Maxi Dresses, Denim Jacket and Silver Mini MAC

Father's day weekend celebrations at the start of September meant the chance to dress up a little with my favourite maxi dresses. Maxi dress and denim jacket is a frequently worn outfit combo for both spring and autumn for me.

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Dress: Gypsy 05 orange ombre maxi dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

Wore this for to celebrate Father's day with the family and then the in-laws in the afternoon. I got lucky and even though we ate out for lunch we had takeaway for dinner. It was nice not to have to cook anything other than breakfast all day!

This dress is so beautiful, always gets a lot of love when I wear it. Pleased to have it in my wardrobe after my bestie tired of it and gave it to me. I liked how well the feather pendant matched the peach of the dress, and the silver mini MAC bag was a good neutral too.

I wore silver ballet flats with this too but they are a little tricky to see as the breeze kept catching the hem of the dress.


Last worn: denim jacket, ombre Gypsy 05 maxi dress, silver ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and purple jeans, ombre Gypsy 05 maxi dress and lace kimono, silver ballet flats and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC and leopard print jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket and black dress, ballet flats and maternity wrap dress, mini MAC and maternity tanks in third trimester.

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Bright Maxi Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Earrings: A Little Bit of North blue mandala earrings (giveaway prize, close up photo)
Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Dress: MEV Havana maxi dress C/O Zibibo
Scarf: Louis Vuitton "comete" bandeau scarf (worn as belt)
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs howlite and hematite beaded bracelets
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

I wore this the day before as we had an early Father's Day brunch with my dad and family. We ended up sitting outside at the restaurant and it was such lovely weather I really didn't need my denim jacket on. A good start to spring.

You'll probably already know that this maxi dress is my favourite given how much I wear it! One of those treasured maternity pieces that works perfectly for breastfeeding too and so pretty that I continue to wear it even though those days are behind me. Nothing new here with this wearing! It's been worn many times with this denim jacket, and the colourful Louis Vuitton bandeau scarf as a belt is a favourite go-to outfit combination.

Just like the outfit above I wore the metallic silver mini MAC bag with this, silver was a good neutral with the colourful dress.

The good thing about maxi dresses is that they work for so many occasions - later that afternoon we had to go grocery shopping, no need to change into a different outfit!


Last worn: denim jacket (above), pink maxi dress, Louis Vuitton bandeau, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff metallic mini MAC (above).

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and shirt dress, maxi dress for a first birthday party, Louis Vuitton bandeau as a hairband, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats in the office, Rebecca Minkoff metallic mini MAC and monochrome jeans outfits.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket and hidden second trimester bump, pink maxi dress at 39 weeks pregnant, Louis Vuitton bandeau over a second trimester bump, ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt, mini MAC and third trimester maternity denim.

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Denim Jackets Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Maxi dresses are perfect for summer, but it's so easy to wear them on a warm spring or autumn day by simply adding a denim jacket. A denim jacket is a classic outfit topper which looks good with all styles of dresses, definitely a must have piece for spring.


Linking up with Lizzie In Lace, Fab Favourites, Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Hello Monday.

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Maxi Skirts with Cobalt Leather Jacket And Ankle Boots

I really liked maxi dress and leather jacket outfit formula the few times I did wear it over winter. I didn't get the chance to wear it as much as I liked and thought I'd have to pack away all my leather jackets for spring, but a sudden cold snap did give me the chance to get more wear out of my cobalt leather jacket. This time around I paired it with maxi skirts instead of dresses, although I didn't keep it on for long when I wore either outfit.

What I wore:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Jeanswest Flavia foil printed polka dot tee deep iris (recent purchase)
Skirt: Noisy May long denim maxi skirt
Shoes: Acne pistol boots in "skin"
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff striped coated canvas mini MAC in berry stripe

Why I wore it:

I liked this outfit so much I actually wore it twice in one week! Put it together to work from home and then wore it again a couple days later to attend my local ABA meeting after viewing a house design. I really like this polka dot tee and chambray maxi skirt together, I'm sure I'll wear them together again at some stage! For an impluse buy this tee has been getting a lot of wear lately. Might just be that I'm excited to have something new in my wardrobe after seven months without shopping.

I did briefly swap out the leather jacket for a softer hoodie to babywear baby boy through the house as it was a building site, and picked flat boots instead of the heeled Pistol boots I'd worn to work from home. I babywear a lot, but babywearing with a heel I haven't attempted!


Last worn: leather jacket, chambray maxi skirt, Acne Pistol Boots, Rebecca Minkoff stripe mini MAC. First time I've worn the polka dot tee as it is a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: leather jacket and printed jeans, chambray maxi skirt and graphic tee, Acne Pistol Boots and printed shorts, Rebecca Minkoff stripe mini MAC and jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: pistol boots in third trimester, striped mini MAC in second trimester.

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Blue Faux Leather Jackets Under $100:

Cobalt blue leather jackets like this are hard to find, but there are some great faux leather options!

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What I wore:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Feather pendant in peach (C/O)
Top: Jeanswest 'Tilda' black shirt
Skirt: thrifted Billabong red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff striped coated canvas mini MAC in berry stripe

Why I wore it:

Just like the second time I wore the outfit above, the cobalt leather jacket didn't stay on long this time either. It was a cold morning so I decided on a long sleeve top as well as the leather jacket. Had a few errands to run before playgroup and so by the time I'd got there I'd decided to leave the jacket in the car - it was a really warm day and so nice sitting outside as the boys played.

I've been wearing this recently thrifted maxi skirt with a lot of blue. When I saw it in store while dropping off some donations and realised it was my size, I did a quick mental run through of some outfits I could make with it - all involving neutrals. The first time I wore it I tried it with a blue tee and since I loved it so much, I figured the cobalt jacket would look great with it.

Despite being overly warm on a hot day, I really liked this outfit. I still have so many ways I want to wear this skirt, a great $3 find!


Last worn: cobalt leather jacket (above), black henley, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff striped mini MAC (above). First time I've worn the maxi skirt as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: cobalt leather jacket and office wear, black henley and pencil skirt, black ankle boots and little black dress, Rebecca Minkoff striped mini MAC and navy tunic.

Perfect for pregnancy: black henley in second trimester, ankle boots in second trimester, stripe mini MAC and maternity jeans.

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Maxi Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

You can make your maxi skirts work in cooler weather by adding a leather jacket. Good for a snow and rain-less winter day, or a milder spring or autumn day. Ankle boots help keep you warm too.
If you have a colourful leather jacket you could go monochrome like in the first outfit, or a bright contrast like the the red and blue in the second outfit.


Linking up with Wardrobe Wednesday, Fashion Frenzy, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Flashback Fashion, Passion for Fashion.

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Printed Blouses and Black Pencil Skirts: Cold Weather Office Wear

I try to get the most out of my wardrobe by wearing summer pieces year-round and making things work as both office wear and stay at home mum style. There are a few pieces I keep strictly for work wear though.

Both printed tops I'm wearing below were packed away when I outgrew them in pregnancy and left aside while I was on maternity leave. It's been good to unbox them again now I'm back in the office! Printed tops pair so nicely with black pencil skirts.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Necklace: Starfish Project Veronica short yellow multi strand necklace
Blouse: Jeanswest 'Ricky' ruffle front top in midnight
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

While I'd been going without tights in the mornings, the not quite spring weather didn't hang around long so it was a bit chilly this morning, back to tights and ankle boots. Despite it being a very cold morning, I still wanted a cheerful and colourful outfit.

With the navy polka dot top and the purple bag, the outfit was already colourful, but I thought I'd add the yellow statement necklace for a finishing touch. I really liked this outfit combination. Nothing like a bit of colour to cheer you up on a cold morning!


Last worn: navy macintosh, polka dot ruffle top, black zip detail pencil skirt, black ankle boots, purple Balenciaga work bag.

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and chambray dress, polka dot ruffle top and red jeans, black zip detail pencil skirt over a dress, ankle boots and little black dress, purple Balenciaga work bag and textured pencil skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: ruffle top hiding an early baby bump, pencil skirt in first trimester, ankle boots in second trimester.

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Printed Blouses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Necklace: Roie Designs pearl and antique gold long necklace
Top: Target ruffle sleeve dog print blouse
Skirt: Jeanswest black ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs logo plaque flats in camel
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

I always have a hard time remembering the differences between these two black pencil skirts when I write blog posts! The one above has an exposed zipper detail on the back, and this one here has elastic panels displayed at the waist but it's hidden under the trench coat. Despite these minor differences they do look identical - but with so many printed tops in my wardrobe a couple of black pencil skirts are a necessity for easy office outfits.

This dachshund print top was an impulse Target buy a few years ago. It didn't get worn an awful lot when I first got it as I found the stitched on waist belt a bit limiting with how I could wear it. A comment from Sheila on her blog about how she removed a similar belt gave me the idea to take the belt off. Removing the stitching and the belt was my first ever DIY attempt with a top, and I love how it makes this top a lot more wearable.

The purple in the print made this purple Balenciaga work bag an easy accessory to pair with it!


Last worn: camel trench, dachshund print top, ponte pencil skirt, camel ballet flats, Balenciaga purple work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: camel trench and skinny jeans, dachshund print top and red jeans, ponte pencil skirt in summer, camel ballet flats and skinny jeans, Balenciaga purple work bag and blue dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench in the first trimester, dachshund print top hiding a second trimester bump, ballet flats in third trimester.

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Black Pencil Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A black pencil skirt is an easy base for an office outfit. You can add some colour and fun with a printed top, and go a step further with colourful statement accessories too like in the first outfit. Not all printed outfits need to be overly colourful, sometimes keeping things simple and picking one colour from the print to wear in your accessories too works as well like in the second outfit. A black pencil skirt is one of those must-have pieces in your office wardrobe.


Linking up with Confident Twosday, Turning Heads, On Trend, Style Sessions, What I Wore.

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