Maxi Dresses In Winter: Leather Jackets, Scarves and Ankle Boots

When I did my 30 wears post with one of my leather jackets, I mentioned that I'd been looking forward to wearing the maxi dress and leather jacket outfit combination more over winter. Add some ankle boots, a big scarf and a leather jacket to a summer maxi dress and you have an easy and cosy winter outfit - and you get more wear from your summer dresses.

What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Scarf: Sportsgirl animal scarf in violet
Tank: Jeanswest 'Jenni' basic singlet in festival fuchsia
Dress: black Jeanswest halterneck maxi dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga Day bag in 2005 magenta (20% off with code 'REAL')

Why I wore it:

Wore this for a day out with my boys, my last official day of maternity leave. (I've already blogged my return to work outfits but haven't shared this pic yet!). We spent the morning running a few quick errands and attending rhyme time at the library.

After liking the maxi dress and leather jacket combo I was eager to try it again. I thought that printed leather jacket would be nice with the black maxi dress but it all just looked a little too dull and black - so bright accessories were perfect for adding some colour! I really liked the purple scarf with the magenta Balenciaga day bag and pink tank.


Last worn: printed leather jacket, leopard print scarf, pink tank, black halter neck maxi dress, black ankle boots, Balenciaga magenta day bag.

Other ways to wear: printed leather jacket worn 30 ways, purple leopard print scarf with blue outfit, pink tank and striped skirt, black halter neck maxi dress and kimono, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, Balenciaga magenta day bag in the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: leopard print scarf and stripes in third trimester, pink tank in second trimester, maxi dress in the third trimester, ankle boots for baby bump reveal, magenta day bag and graphic tee in third trimester.

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More Leather Jackets Under $100:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf in Island pine-print
Dress: Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in pink!)

Why I wore it:

I went much more colourful for the next time I wore the maxi dress and leather jacket outfit. Had a crazy busy day. After being back at work, I'd found all the little errands I'd usually do during the week had to be crammed in on my days off, and so set an optimistic target of stopping in multiple places before lunchtime. Of course the boys were increasingly cranky and fed up being driven around all morning, so it wasn't the easiest of days!


Although we ran out of snacks buy the time we reached the final stop at Priceline, I was thankfully able to keep the boys amused long enough to have a wonderful chat and makeup trial session with Kaitlyn. We picked out all of the below makeup for my return to work.

I'm sharing this as I know a few bloggers gave me advice when I mentioned I needed new makeup that didn't make me breakout. My old stuff was over a year old and not entirely perfect. With the information I'd picked up from beauty blogs and a very patient and knowledgeable Kaitlyn, I managed to pick out things I'm really happy with.

I'm not a beauty blogger but I am impressed with all of this so far! I wear it twice a week to the office and have zero issues. The L'Oreal foundation in particular was expensive but worth every penny!

What I bought:

• Nude by Nature brush
• Nude by Nature mineral cover
• L'Oreal Infallible foundation
• NYX lipstick in Indian Pink 550

Just as well beauty products were exempt from my #6MonthsWithoutShopping challenge, as this was quite a big haul for me! Not sponsored, but I have been visiting the ladies at my local Priceline often (as it has a pharmacy) and I trust their recommendations! :)



Last worn: cobalt leather jacket, Marc Jacobs scarf, tie dye maxi dress, black ankle boots (above), Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag.

Other ways to wear: cobalt leather jacket and printed dress, Marc Jacobs scarf and pencil skirt, tie dye maxi dress and boho fringe bag, black ankle boots and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag and printed jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: print mixing with scarf at 37 weeks, tie dye maxi dress at 38 weeks, ankle boots and baby bump.

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Maxi Dresses Under $50 You Can Wear All Year

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How You Can Wear It:

Don't pack your summer maxi dresses away when the cold weather arrives! You can layer them up for even the coldest winter day with the right layers. they might not be ideal in the snow if the maxi length trails on the ground, but if you have a snow-free day it's a good time to give this outfit idea a try! You can even hide some leggings underneath if it's really cold.


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#30Wears: Black Ankle Boots

Another month, another #30wears post. This month I'm sharing 30 ways you can wear black ankle boots - across multiple seasons. If you're currently enjoying summer and want more sandal inspiration, I've done 30 ways to wear gladiator sandals.

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#noBuyJuly17 Results

Quickly wrapping up #noBuyJuly17 - I achieved it! Even after 6 months without shopping, I stuck to my goals this month and avoided the sales, not spending anything on fashion. I'm not going to try do 8 months without shopping, I'm open to shopping again in August.

However, I don't have the big 'wishlist' of items I was sure I'd have by the time my no-shop challenge is over, so I'm not going to be breaking the shopping drought with a huge haul or spending all those gift cards at once. I'll just see what I come across, and gradually spend the giftcards I'd set aside as a reward over the end of the year. A fairly uneventful end for a rather big achievement, no shopping for 7 months!

Despite the lack of a properly planned celebratory shop, I'm still really proud of managing to change my shopaholic ways. By buying nothing, I'm really getting more use from the things in my wardrobe that I already own, something I was trying to do but never seemed able to when I was just slowing down my shopping.

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30 Wears: RMK Black Leather Ankle Boots

I bought these boots in June, a little over two years ago. It was a month of a lot of purchases thanks to all of the sales there were on at the time and needing new winter pieces. These boots were a little more expensive than the pair they replaced, but they were on sale, in my size and with a smaller heel so they were the perfect choice for me as a mum! It's also good to see that while 30 wears in two years doesn't sound like a lot, it's more frequently than I wore the boots that these replaced so it was definitely a practical purchase, and I'm pleased I bought these.

I think black ankle boots are such a classic - definitely a must-have for me, and you can wear them many ways in different seasons.

Ankle Boots & Dresses in Warmer Weather

This is my favourite way to wear ankle boots. While I'm petite, I don't think these black ankle boots make me look shorter when paired with bare legs - they are a very flattering style. The slight dip at the front of them is one of the features that's supposed to stop them from 'cutting off' your legs and making you look shorter. While we rarely get weather that allows me to be bare legged and wear boots, wearing dresses and ankle boots with bare legs in spring and autumn is definitely a favourite.

Ankle Boots and Dresses in Winter

As much as I like the look of dresses and ankle boots with bare legs, I don't stop wearing it when winter arrives. Just add some extra layers like a cosy cardigan or jacket, a big scarf, and some fleece-lined tights (a winter essential for me!). If you're concerned about black ankle boots making you look shorter, this is a good way to wear them as the black tights and boots together elongate your legs.

Ankle Boots and Office Wear

While I don't think ankle boots would work in all offices, I have a business casual dress code at work and so ankle boots are a great choice in winter. Just like above, I wear them with dresses, although they look equally good with pencil skirts too. If it would fit in with your company dress code, there's no reason you can't rock ankle boots in the office.

Ankle Boots and Maxis

You can continue to wear your maxi skirts and dresses year-round by layering them up for winter weather. While sandals are great with maxis in the warmer weather, it's much cosier wearing them with ankle boots in winter. I've worn ankle boots with maxi dresses as well as maxi skirts.

Ankle Boots and Jeans

A really common way to wear ankle boots, because everything goes with denim! When it's a cold winter day, I'll usually tuck my skinny jeans into my ankle boots to keep my legs warm. It it's a warmer spring or autumn day, I'll usually roll my jeans up so they stop just above my ankle boots, showing the tiniest bit of skin. I've read a few times that cuffed jeans are a no-no for petites as they make you look shorter, and so I spent far too much time avoiding wearing my ankle boots this way. I really like it after giving it a try, I don't think it makes me look any shorter than I am and I love wearing it. Rolling my skinny jeans above my ankle boots is my favourite way to wear them with denim.

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Black Ankle Boots Under $100:

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How do you wear your ankle boots? Want more outfit ideas? 100+ ways to wear ankle boots in my blog archives.

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Black Ankle Boots With Extra Detail Under $100:

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Outfits for Expressing Breastmilk at Work: Pumping Friendly Dresses

It can be difficult finding affordable, stylish and professional breastfeeding friendly clothes! If you're returning to work while your baby is small you may need to find things you can wear that allow you to express breast milk through the day.

While I've expressed breastmilk for my babies at home and when out and about (like at a wedding!), I haven't had to express in the office or negotiate any pumping breaks during my day. I do know from my experiences outside the office that these outfits would work perfectly for expressing. They are ideal for attending and facilitating meetings too.


One more thing to note before I get to the outfits is that you have legal rights in Australia that allow you to continue to work and breastfeed - you can read more here to find out how to get the support you need to return to work while breastfeeding. "It is generally against the law to refuse to make arrangements to assist you to breastfeed at work, if these are reasonable". Your rights in more detail.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: star print pashmina
Dress: Atmos&Here Arlette jersey wrap dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

This dress is one of the handful of pieces I've bought that failed the 'wear twice in a month after buying it' rule. I bought it while on maternity leave, not wanting to pass on the sale bargain and knowing I'd get a lot of wear out of it when I returned to the office. I do like wrap dresses for easy breastfeeding, but this one seemed a little out of place in summer when I wore it and so it was put aside until my return to work. This is only it's second wear now, 7 months after I bought it!

Glad I bought it though, it is perfect for the office. I layered a colourful tank underneath but you can't really see it with all the layers on top! Really enjoyed wearing this, and I enjoyed getting out this Marc Jacobs Fran bag again too. It only really gets worn to the office so it's been a while since I've worn this too, over a year and a half!


Last worn: camel trench, star print scarf, zig zag print wrap dress, Walnut Melbourne Ava ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and pencil skirts, star print scarf and skinny jeans, zig zag print wrap dress worn outside the office, black ballet flats and printed jeans, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: trench coat and hidden first trimester bump, star print scarf and second trimester bump, black ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt, Marc Jacobs Fran bag in second trimester.

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Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs bright blue stole

Tank: Kmart navy ribbed tank
Dress: Atmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress in watercolour print
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

Unlike the wrap dress above, this one has been worn quite a few times since I bought it while pregnant. Even though I bought it a size larger than normal to accommodate a growing baby bump in my final trimester, being a wrap dress it still fits nicely without the bump.

Decided to go with the blue coat, scarf and tank underneath too. I like all the blue with the turquoise print of the dress. I didn't feel quite as confident in this dress as I did in the same one with a different print above. Only because I kept stopping to realise through the day that the last time I'd been in the office with this dress I was pregnant, and it made me miss my boys. Hopefully it will be easier next time I wear this dress, I'll spend less time caught in my own thoughts.

Returning to work is an emotional time, compounded by baby boy not adjusting to the change well and having disrupted sleep. Walking into a meeting room, or the lift, or the kitchen, or sitting at my desk and realising last time I did those things in this dress I was pregnant made it a bit of a tough day to get through as my boys were always at the forefront of my mind.


Last worn: navy mac, cobalt scarf, navy tank, printed wrap dress, black ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag (above).

Other ways to wear: navy mac and chambray dress, cobalt scarf with monochrome maxi skirt outfit, navy tank and printed shorts, printed wrap dress and ankle boots, black ballet flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag and burgundy pants.

Perfect for pregnancy: wrap dress in the last trimester, Fran bag at 40 weeks pregnant.

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More Wrap Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A wrap dress is a classic wardrobe item that a lot of people have. They are timeless, suit so many different people and are usually pretty affordable. The wrap detail makes access for breastfeeding easy, and it's this feature that makes them a good dress choice for anyone who has to express too. You can easily layer a breastfeeding singlet underneath, or quickly slip them off to put on a pumping bra instead if you have one.

A wrap dress can make you look and feel good, meet corporate office dress codes and work for you if you're returning to work and breastfeeding or expressing.



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