Open Knits and Colourful Jeans with Converse and Cross Body Bags

It's spring now in Brisbane but I still have some older winter outfits like these to share.  A cosy knit and colourful jeans is a simple cold weather outfit. I didn't wear my knitted jumpers a lot over winter as dry clean or handwash only pieces aren't my first choice for wearing around two toddlers! They worked perfectly for work from home days when I do the daycare pick up / drop off.

What I wore:

Scarf: ASOS crinkle oversized leopard print scarf
Jumper: Jeanswest 'Serena' ombre knit
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

I absolutely loved this outfit - it's taken me a while to get around to posting it on the blog though! I wore this when it was really chilly in the middle of winter, so the extra scarf was necessary for the cold morning. I wasn't sure what scarf to wear with this at first, the purple jeans and ombre knit are a busy enough outfit on their own. I've worn the ombre knit with leopard print before though so I grabbed this one. I really liked the way this looked.

Nice and cosy (with a long sleeve tee under the open knit) and colourful with the purple jeans, but comfortable and quick to pull together in time for dropping the kids off at daycare before working from home for the rest of the day.


Last worn: leopard print scarf, ombre knit, purple skinny jeans, Converse, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: leopard print scarf and red shift dress, ombre knit and burgundy pants, purple skinny jeans with matching scarf, Converse and printed jeans, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: ombre knit at 40 weeks pregnant, purple jeans in first trimester, Converse and dress in second trimester, speedy bandouliere and maternity pencil skirts.

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Open Knit Jumpers Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Jumper: Wildfox Couture rainbow dreamer Lennon distressed knit
Jeans: thrifted Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This distressed knit is either a love or a hate, I don't think there's any in-between! First time I wore it I shared that Baby Boy kept getting tangled in the distressed pieces. Last time I wore it I rolled and tucked to hide the distressing a little more. Since I didn't get a proper blog photo first time I wore it, I was eager to wear it in all its raw ripped glory again. A work from home day with the boys at daycare was the perfect chance - no little toddler hands grabbing and pulling on it! A day to myself meant I could wear a 'grown up' beaded necklace too, even if I did have to take it off in the evening as baby boy kept trying to play with it like he does with my teething necklaces.


I loved how colourful this outfit was with the rainbow knit, red skinny jeans and yellow bag. Felt a little 'wasted' as I only worked from home and didn't see many people, so I'm sure I'll wear this combination again next winter.


I feel a little sad when I look up the previous times I've worn these knits as they've been worn so rarely. I've actually downsized my jumper collection this year, rather than buying more. Usually June is a big spending month for me coming into winter and stocking up on winter pieces, but as I was doing my no-shop challenge I haven't added any wintery things. I'm sure I'll return to loving my knits more next winter when the boys are bigger, but right now I've been preferring layering up summer pieces and sticking to wearing things that are machine washable. Two toddlers can be messy!


Last worn: Wildfox Couture distressed knit, red skinny jeans, Converse (above), Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan.

Other ways to wear: Wildfox Couture distressed knit and maxi skirt, red skinny jeans and graphic tee, Converse and floral dress, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse and maternity denim shorts, skinny jeans in first trimester.

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Colourful Jeans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

Cold morning and in a rush? Grab a favourite knit, add some bright jeans and you're ready in an instant! I like the winter days where it's warm enough to just wear a jumper and jeans, it's the simplest and easiest outfit formula and keeps you cosy no matter what the day holds. Maybe just stick to machine washable knits if you're spending time with toddlers!


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Aztec Print Dress Worn Two Ways for Different Seasons

While I managed to complete my 6 months without shopping challenge (and even added an extra month!) there were a few things I was eager to buy as soon as the challenge was over in August. This cute tiered little black Aztec print dress was one of those pieces.

I'm wearing it for different seasons in the two outfits below. It shows how versatile the dress is, but also how crazy our weather was near the end of winter. Within a few weeks it went from winter, to summer to winter again. Now it's spring it's thankfully continuing to warm up again.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace (new purchase)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress (new purchase)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

When I first saw this dress I instantly thought of wearing it with tights, ankle boots and a mustard cardigan. I was lucky to find this one at the start of August as I'd missed out on my dream mustard cardigan in an opshop as I was doing my no-buy challenge! It was so good to be able to wear the outfit I'd dreamt up when I first saw this dress. I thought the green necklace was another nice touch of colour with the mustard yellow.

It was a bit of an eventful day for Toddler T. His first trip to the dentist (he did really well!) and then his first play. There was a local production of 'Going on a bear hunt', one of the books he loves reading.

We finished the day with dinner at the in-laws. I liked how well this outfit worked for everything in the day, and at night. It was really cold in the evening so I was glad I wore the tights!


Last worn: mustard cardigan, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan. First time I've worn the dress as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: mustard cardigan and grey maxi skirt, black ankle boots and rolled skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: ankle boots in second trimester.

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Little Black Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Dress: Kmart Aztec print tiered little black dress
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:

In complete contrast to the outfit above, this was a much warmer day. I added the cardigan because it was a little windy in the morning, but with 30 degree weather when we went for a walk in the park the cardigan quickly came off. It was nice to get a little taste of summer near the end of winter. I'm looking forward to wearing this dress again with Converse now it's spring in Brisbane.

While it's very similar to the outfit above, I think the beauty of a little black dress is that you can make it look a little different each time just by changing the accessories.

Since I like to review everything I buy after wearing it twice to see how it's working for my wardrobe, my review of this little black dress:

I love this dress. It swishes beautifully when I wear it, although as you can see I haven't been able to capture a pic of that yet! I stumbled across it in Kmart while looking for shoes for baby Boy, and I hoped it would be there once my no-shop challenge is over. When it was still there I figured I'd wait until it went on sale. After checking the stock levels each time I went in and constantly thinking about it I decided to go ahead and buy it at full price. It was only $15. I don't like buying things full price no matter the cost, but it was only $15 and it has now sold out in my size without being reduced so I'm pleased I got it. I have so many outfit ideas in mind for it!


Last worn: purple cardigan, Aztec print dress (above), purple high tops, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag.

Other ways to wear: purple cardigan and pink tank, purple high tops and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote bag and pink maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple cardi and stripes in first trimester, mini MAB tote bag in third trimester.

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Colourful Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A classic little black dress in any style is widely regarded as a wardrobe staple. You can make it look different each time by changing the accessories you wear with it. Both these outfits followed a very simple formula, picking a colourful cardigan and similar accessories. Just like kimonos in summer and scarves in winter, cardigans are good for adding a little colour in those in-between seasons. To keep things simple, you can wear a colorful cardigan with neutral layers, like a little black dress.


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#30Wears: Ways to Wear Rebecca Minkoff Yellow Micro Regan Bag in Harvest Gold

Another month, another #30wears post showing 30 different ways to wear something. This month I've picked a bag again, my Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan cross body bag.

Even after not shopping for 7 months, I'm finding it harder than I thought to hit 30 wears on my clothes. I think if I had a capsule wardrobe it would be easier, but I have a pretty large wardrobe and so I'm not frequently rewearing things as much as I think!

#30Wears: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan Cross Body Bag in Harvest Gold

I bought this cute little mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag back in October last year. Since I sold my yellow Rebecca Minkoff swing bag, I'd been looking for a replacement, and this was in the Shopbop sale. I like the rectangular shape of it, just a little roomier than my Rebecca Minkoff mini MACs and I love the extra tassel details.

The colour is harvest gold, which is a beautiful mustard yellow. It's from the fall/winter collection, and although October is spring here in Australia it didn't put me off of buying. I like colourful bags, no matter what season they are from I tend to wear them year round. You can see that in the photos below.

Micro Regan and Shorts and Kimonos

Proving my point above right away, this mustard yellow cross body bag works perfectly in summer. I wear the outfit formula of kimono and denim shorts a LOT in the warmer months, and this bag looks great with the denim. I love to wear it with the grey floral Somedays Lovin' kimono as you can see, as the kimono has a little yellow in the print. It does work nicely with my other kimonos too though. A plain, unpatterned bag is a good accessory with a busy printed outfit.

Micro Regan and Maxi Dresses

The Rebecca Minkoff micro regan doesn't just look good with denim, I like to wear it with my maxi dresses too. It's a simple boxy shape so it's quick and easy to throw on. It's fun to use it for a pop of colour with a grey maxi dress, or try new colour combinations with yellow and coral and pink dresses.

Micro Regan and Maxi Skirts

I wear my maxi skirts a lot so it makes sense I'd wear my Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag with them often too. Just like with the maxi dresses above, I like adding extra colour to an already colourful outfit with combinations like orange and yellow and red, blue and yellow. A neutral maxi skirt outfit can be made more interesting with a little touch of colour from the bag too. It's not as in-your-face as a lighter yellow, the mustard colour makes it so wearable with many different things. And I've always liked yellow and grey together, so it's an easy accessory choice with a grey outfit.

Mustard Yellow Bag and Monochrome Outfits

Blue and yellow is another colour combination I like - and you can see that beautifully in the monochrome outfits below. I like this set of photos as it shows how well the micro Regan bag works in multiple different outfits. While they are all monochrome outfits, it involves dresses, denim shorts and a maxi skirt. And it looks so good with all 4!

Matching Yellow Bag and Accessories

If I'm feeling a little matchy-matchy, I like to wear my yellow teething necklace with the mustard micro Regan bag. While they are both different shades of yellow, I like how they look together.  Yellow can be seen by some people as hard to wear, so trying yellow accessories first is a great way to experiment with new colour combinations and add just a hint of colour to your outfit. You might be surprised by how many things yellow goes with once you give it a try.

Yellow Bag and Yellow Clothes

While I love the yellow necklace and bag outfit formula above, I like to match my mustard yellow bag to my yellow clothes too. You don't need to keep colour in your accessories, you can wear a bag that matches other pieces in your outfit. Again, the cardigan below doesn't match the bag exactly, but I think the slightly different shades look good together.

Mustard Yellow Bag in Any Season

As I mentioned previously, you can wear the mustard yellow micro Regan bag year-round. Mustard might be seen as a fall and winter colour, but there's nothing stopping you from wearing it in spring and summer.  It's a lovely all-rounder and I'm so glad I bought it!

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Where to Buy the Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan Bag:

Rebecca Minkoff currently has a 50% off sale on bags at the moment too, perfect time to shop!

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Want more outfit inspiration? All the 35+ ways I've worn the micro Regan bag.


Previous 30 Wears posts:

• 30 ways to wear a black maxi skirt
• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear gladiator sandals
• 30 different ways to wear striped maxi skirt
• 30 different ways to wear skinny jeans
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear a printed leather jacket
• 30 ways to wear black ankle boots in multiple seasons

I hope this gave you some new outfit ideas! You can use the social media buttons below to share this post if you enjoyed it.

Do you have a yellow bag? How do you wear it?


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