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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Frocktober: Printed Dresses, Sun Hats, Rebecca Minkoff MAM Bag. Weekend Wear

Two more Frocktober dress outfits. Some colourful printed dresses for the weekend, where we spent time out in the sun so my trusty sun hat was needed. I balanced out the bright prints with a neutral bag.

I spent October wearing a different dress every day to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. While I shared a picture every day on instagram, I'm just a little behind with blogging what I wore. I'll temporarily be back to blogging 3 times a week to get through the backlog of daily dress photos.

What I wore:

Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat

Dress: Asos red leopard print dress with dipped hem
Belt: C/O Poppywinkle brown weave belt
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes Kelly double tour bracelet in rubis
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey | Shop more Rebecca Minkoff bags

Why I wore it:

Had been planning to wear a maxi dress, but decided to wear this cute red leopard print dress instead. We are hosting a frock swap in the office to raise more funds for Frocktober, and I figured I could bring this dress to the swap. Wanted to give it one last wear before I did so. It's ordinarily a very flattering cut, but doesn't look the best with a baby bump. Belting it higher over the bump helped a little. I did enjoy wearing this out to a school fete, but I'll take it to the swap anyway and see if there is anything on the racks I prefer more.

I have a little red dress, I have a animal print dress, not really sure if I then need another that combines both of those things! I've gotten 9 wears out of it in the 3 years I've had it, so it's not as frequently worn as my other dresses. If there's one thing that Frocktober is showing me it's that I own many more dresses than necessary, I need to start getting rid of some! Swapping an old one for a new-to-me one is a good start.


Last worn: sunhat, red leopard print dress, braided belt, Ikwetta sandals, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM.

Other ways to wear: sun hat and denim shorts, red leopard print dress and a striped bag, braided belt with a shirt dress, Ikwetta sandals and a maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff grey MAM and a maxi skirt.

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Although the Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Bag (MAB) has been continued, there are still some great Rebecca Minkoff bags available (including the 'sister' of the MAB, the MAB tote!).

Get these Rebecca Minkoff bags at Shopbop.

1: Rebecca Minkoff clutch bags | 2: Rebecca Minkoff satchel bags | 3: Rebecca Minkoff tote bags

You can find some Rebecca Minkoff bags in the 40% Shopbop sale on right now too!

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What I wore:

Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat
Necklace: House of Harlow 5 station necklace in black and silver
Dress: JayJays feather print maxi dress
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs (on sale!)
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey | Shop more Rebecca Minkoff bags

Why I wore it:

This was the maxi dress I had planned to wear the day before (above) when I picked the red leopard print dress instead. Was perfect for a morning out at a family friendly festival. This dress is one of the ones that the stylist suggested should leave my wardrobe during my wardrobe detox session. I know that I do have plenty of maxi dresses, but I refuse to let this one go. I'm much too attached to it. It's one of the older pieces in my wardrobe - so old I can't remember when I bought it - so I'm going to end up wearing it until it falls to pieces I think! It's one of those pieces that always works and looks great: pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, post-pregnancy and now in pregnancy again.

Same accessories as the day before. The sun hat protects my face and shoulders nicely from the sun on a day out and the grey bag goes with everything. I have no idea why Rebecca Minkoff discontinued this style, the MAM is a wonderful bag. There are still lots of cute Rebecca Minkoff bags (and I certainly own a few!), I just haven't found anything similar to the MAM.


Last worn: sun hat (above), feather print maxi dress, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff MAM (above).

Other ways to wear: sun hat for sightseeing, feather print maxi dress on the beach, Havaianas and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff MAM in the office.



Linking up with Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Flashback Fashion, Friday Favourites, Passion For Fashion, Fab Favourites.


This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Frocktober: Jeanswest Boho Maxi Dresses - New Summer Collection

When I was doing Frocktober, I was contacted by Jeanswest to have a look at their new boho summer collection. When I had the chance to pick a few pieces I knew dresses would be perfect, as I could wear and enjoy them right away. I was spoiled for choice too, the collection has some wonderful dresses! I picked two stunning maxi dresses that I hoped would fit the baby bump nicely.


I'm sharing these ahead of some of the other Frocktober outfits I wore as Jeanswest have a 40% off storewide sale on at the moment!

There are only a few days left of the sale, so hurry! Simply print or show the flyer on your smartphone in-store to get the discount. You can get the discount just by being a rewards member too and using your rewards card or signing into your account online - you can join for free online if you're not already a member.

What I wore:

Dress: Heather textured maxi dress in eggshell (C/O)

Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus statement cuff gifted from my bestie on other wrist
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (new purchase)

Why I wore it:

Wanted to keep the accessories simple. This dress has a gorgeous tie detail at the neckline so I picked a bold statement cuff to wear instead of a necklace. the only downside to this dress is that it creases a little through the day - as you can see in the pics. But it was nice and breezy and comfortable for an early morning start and a day down the coast with toddler T and my sister. I think I can get a few more wears out of this as it accommodates the baby belly well, despite not being a maternity dress.

I wasn't too sure about the colour combination with the eggshell and plum together, but I was so excited to wear my new bag I went for it anyway. I really liked the pairing when I wore it.


Last worn: Ikwetta sandals. First time I've worn the bag and dress.

Other ways to wear: beaded sandals with a leopard print dress.

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Shop my pick of the best pieces from the Jeanswest summer Boho Collection:

(click the image to go directly to that piece, or use the text links below)

1: Heather textured maxi dress in eggshell | 2: Janis silk playsuit | 3: Donna crochet trim dress | 4: Tammy printed double layer top | 5: Gigi printed maxi dress

6: Skyler mixed print tank | 7: Briony tassel tie halter top | 8: Janis silk printed dress | 9: Dan mixed print top | 10: Talulah textured layered cami in eggshell

And everything is 40% off right now!

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What I wore:

Dress: Gigi printed maxi dress (mine is in shorter length, C/O)

Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (new purchase)

Why I wore it:

I asked for this dress a size larger than normal so it would fit the baby bump, as it has a hidden zipper. I did have to pull the fixed waist up a bit higher over the top of the bump though. I know I'll have more chances to wear this after baby arrives, even if I can't squeeze into it again as the bump grows. I'm still so glad I got this dress, it's beautiful and looks even better sans bump. It is a regular (non maternity) dress after all.

The purple bag worked so well with the pink and blue print of the dress, despite really liking my outfit the day before (above) I liked this one even more! This dress is definitely my favourite piece from the whole collection - even with all the wonderful blue printed tops and tanks. I like that it comes in a shorter length too, the Heather maxi dress above I'll need to get hemmed once I don't have the baby bump pulling the dress up.

The Donna crochet trim dress is another stand out piece in my opinion. I decided not to get it in the end because an entirely white dress, with being extra clumsy during pregnancy and looking after a toddler, isn't the best choice! Looks awesome in the promo video though, and even better in person. The body is lined too so it's not sheer, but it's a light (viscose cheesecloth) material so it's perfect for the summer heat.


Last worn: Ikwetta sandals (above), Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: beaded sandals and a printed maxi skirt.

Note: prices above are before the 40% discount. Sign into your rewards member account online to get the sale prices.

Some of the items in this post were given to me to review. As always, all opinions and outfits are my own.


Linking up with Turning Heads, Inspiring Bloggers, Style Sessions, Tuesday Fashion Party, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, What I Wore, Pleated Poppy, Fresh Fashion, Style Me Wednesday, Oh Hey Girl, Momfluence, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Weekend Linkup. 

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