty dress I'd laid out, I put on my ninja baby tee (for its last wear!) and some trackie dacks to wait it out at home a bit longer until it was time to head to the hospital. Changed into a hospital gown soon after arriving there, and baby was born shortly after! It was so wonderful to meet him, he was so tiny and perfect!

This is the second wear of the snood since I bought it, so as I've done with all my July purchases, the final verdict:
I like it! I've never really liked the idea of a snood before, it seems less versatile than a scarf and I was always worried the style would overwhelm me, being short. Trying it on in store helped to make sure it was a purchase that looked good on me and one that I'd wear. An impulse buy I didn't need to make (I have a LOT of scarves) but one I'll get lots of use from. Especially now as I'm favouring soft scarves instead of necklaces baby could get tangled in.


Last worn: denim jacket, paisley print snood, skinny belt, maternity maxi dress, cap toe flats.



Lining up with Style and Shenanigans, Friday's Fab Favourites, Passion for Fashion, Fashion Item Friday, Casual Friday today.

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Post Baby Dressing: Tees and Maxi Skirts | Blogging With Baby

As life revolves around baby T, I'm finding it difficult to set aside the usual 30 minutes a day I had in the past for blogging. Blogging and reading other blogs is a lovely way to get some "me time", but baby will always come first. I've enjoyed sharing my daily outfits, especially during pregnancy, and have gained a lot from having a searchable outfit history.

I'm going to continue to keep taking photos of what I wear every day when possible, but reduce the posting frequency. I'm going to aim for a post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This means posting less outfits a week, which takes the pressure off. When I do have a busy day and don't get out of PJs or find time to take a photo, or baby T decides to "add" to what I'm wearing before I can take a pic...I will probably have some photos taken that haven't yet been shared.

I'll still be sharing what I actually wore each day of course (who has the time and energy to dress up just to stand in front of a camera?!), just not posting it on the day I wore it or the day after like I used to.


Here's what I wore to go to my new parents group:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Cardi: Jeanswest long red drape cardigan
Tee: Asos new forever grey tee (on sale!)
Skirt: Asos colour block maxi skirt in red (on sale!, new purchase)
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white


This pretty colour block maxi skirt is one of my July purchases, so I have the goal of wearing it twice this month to evaluate if it was a good purchase, and if there are lessons I can learn to help me be more selective with shopping. It took me a while to get around to wearing it, as I had to have it shortened first. Being petite, I knew I'd probably have to take it to the tailor as it's from the regular asos line, but the good sale price and extra % off convinced me it was still a bargain with the alterations taken into account.

Pairing this skirt with a grey tee was my first idea for an outfit when I saw it on the website, and I love the way it looks. Was a little unsure what jacket to wear at first as it's winter and chilly in the mornings when I go to my weekly parents group, so I wanted to be cosy. Had to babywear though, as we were asked to leave our strollers at home to create more space in the meeting room. When I'm going to be wearing baby T in his carrier I'm much fussier about what I wear. Want it to be soft for him to rest his little face against, so a cardi was the best choice as it has no zips. Made it a little cold for me in the morning but did give me a chance to wear this cardi knotted with a maxi skirt, prefer it this way instead of worn open and loose like last time.

It's funny how life with baby is impacting my outfits in ways I'd never considered before!


Last worn: wayfarers, red cardi, grey tee, Converse. First time I've worn the skirt as it's a recent purchase.

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Here's what I wore on the weekend:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: Zara frayed basket weave cardigan in blue
Tee: Atmos&Here stripe tee
Skirt: Target grey marle maxi skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs studded mouse flats in grey


I've worn this grey skirt and blue jacket together before to go out with baby T, I just didn't get the chance to take a photo. As I liked the combination I wanted to wear it again, and managed to get a photo this time! Did make the outfit a little different, as I wore a striped tee this time and a purple one previously. I like the way the stripes look with the tweed texture of the jacket.

Also decided to change the shoes this time around. My Converse have been getting worn a lot lately! They usually get more wear in winter anyway, but I've really been relying on them as an easy footwear choice when I'm hurriedly getting dressed each day. Need to try and wear some of my other shoes a little more. Especially on weekends, where DH is home to help with baby and I can spend an extra few minutes hunting for a nice shoe. Last time I wore these shoes I was pregnant, and enjoying the fact that these mouse flats had stretched a little more than my other ones, so my swollen pregnancy feet could squeeze into them. Thankfully not stretched out so much that a little heel guard/cushion can't fix them post-pregnancy.


Last worn: sunglasses (see above), Zara tweed cardi, stripe tee, grey maxi skirt, studded mouse flats.

Linking up with WIWW, Wardrobe Wednesday, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Fashion Informant, Tres Chic Fashion, Summer Style today.

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ASOS Pastel Aztec Print Scarf with Cobalt Blue and Purple

Here's what I wore to take baby T for a check up:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket
Scarf: Asos pastel Aztec print scarf (on sale!, new purchase)
Dress: Asos grey skater dress (on sale!, new purchase)
Shoes: Asos Aggie leather western ankle boots in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag


Took the opportunity to get out of PJs and take baby for a check up at our local child health clinic. We have been visiting a lot as it's nice to have a reason to get up and get out of the house with baby, rather than just walking Cooper! Baby T is thriving, our frequent visits are just taking advantage of all the support we have available. For those not in Australia, at the clinic you can book appointments to have regular and ad-hoc chats with the nurses, attend sessions about various baby and child related things (like advice on settling baby to sleep!), and just go to weigh baby and make sure everything is progressing well. It's a fantastic service! I'm very grateful to have access to so much help and support as a new mother.

First time I've worn this recently purchased scarf, it's so pretty. I paired it with the grey dress (also on its first wear) as I thought the pastel colours paired worked well. Couldn't resist adding just a little more colour with the cobalt blue of this leather jacket though. It's a good piece for the Style and Shenanigans texture challenge: leather.
It's almost Spring, and I've only worn this jacket twice this Winter. I paid full price for it, and it's the most expensive clothing item I own - even have some handbags that are cheaper! It has been worn so little this year as I'm a little worried about holding a newborn baby around it. I'm trying to wear the jacket on days I don't have to be out long and shouldn't need to feed baby T, to avoid any accidents. When I was a little girl, I left my mark on a family friend's leather jacket, and even after dry cleaning it was never the same....wouldn't want that to happen to this! Hopefully will get more wear next year.


Last worn: blue leather jacket, Asos ankle boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs baby bag. First time I've worn the scarf and dress as they are recent purchases.

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Here's what I wore to go to the post office:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Scarf: Asos pastel Aztec print scarf
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in washed lilac
Skirt: Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs pretty nylon Eliz-A-Baby bag
Stroller: Steelcraft Strider Compact


Loved wearing this scarf so much I wore it again the very next day! Just a nice casual outfit to go to the post office and run some errands with baby T. Paired the pastels with blue again, and some purple with the tee. It was such a warm day, I ended up taking the denim jacket off as we walked home in the sunshine. The scarf kept me cosy enough.

As this is the second time I've worn the scarf (and I'm evaluating all my July purchases), the final verdict:
It's certainly much bigger than I expected, a nice blanket size scarf. I didn't check the measurements before I bought it. It's warm and I like the print and colours. I'm just concerned it might be a little too big on me, what do you think? Need to think of more creative ways to tie and wear it in future. Might not get worn as much as I thought it would as the weather warms, but it was a bargain at under $10 (on sale with an extra % off) so I should still get my money's worth from the purchase.


Last worn: pastel printed scarf (see above), denim jacket, purple tee, black maxi skirt, Converse, MbMJ baby bag (see above).

Linking up with Let It Shine, Style To Inspire, Mix it Mondays, DC in Style, Manic Monday, SNS Style Challenge, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Trend Sin Linkup today.

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