Printed Dresses, Converse and Denim Jackets

While it's definitely winter weather (at least in the mornings) now in Brisbane, I took advantage of the mild autumn weather to wear a favourite outfit combination when I wore these. I've been wearing dresses and denim jackets a lot recently, it's a great go-to for the in between seasons. Even though I'm wearing a shift dress and a maxi dress, both dresses look great with the denim jacket and Converse.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Dress: Jeanswest Nikki printed shirt dress
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

Wore my pretty yet not baby friendly necklace as I had a few hours kid-free again. Just like last time, I had a physio appointment so a dress was the easiest option for me to wear workout leggings for the session and then take them off again afterwards. Also squeezed in a trip to the dentist.

While the speedy bandouliere bag is a great option for spending time with the toddlers because of the cross body strap, I still enjoy wearing it even when I'm not with them.

Converse were a good practical choice for physio and running between appointments, and I'll always love the casual simplicity of dresses and Converse!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, denim jacket, Jeanswest printed shift dress, black Converse All Star, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and shorts, Jeanswest printed shift dress in summer, black Converse All Star and flares, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket and hiding a baby bump, Converse for second trimester travel, speedy bandouliere and maxi skirt in second trimester.

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More Denim Jackets Under $50:

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What I wore:

Earrings: A Little Bit of North blue mandala earrings (giveaway prize, close up photo)
Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Dress: Kmart Tropicana sleeveless tiered maxi dress
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs pearl, howlite and hematite beaded bracelets
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

I've worn this dress and denim jacket together before, it's a combination I really like. First time I've worn this maxi dress (or any maxi dress!) with Converse though. I've mentioned previously that I see this as the #everydaystyle dress on Instagram - I bought it after seeing it pop up in my feed twice in one day and I continue to see it  making an appearance.

The beautiful SuperKombi wore hers with Converse a while ago and the outfit idea was one I was waiting to try. This day seemed like the perfect chance!

We had a birthday party at the park in the morning for one of Toddler T's friends, and then an early Mother's Day celebration on the coast with my parents. The maxi dress felt formal enough for both events, yet was also comfortable and practical to chase two toddlers around the playground thanks to the Converse.

It was a cooler autumn morning when I wore this so I considered a leather jacket, but I'm glad I stuck with the denim one as it did get a little warm when the sun broke through the clouds at the playground.


Last worn: denim jacket (above), coral floral maxi dress, white Converse Chucks, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket with double denim, floral maxi dress for Christmas Day, white Converse Chucks and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and striped skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: Rebecca Minkoff Love bag with black dress in third trimester.

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Where to Buy Converse Low Top Sneakers:

(Most are under $50)

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How You Can Wear It:

It's so easy to slip on a dress and Converse for a busy day. If you have a neutral black or white pair like I do, they will work nicely with any printed dress you try! Like I've shown in the photos above, Converse look great with shorter dresses as well as longer maxi dresses. They work especially well with dresses in spring and autumn, keeping your feet cosy as the temperature dips through the day. They are also a great choice for mums, perfect for chasing toddlers in! It's such a classic and iconic shoe.


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Two Different Ways to Wear Camis: Pink and Purple Outfits

First, Jeanswest currently have an extra 40% off selected sale items! Great time to shop.


Continuing with rewearing pieces I haven't worn in a while to try and inspire me while shopping my wardrobe during the final month of 6 months without shopping. Again, I'm wearing two camis and layering them up a little for autumn. Although it's now winter in Brisbane, it was a rather mild autumn when I wore these outfits a few weeks ago.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers

Cardigan: Jeanswest Peggie kimono cardigan in purple mulberry marle
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Cami: Jeanswest 'Maria' cami in cream
Jeans: Sass & Bide Playman skinny jeans
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC (on sale, 25% off!)

Why I wore it:

I shared this on instagram for White Shirt Day, a day to wear a white shirt and raise awareness and money for ovarian cancer research.

There's a good reason this top isn't worn often even though I love it so much. I've mentioned before that I don't own or wear a lot of white as I'm a little too clumsy for it, and then once you add in two energetic toddlers it's really just asking for trouble! I really liked this outfit - I like the white tank with the printed jeans, the colourful purple cardigan and neon pink bag - but I did worry when we were in the car that maybe I shouldn't have worn white that day. Luckily we made it to our ABA mother's group and back without any stains on my top, definitely a win. Of course by the end of the day my top wasn't looking so pristine. 😂

Last time I wore a similar ruffled cami I wasn't too happy with the outfit as I think the ruffle and kimono together didn't work well. I much preferred this purple cardigan as it had a closer fit. It was a nice addition of colour too with the white.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, purple cardigan, pleated ruffle cami, Sass & Bide printed skinny jeans, black ballet flats, neon pink mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and graphic tee, pleated ruffle cami and maxi skirt, Sass & Bide printed skinny jeans with magenta accessories, ballet flats and flares, neon pink mini MAC and navy outfit.

Perfect for pregnancy: pleated cami in second trimester, black ballet flats and maternity pencil skirts.

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More Ruffled Camis Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Paper Scissors grey wrap cardigan

Necklace: Ruby Olive Softies Charlotte teething necklace
Top: Jeanswest 'Amber' floral print ruffle cami
Skirt: Jeanswest Luxe maxi jersey skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

This was the last cami I wanted to wear, after trying to work my way through most of my little-worn camis before winter weather arrived. I'd had this outfit idea for a few days and decided to wear it to playgroup, as a maxi skirt is great for coverage sitting playing with the boys and still comfortable for chasing toddlers around. Just like the outfit above, I went with a light cardigan, and I wore pink and purple again with the purple bag and pink floral cami.

This is one of those outfits where you like the idea of it more than the resulting outfit. It's not that anything was off with this - I was happy with it, I love the pieces and I think they look nice together. It was just a little chilly! I wished I'd worn a thicker cardi and maybe a maxi skirt that doesn't have side slits up to my knees, as it was a cold and windy morning, especially when playing outside in the playground with the boys.

As I mentioned when I bought this maxi skirt, it's a thicker fabric so I expected it to work well for autumn. I'm not sure it will get as much love over winter as I expected, although I will of course try to make it work. I'd prefer to be able to wear most of my wardrobe year round, although I know that's not always possible.

Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer (above), grey cardigan, floral ruffle cami, black jersey maxi skirt, Walnut Melbourne (above), Rebecca Minkoff purple MAB.

Other ways to wear: grey cardigan and chambray skirt, pink floral cami and olive pants, black jersey maxi skirt worn two ways, black ballet flats and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: floral cami in second trimester, ballet flats and maternity wrap dress.

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More Pink and Purple Rebecca Minkoff Bags:

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How You Can Wear It:

It is possible to layer with ruffled camis without feeling like there's too much volume in your outfit. Stick with fitted cardigans that sit closer to your body like I have here. If you have a colourful printed cami, try a neutral cardigan. A plain block-colour cami looks great with a colourful cardigan too.


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30 Wears: Rebecca Minkoff Grey MAB Satchel Bag

Another 30 ways to wear, with an update on #6monthsWithoutShopping.

6 Months Without Shopping: Month 5 Update

You might find it hard to believe but that's the 5th month of my no shopping challenge completed with no shopping! Of course now I've shared the secret for how I've been distracting myself from shopping for these 5 months - I was working on an eBook in any spare time I had. Not that you get spare time often with two boys under 3!

This month I think I've been more tempted by things, there have been so many sales. I'd usually use a sale as an excuse to jump online to 'just take a look', but I've distracted myself with doing something for the book instead so I've never had the time to think about purchases for too long. It's also easy to talk myself out of wanting things when I realise I've nearly done 6 months without shopping and I'd hate to go and spoil it so close to the end by buying something!


And now, 30 wears. Still finding it difficult to identify clothing that I've worn 30 times, I'm featuring another accessory. The Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini that I've worn over 60 times in the 4 years since I bought it. A surprisingly low number given that when I get it out of its dustbag I tend to wear it for a few days in a row. It's such a good bag I usually wear it for a while before thinking I need to enjoy some of my other bags again.

#30Wears: Rebecca Minkoff Grey MAB Mini (MAM) Bag

I bought this Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB bag back in 2013, before the boys were born. At the time I liked the flexibility of the bag as you could wear it so many different ways: over the shoulder, handheld, and cross body. It's only now I'm chasing toddlers that I'm really appreciating the cross body feature for more than just a different look, it's a very practical choice for a mum bag! The neutral grey mini MAB goes with so many different outfits and I've worn the bag for many occasions too, as you can see in the 30 ways I've worn it below.

Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB in the Office

The classic shape and neutral colour make the MAB satchel a great choice for the office! It's just large enough to fit in all of the usual things I carry as well as a small notebook, water bottle and snack - essentials for meetings across the city. While my workplace has a business casual dress code, I think this is the kind of bag you could easily wear in a more formal office too.

Mini MAB and Maxi Skirts and Dresses

The beauty of the Rebecca Minkoff MAB satchel is that while it works in a more formal office environment with a pencil skirt, you can dress it down nicely with a maxi skirt or maxi dress for the weekend or stay at home mum style. The rectangular satchel shape of the bag slouches down nicely so it's just as suitable for a casual outfit too.

Grey Mini MAB and Print Mixing

The benefit of neutral grey bag is that it goes with anything, so you can be a little more adventurous with your outfit. You can easily try some print mixing and pair different clothes together, as the bag won't clash with whatever you're wearing. Stripes and skulls, stripes and Aztec print, stripes and stars and even polka dots and skulls. I love my colourful handbags, but you can't beat a nice neutral sometimes!

Grey MAB Bag and Colourful Outfits

Just as a grey bag works in the outfits above when you are wearing different prints, it's the perfect neutral for a more colourful outfit where you're trying a new colour combination. I'm trying to add more colour to my outfits so when I'm wearing two colours I like to opt for a neutral bag. Blue and grey work so nicely together, and continue to do so even when you add in other colours like purple, yellow, pink and red.

MAB Satchel and Printed Dresses

Of course you don't have to be paring different prints or colours together to wear a neutral bag. A fail-safe grey bas is a good accessory with a bright printed dress too. 'Pick a colour from the pattern on the dress to accessorise with' is wise advice, but you can never go wrong wearing a colourful printed dress and a classic neutral bag.

Difference Between the MAB and Mini MAB Satchel Bag

I've used MAB and mini MAB (or MAM) interchangeably in this post. The bag I'm wearing is the mini MAB which I think is better for my petite self. The difference is that the mini MAB is 20% smaller than the MAB. It's the exact same style, just a tiny bit smaller. A mini MAB (or MAM) is 13" wide, 8" high and 5.75" deep. Anything bigger is the MAB. 👍

Grey Rebecca Minkoff MAB Satchel and Monochrome Outfits

A you've seen above, an outfit with prints or colours or combinations of them both can benefit from a neutral handbag. You can try different prints and colours together, or try something a little simpler and wear a monochrome outfit. Black, blue and even orange, a grey bag can compliment a monochrome outfit nicely.

Grey MAB Bag With Jeans and a Tee

Jeans and a tee will always be a go-to outfit for me. A grey tee and denim is a simple outfit, and the grey Rebecca Minkoff MAB works nicely with it too, simple and stress free dressing. I haven't had any denim transfer on the grey leather, even when the bag rubs against my jeans when I wear it cross body. I do spray all my bags with a waterproofer before I wear them though.

Anything and Rebecca Minkoff MAB Satchel

As you've seen above, a neutral grey bag with multiple ways to wear it like this one really will go with everything. You can wear it with jeans, colourful outfits, prints, dresses...it works in so many different outfits. You can wear it year-round, and to multiple activities. It's one of those wear to work, wear on weekend pieces that I wish I had more clothing equivalents of in my wardrobe with my upcoming return to work after maternity leave.

If you've been considering a Rebecca Minkoff bag and haven't been sure which one to get, I highly recommend snapping up the MAB on sale. It's on sale right now at Shopbop, in tan too. It's the first handbag Rebecca Minkoff sold back in 2005 and it really is one of those classic pieces. The video below shows just how much it can comfortably fit inside!

Where to Buy the Rebecca Minkoff MAB:

Where to Buy the Rebecca Minkoff MAB Second Hand:

(While the MAB style has recently been re-released, it was discontinued for a while. There are still a lot more colour options available second hand if you want to get one of the older bags like mine. Just remember to check sizes as mentioned above to make sure you're getting the MAB or MAM you want.)

Want more outfit inspiration? All 60+ ways I've worn the Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB on the blog.

❝ 30 ways to wear the Rebecca Minkoff MAB satchel! - Click to Tweet.

I hope you found this post useful. Don't forget to share or pin!


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