Casual Autumn Denim Outfits: New Purchases and Something Leaving My Wardrobe

Hope you are having a great long weekend! There are some awesome sales on at the moment over Easter. Have a wonderful time with friends and family, celebrating the gift of life through Jesus or just enjoying the holidays. Either way I hope you get to eat plenty of chocolate! :)

I'm still playing catch-up, sharing pics of what I wore back in March. With the weather having cooled ever so slightly, I took the change to 'Autumnify' my usual outfits, and wear some of my new purchases! Sharing two of casual denim outfits I wore, and another item that's leaving my wardrobe. I've listed some of the things I'm getting rid of on ebay (including my designer bags) if you're interested: bit.ly/AFBebay.

What I wore:

Sunglasses: Rayban new Wayfarers
Shirt: Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue (new purchase)
Shorts: Jeanswest denim cuff shorts
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bracelets: the usual plus blue and silver bracelet stack, House of Harlow Aztec bangle in white and silver
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

I had been looking forward to wearing this shirt so much since I bought it. After doing my wardrobe detox and learning a little about what colours look good on me, I know white isn't the best, but this top is just so pretty! I actually wore this before my personal stylist session so it was too late to return it. I'll just be aware it will look better worn with bright accessories. It was still a little too warm for long sleeves, I paired it with denim shorts to keep cool. It looked a little overcast in the morning so I wore ankle boots, but really didn't need them in the afternoon heat.

As this top has a pretty embroidered detail around the neckline I didn't wear a necklace with it and just stacked up my bracelets instead. Was a nice causal outfit for a morning at playgroup with baby T and then lunch and a shopping trip with my sister in the afternoon.


Last worn: Ray-ban Wayfarers, denim shorts, Acne Pistol boots, Balenciaga tempete day bag. First time I've worn the shirt as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: denim shorts for a lazy Sunday, Acne Pistol Boots with a dress in Spring, Balenciaga day bag with dresses.

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What I wore:

Scarf: Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse leopard print scarf in pink and cream (2011 valentines collection)

Tank: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Jeans: Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe (new purchase)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere (with Coach feather bag charm)

Why I wore it:

Weather that's cool enough for jeans at last! Autumn has been a while coming here in Brisbane. Wore this out to go shopping in the city with baby T. With a rainy day it was cold enough to justify jeans and even a scarf, so I got the chance to wear my new Jeanswest skinny jeans. I know, I have too many jeans already. But these are incredible! I fell in love with them as soon as I tried them on and paid full price for them instead of waiting for a sale like I usually do. Just as well, as they are selling out quickly! They are actually cropped (7/8 leg) jeans but they are the perfect length for my petite frame. To justify buying yet another pair of blue jeans, I got rid of 4 pairs from my wardrobe (and added them to my closet cleanout sale on ebay).

It's been almost 2 years since I last wore this scarf! I've only worn it 6 in the past 3 years I've been blogging (and with some very questionable outfits too). For such an expensive purchase, I'm definitely not getting my money's worth. I won't elaborate on cost per wear, it's really not good! This scarf is leaving my wardrobe. I've consigned it with a local store so hopefully I'll get a fair bit of the purchase price back.

Leaving My Wardrobe: 

Louis Vuitton Leopard Print Scarf

Last worn: Louis Vuitton leopard print scarf, striped tank, Havaianas, LV Speedy bandouliere. First time I've worn the jeans as they are a new purchase.

Other ways to wear: pink scarf with pink cami, striped tank in the third trimester, speedy bandouliere with skirts.

Linking up with Fab Favourites, Passion for Fashion, Friday Favourites, Fashion Friday, Mix It Up Friday, Fashion Friday, Modest Monday today.

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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.