Corporate Style: Prints in the Office. Floral Cami and Pencil Skirt, Polka Dot Dress. Balenciaga Part Time

Back to regular outfit posts! Two more outfits I wore to the office. Both involving lots of black as it had been a tough week with baby T and I wanted simple, easy outfits.

What I wore:

Cardigan: Jeanswest black cardi

Necklace: Dogeared silver wishbone necklace (on sale!) layered with Dogeared 3 Wishes stardust bead necklace
Cami: Atmos&Here 'Isla' ruffle cami in floral print
Skirt: Asos tailored tab front pencil skirt in grey
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bracelets: the usual plus JORD black Fieldcrest wood watch (C/O)
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

This is what I wore on Saint Patrick's day. (Yep, I'm 2 weeks behind with posting what I wore!) I wanted to wear something with a little bit of green in it, as sometimes the office can get really into holidays. I didn't want to go overboard though, so I thought this printed top with the little bits of green worked nicely. I saw lots of people dressed up in very green outfits when I was walking through the city during the day, but sadly there wasn't a lot of green in the office. I was pleased I hadn't pulled together an overly green outfit! Went with all black accessories as that was easiest, and because I needed a cardi to cover the spaghetti straps of the cami for the office.

I've been participating now and then in the #RediscoverYourWardrobe instagram tag. This outfit was another one that met the challenge as last time I wore this cardigan was over two years ago! I wore it with black and white and some red accessories last time, it was a little more colourful this time around with the printed top. This skirt is another wardrobe oldie, last worn when I was 21 weeks pregnant and still hiding the baby bump in the office.

I was debating if I should keep these heels or not. They are very tall, but actually very comfortable despite the height. I wondered if the style was a bit dated though. I got these shoes in 2013 and while they are black, they aren't exactly a classic timeless style. I was scrolling through my instagram feed that day and saw an extremely similar pair being featured as a new style arriving at a store I follow, so I'm not worried any more. They will stay in my wardrobe!


Last worn: black cardigan, Atmos&Here cami, grey pencil skirt, black heels, Balenciaga Part Time.

Other ways to wear: black cardi with a neutral outfit, printed cami and colour blocked maxi skirt, grey pencil skirt worn with blue, Balenciaga black part time with monochrome outfits (and a baby belly!).

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What I wore:

Dress: French Connection spotty cotton dress
Shoes: Wittner 'Bolla' black bow detail flats
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

This dress is another oldie! I last wore it in 2013, back when I was exhausted as I was suffering from really bad morning sickness. I wore it then as I was tired and wanted something to nice and easy to wear to the office. Tiredness is the reason I picked it again this time, although I was tired because I was sleep deprived with baby T and hadn't had time to pick out an outfit the evening before like I usually do. LBD, black accessories and I was done, off to work. Easy :) Although running late meant I didn't notice the messy hair, or have time to fix it before photos, ha!


Last worn: French Connection LBD, black ballet flats, Balenciaga part time (above).

Other ways to wear: polka dot dress with pink accessories, black Balenciaga with a pink outfit.

Linking up with I Feel Pretty, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Weekly, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Spotlight Weekly, What I Wore to Work, Fun Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Skirtista Diaries today.

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March Update and What I Learnt From a Wardrobe Detox

Thought I'd break with the standard outfit posts template to share my March wardrobe update. I made some purchases this month, and I got rid of a lot of things from my wardrobe. I even listed some on ebay! Also had my first session with a personal stylist, so I wanted to share what that was like with you all.

What I bought in March:

Emerson red skinny jeans (already worn here)
Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe

Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (already worn here)
Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer
Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Not bad considering the last time I bought clothes for myself was in December! You can tell I had a few Jeanswest gift cards to spend ;)

March was the month I returned to the office after maternity leave. As I did so, I got all of my old office clothes out of the 'for after baby' box they had been hiding in and - honestly - started to get quite frustrated that I didn't really have any space for those things in my wardrobe. The slow and steady wardrobe clear-out process got a bit more focused and ruthless over the month. There are so many considerations and emotions around going back to work, and tackling my wardrobe at such a time was probably not the best idea in hindsight. I was just getting more frustrated trying to turn my wardrobe into something that would work for my new lifestyle. So I called in the professionals! One of my instagram friends (@sophisticatedmumma) recommended a personal stylist who lived near me (@istyl). I've been thinking about having someone help me with my wardrobe for a while, and facing a big lifestyle change with returning to work after maternity leave seemed like an ideal time to get an expert!

If you are thinking about getting a personal stylist to come help you with your wardrobe, do it! If you're wondering, I always disclose my sponsored posts. This is not one of them. This is all my own words and I paid for the services with my own money. I didn't even mention that I was going to blog about it. The wardrobe detox was not as stressful as I expected, and was actually really fun. It helped that baby T and Cooper were on their best behaviour and that Maudie was happy working around baby and his needs through the day. She was a superstar.

What I learnt from my wardrobe detox:

• Babies never nap as long as you expect them too!
• You will be trying on lots of clothes so you want to dress appropriately (maybe matching undies) or set up a little hidden spot to change if you're feeling modest. Dancing around the room half naked asking for a little help struggling to pull off a pair of stubborn skinny jeans / needing to fix a zipper caught halfway up a dress might happen more than once.

• There are certain colours you can wear that can make you look incredible, and some that wash you out.

• If your wardrobe is full of colours that don't make you look your best, there are a few tricks you can employ to get around this. It isn't about buying a whole new wardrobe, but learning how to make what you have work for you.

• You'll never really comprehend how much stuff is in your wardrobe until you start going through it all.
• It is extremely frustrating realising just how many 'perfect for nursing' tops you had hidden in your wardrobe, after you've stopped breastfeeding.

• You will come up with the craziest justifications to explain oddities in your wardrobe. (Like why each and every one of your 14 grey tees is a complete essential and different from all the rest.) Thanks for humouring me Maudie!

• A wardrobe detox is very emotional. Saying goodbye to old pieces, and re-discovering old favourites. You might feel compelled to tell stories of when, where, and why you bought things. It's a trip down memory lane.

• Even you will be surprised with how stubborn you can be on keeping some pieces....and how happy you will be to toss others.

• If there are things you just have to have despite the expert opinion saying it doesn't work for you, you can get ideas of different ways to style the items to make them work a little better.

• Even an overflowing wardrobe can have 'gaps' in it.  It is really helpful to know what things you should look for next time you are shopping, and what you should avoid buying more of. (Like jeans!)

• Sorting things into piles of 'keep', 'tailor' and 'toss' is so much easier with an impartial third party helping.

• It's never about you. You look amazing. Your clothes might not be working to show off your best self. And that can be easily fixed.

• Hearing sincere and flattering compliments is always a good boost, especially after having a baby.
• Some things you might be considering getting rid of can stay and become stand out pieces in your wardrobe very quickly when you know how to wear them.
• Finding out why things make you look and feel good will help guide your shopping for the better.
• A few hours, a bin bag full of cast-offs and a little bit of wardrobe reorganisation can make such a positive difference.

If you're in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast I'd recommend Maudie as an awesome personal stylist. If a wardrobe detox isn't in your budget, try inviting a friend over and getting an honest opinion on some of the things you own. It's so helpful getting another view. I know some bloggers have check lists or flowcharts or things to help you do your own wardrobe detox too. Please feel free to link up any great advice you have or have come across in the comments.

As a result of my little spring-cleaning before my wardrobe session and a very productive couple of hours during it...there are a bunch of things that have left my wardrobe this month. I've included pictures of just some of them below, as they didn't all have a 'last wear' outside. You can find a few things on ebay. I'll be listing more as I find the time, and the rest will be donated to the Animal Welfare League shelter to end up in their op-shops.

More Wardrobe Edits, Shop My Closet and Embellished Maxi Dress and Tank Outfits

First up, I've hit that point in my wardrobe clear-out process where I've listed some things on ebay. Check it out if you want to see what has happened to some of the things that have been leaving my wardrobe lately, or if you're after a designer bag for a bargain price. I've been clearing out my handbag collection too.

Secondly, this is a bit of a delayed post. I usually post 3 times a week but I missed Wednesday. I have photos ready and waiting, just no time to actually write a blog post. Baby T has been a bit out of sorts lately and if your baby is having a tough time and needs extra cuddles, you give them extra cuddles and everything else can wait. I'll happily divert my attention from blogging to baby grizzles :) Hopefully I can get back into the blog groove now and type up a few posts. I'd been relying on the little stockpile of scheduled posts I had for a while. On with the outfits.

What I wore:

Dress: Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (new purchase)
Shoes: Balenciaga studded sandals in sorbet RGGH
Bracelets: the usual plus Nicole by Nicole Miller bracelet
Bag: Miu Miu cammeo studded clutch bag

Why I wore it:

I was looking forward to the first wearing of my new black maxi dress! We had a BBQ dinner with family so this seemed like a nice dress to wear. The neckline has some beautiful beaded embellishment, so I didn't wear a necklace with it. I did add a bit of bling with my bracelet and the studded bag and sandals. I really like wearing the bag and sandals together, I do it often! I think the studded shoes and studded bag is a cute combination.

This bag isn't hanging around in my wardrobe though - while it is a cross body bag it's not ideal for using with baby as the clasp on the front can be a little fiddly while you're trying to close the bag with one hand and prevent baby crawling into danger with the other. It drove me a little crazy through the day. It's not listed on ebay, I'm consigning it with a local store instead. They know more about Miu Miu than I do!

Leaving my wardrobe: Miu Miu studded clutch

Last worn: Balenciaga studded sandals, Miu Miu studded bag. First time I've worn the dress as it was a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: a simple black maxi dress and a snood, pink sandals and a blue dress, Miu Miu bag worn as a clutch.

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What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Dress: French Connection Moon Moire printed top
Jeans: Emerson red skinny jeans (new purchase)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes Kelly double tour bracelet in rubis
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)

Why I wore it:

Last time I wore this top I was in the third trimester of pregnancy, and pleased to find a regular non-maternity top I could wear. I wasn't too impressed with how it looked though. I wasn't really enjoying wearing it this time around either. I think it's time for it to leave my wardrobe.

This outfit was really a fail all around though! As hubby had gone off to work, he commented on how odd the weather was. It was cloudy and overcast, definitely not looking like the hot day they had predicted. I took advantage of the cold weather and wore my newly purchased skinny jeans, a $5 op-shop (thrift shop) bargain. I had some errands to run with baby T, so we headed to the local Westfield. By the time we re-emerged from the air-conditioned environment in the afternoon, I realised my mistake. The clouds had cleared up and it had warmed up a lot. I changed into shorts as soon as I got home!

Leaving my wardrobe: French Connection Printed Top

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, French Connection printed top, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton speedy B. First time I've worn the jeans as they are a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: printed top in the second trimester, red skinny jeans with a blue top, Louis Vuitton Bandouliere speedy with a dress.

Linking up with Casual Friday, Favourite Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, Passion for Fashion, Mix It Up Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Modest Monday today.

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