Wearing Your Printed Shirts Out of the Office: SAHM Style with Purple Jeans

As I mentioned in Monday's post, I love my button up shirts as they are one of those pieces in my wardrobe that work for work and weekend. Having relaxed style shirts made with soft fabrics (like these ones I'm wearing are) helps make them a good option to do double duty for stay at home mum outfits.

What I wore: 

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Shirt: Target blue abstract floral print shirt
Jeans: Jeanswest 'shale' super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey (on sale, 30% off!)

Why I wore it:

I love blue and purple together so these purple toned jeans seemed like an obvious choice with this printed shirt. Another $10 target sale find, I always seem to have good luck in their sales.

Was an interesting day when I wore this. Baby Boy woke up early as always and when we got downstairs I noticed a giant rat in the yard. I've tried to show hubby it before and Cooper's unsuccessfully tried to catch it too. I took a photo for proof of all those times I've been sure Cooper chased a rat out the yard, and then carried on making brekkie.

When Baby Boy excitedly pointed at birds out the window I looked out again and saw the rat hadn't moved. I went out and scared the birds away from it and caught the poor thing in a cardboard box and gave him some food and water and a blanket made from an old top. I called RSPCA while trying to figure out if it was native or introduced. Although it meant I was late for the ABA meeting that morning, we took a little detour to the vet. She confirmed it was a melomys, a native Aussie animal which to my untrained eye looked like a cute rat. Toddler T even named him "E The Rat". Every time we pass the vets he asks if E The Rat is feeling better. I hope so, he was in very bad shape.

In the end we weren't too late to the ABA meeting, which worked out nicely as part of the introduction speech was a thank you for the volunteers as part of World Breastfeeding Week. I was surprised to get given a thank you gift for volunteering with my local group. It was so sweet, and I'm glad I didn't miss catching up with everyone.


Last worn: denim jacket, blue printed shirt, colourful skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff MAM.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and maxi dress, blue printed shirt in the office, colourful skinny jeans and kimono, Converse and maxi skirt, Rebecca Minkoff MAM worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket and black dress in second trimester, blue printed shirt in first trimester, colourful jeans for work in first trimester, Rebecca Minkoff MAM and maternity denim shorts. 

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Purple Jeans Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Peggie kimono cardigan in purple mulberry marle
Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Shirt: Target mint stripe shirt
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

Although not totally blue, I thought this mint shirt would look good with my purple jeans. I wore this out shopping with the toddlers. After being sick for a few days, we were feeling better so I made a small detour to Kmart before grocery shopping. I had my eye on a dress I'd continuously seen during my no shop challenge and couldn't stop thinking about. I was going to wait for it to go on sale, but decided to go ahead and buy it anyway as I kept thinking of it. It was only $15 too.

I've worn these purple jeans with the mint bag before, I really like the colourful combination. This shirt is so soft and so comfortable - while it works nicely in the office with a pencil skirt, I love wearing it casually too.


Last worn: purple cardigan, pinstripe shirt, purple skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff aqua mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and maxi dress, pinstripe shirt and pencil skirt, purple skinny jeans and graphic tee, Converse and floral maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff aqua mini MAC and black maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardigan and printed cami in first trimester, striped shirt in second trimester, Converse and maternity shorts, mini MAC bag and kimonos in third trimester.

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Printed Shirts Under $50

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How You Can Wear It:

Your printed shirts don't have to be ignored when you're outside the office. They can easily be worn casually too:

• Perfect for breastfeeding so can be worn while on maternity leave. 
• A printed shirt and colorful jeans is a nice casual option for the weekends.

It's great to have pieces in your wardrobe that work for multiple situations, it means you can get more wear from them, and more value from your purchase.


Linking up with Flashback Fashion, Weekend Wear, Friday Favourites, Friday Faves, Shoe & Tell, Mummy Monday, Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Hello Monday.

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Plain Tops and Printed Maxi Skirts: Monochromatic Outfits with Purple Accessories

If you've been following me on Instagram you'll know I'm having a bit of a purple moment with my new-to-me handbag. These outfits pictures were taken a few weeks ago but they still feature that loved colour combo of blue and purple, and they follow an extremely simple outfit formula. Plain top and printed maxi skirt for easy stay at home mum style.

What I wore:

Jacket: Paper Scissors grey wrap cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Tee: Jeanswest two tone boxy oversized tee from my sister's wardrobe clearout
Skirt: Target navy side split maxi skirt
Shoes: Purple high top Converse look-a-likes
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink, 43% off!)

Why I wore it:

A little bit of a busy morning! We had Baby Boy's weekly weigh, a pram walk with my ABA mother's group and then packing for a trip down the coast in the afternoon. We had a special day out planned on the coast for Toddler T the next day and decided to stay at my parents so we didn't have a lot of travel time in the morning.

Wanted a nice easy outfit, so went monochrome with the blue tee and navy striped maxi skirt. Added the grey cardi for warmth although I took it off during out walk by the bayside as it was such a nice day.

This blue tee is new-to-me, I got it from my sister's wardrobe clearout. I love how soft the fabric is, and I'm always a fan of relaxed oversized fits with my leftover mum-tum. Plus being my favourite colour I couldn't turn it down! A nice new addition to my wardrobe.


Last worn: grey belted cardigan, navy stripe maxi skirt, purple high tops, Rebecca Minkoff plum mini MAB tote. First time I've worn the tee from my sister's wardrobe.

Other ways to wear: grey belted cardigan and skinny jeans, navy stripe maxi skirt worn two ways, purple high tops and grey outfit, Rebecca Minkoff plum mini MAB tote and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: plum mini MAB tote and maternity shorts.

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Plain Tees Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Top: Glassons plain black long sleeve tee
Skirt: Izabel London Aztec print maxi skirt (C/O)
Shoes: Purple high top Converse look-a-likes
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in pink, 43% off!)

Why I wore it:

This was a bit of a funny morning. Had some errands to run so we were a little later than normal for playgroup. I felt bad when we got there and found out there was no-one else there either! It had been a particularly cold morning, and with it being winter there are so many bugs going around. Was just strange seeing the normally packed room so empty with just my two boys in it. Thankfully another mum came along a little later too so the boys had someone else to play with as we sat and chatted to the staff who run the playgroup.

As it was such a cold morning, this maxi skirt seemed like a good choice - it's quite a thick fabric, so it combined with my black long sleeve tee and leather jacket kept me nice and warm. I've worn the top and skirt together before too, they work well.

This cobalt leather jacket is a nice way to add some colour to a monochromatic outfit, and the purple necklace, bag and shoes also helped to make my outfit a little brighter. While this outfit follows the same formula as the one above and has exactly the same accessories, the different colours and print make it seem completely new.


Last worn: cobalt leather jacket, black long sleeve tee, Aztec print maxi skirt, purple high tops (above), Rebecca Minkoff purple mini MAB tote (above).

Other ways to wear: cobalt leather jacket and office wear, black long sleeve tee and leopard print, Aztec print maxi skirt and red bag, purple high tops and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff purple mini MAB tote and pink dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: printed maxi skirt in second trimester, plum mini MAB and tie dye dress in third trimester.

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Printed Maxi Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Plain doesn't mean boring! You can pair a plain top with something printed like I've done here with the maxi skirts. Sticking with a monochromatic colour scheme is a fail-safe idea, but you can add additional colour to your outfit with accessories too if you like! A monochromatic outfit is an easy base to wear more colourful accessories with.

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Getting More Wear From Your Wardrobe: Work and Weekend with Burgundy Pants

I would love to have a wardrobe full of pieces that work for any situation I come across. That means being able to build business casual outfits to the office as well as stay at home mum outfits and weekend wear. One thing that helps is having go-to outfit formulas.

A shirt and pants is one of those outfits you could wear for work or the weekend! These burgundy pants are a favourite of mine, and I love how they look with my camel trench coat. Both outfits below I had in mind to wear to work, but only one of them was worn into the office.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Scarf:  Seed Heritage Paisley print snood
Shirt: Zara star print shirt
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey (on sale, 30% off!)

Why I wore it:

I probably should have tucked the shirt into the pants to make this look a little more formal, but I loved this outfit all the same. After dealing with a few days of gastro, I was cleared to go back to work so I just pulled on an easy outfit! I know the burgundy pants, star print shirt and trench look great together as I've worn them that way before.

This outfit was perfect for the office - even with the shirt untucked and it kept me nice and cosy for my early commute.


Last worn: camel trench, paisley print snood, star print shirt, burgundy pants, Walnut Melbourne flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and fit and flare dress, paisley print snood and little red dress, star print shirt and denim shorts, burgundy pants with dress worn as a shirt, Walnut Melbourne flats and pleated skirt, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: trench coat and pencil skirt in first trimester, printed snood in second trimester, star print shirt in early weeks of pregnancy, burgundy pants in first trimester, ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt, Rebecca Minkoff MAM in third trimester.

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Burgundy Pants Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Scarf: Forever New Skye Foil Feather scarf in berry / gold (on sale!)
Shirt:  Jeanswest Tory textured shirt (on sale!)
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey (on sale, 30% off!)

Why I wore it:

I like to plan and layout my work outfits ahead of time so I'm not rushing in the morning. This outfit was one I'd planned out, hung up and was ready to wear when I woke up and realised I'd caught the cold the boys and hubby had. It hasn't been a good winter health-wise! So after a few days off work, I was back to getting outside of the house again, but still pretty exhausted. I had booked in the day off as I had an early morning appointment for Baby Boy so rather than trying to find something new to wear, I just decided to wear what I'd planned to for the office.


Just like the outfit above it's a shirt, trench and scarf with my burgundy pants. I just swapped the ballet flats for these slouchy boots to make it a little more casual for an appointment then playgroup. While I did feel a little overdressed for playgroup - and one of my friends did comment I looked rather more pulled together than usual! - this was still a great outfit to wear. I love navy and burgundy together!

With pieces like these burgundy pants in my wardrobe that work both casually and professionally, it's a good push for me to be stricter with what I buy and make sure it works in multiple ways.


Last worn: camel trench (above), feather print scarf, navy shirt, burgundy pants (above), tan boots, Rebecca Minkoff MAM (above).

Other ways to wear: camel trench and skinny jeans, feather print scarf and stripes, navy shirt and denim shorts, burgundy pants and ombre knit, tan boots and shirt dress, Rebecca Minkoff MAM and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: trench coat and stripes in first trimester, burgundy pants and belly band in first trimester, Rebecca Minkoff MAM and maternity pencil skirts.

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Colourful Pants Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

If you have a business casual or smart casual dress code, you can get more wear from the pieces in your wardrobe by wearing them to the office during the week and casually on the weekends. Colourful pants are good for this - they adhere to a relaxed office dress code and don't look out of place on the weekend or as stay at home mum wear. They are a nice variation on the standard black you see for work pants and just as easy to wear.


Linking up with Confident Twosday, Turning Heads, Trendy Tuesday, Style Sessions, Fashion Frenzy, Style on the Daily, Fashion Files, Fabulous Friday.

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