Frocktober: Casual and Classy Dresses

Another two of my Frocktober fundraising challenge outfits. A nice casual shift dress for working from home and a fancier lace LBD for the office to tie in with our team fundraising theme for the week.

What I wore:

Scarf: Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow (Get Love Quotes scarves at Shopbop)

Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Shorts: (under dress) Cotton On blue denim shorts
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bracelets: the usual plus Balenciaga coated stud wrap bracelet in icy blue
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

I wore this the same day I took the video of my Shopbop sale purchases. I was so excited to wear the scarf right away! It does look a bit big though....hoping I can figure out how to tie it better and get some more wear out of it (it's only linen) before the weather heats up too much here in Brisbane. I'd bought it without checking the measurements as it reminded me of a scarf I had my eye on in the July sales, when I was doing #noBuyJuly. That scarf sold out before July was over and I could shop again. I'd been looking for a yellow scarf since, so was excited to pick this one up!

I worked from home and had an OB appointment in the morning, so I had to put some shorts under the dress so I had a little bit of modesty intact when the OB was checking baby's progress.


Last worn: Zara navy shift dress, denim shorts, Ikwetta sandals, Balenciaga day bag. First time I've worn the scarf as it is a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: Zara navy printed dress layered up for winter, denim shorts with a striped dress, Ikwetta sandals and a maxi dress, Balenciaga day bag with shorts.

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Casual dresses and classy dresses from Shopbop under $100:

1, 2, 3, 5: BB Dakota dresses | See more casual shift dresses 

4: Free People lace dress | 6: WAYF lace dress | See more classy lace dresses

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What I wore:

Necklace: freshwater pearl necklace layered with Tai gold alphabet necklace

Dress: Jeanswest 'Gisele' contrast lace dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Mulberry regular Alexa bag in foggy grey

Why I wore it:

Although I'm only in the office 2 days a week, I've managed to get quite a few of my colleagues excited about Frocktober. We've been trying to get group pics as we go along, as we email them around to the department with updates on our dress wearing and fundraising progress. This day, someone suggested we should all try wear our best LBDs, and the final picture was awesome. Wish we had come up with a weekly theme sooner! Maybe next year.

I'd worn this dress in the third trimester before so I was confident I'd still be able to fit into it, and so I'd been keeping it in reserve for the later days of the end of the challenge when I suspected I'd be running out of dresses that fit! Was grateful to have something I knew I would be able to wear.


Last worn: black lace dress, black ballet flats, Mulberry foggy grey Alexa bag.

Other ways to wear: black lace dress for a work party, black flats and skinny jeans, Mulberry Alexa with jeans and a tee.

Linking up with Let It Shine, Shoe and Tell, Hello Monday, Classy Monday, Mix It Monday, Turning Heads, On Trend Tuesday, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Wednesday Blog Hop, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Pleated Poppy.


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: 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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