Rainy Day Style: Ruffle Camis and Skinny Jeans With Purple Balenciaga Work Bag

While it's still summer here in Brisbane, a few weeks back we were hit with some very un-seasonal weather. A sudden cold snap lead to the coldest February day in over 100 years! While most of my winter things are boxed away over summer, I managed to find pieces to make my cami tops more appropriate for the cold weather. I've been wanting to wear them more, before summer ends.

What I wore:

Jacket: Paper Scissors grey wrap cardigan
Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Cami: Jeanswest Audrey tonal print tank
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

I didn't include this cardigan in the box of winter knits I pack away for summer, as I keep it out to wear in the office now and then. I was so glad I kept this as it was perfect for a chilly day. With the grey cardigan, grey skinny jeans and metallic silver flats and the neutral printed cami it all looked a bit boring, so the purple accessories were the perfect way to add a little bit of colour. It met the purple style challenge theme perfectly too!

I didn't expect to be pulling out my jeans so soon into the year, but I wasn't too upset at having a chance to wear these grey skinnies. They are the most recent addition to my denim collection after I got given them last year and a pair I'm sure will get a lot more wear over winter.

It was nice how easily this outfit came together. There was a break in the rain in the morning too, so we managed to get out and have our morning walk before having a quiet Saturday at home watching the rain fall outside.


Last worn: grey cardigan, printed cami, grey skinny jeans, metallic ballet flats, Balenciaga work bag.

Other ways to wear: grey cardigan and maxi dress, printed cami and red jeans, grey skinny jeans for flying with toddlers, metallic ballet flats and blue dress, Balenciaga work bag and fit and flare dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: printed cami hiding second trimester bump, metallic ballet flats in third trimester.

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Ever Wondered How Many Jeans I have? :

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What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Cami: Atmos&Here 'Isla' ruffle cami in floral print
Jeans: Jeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

A little bit of double denim. Again, I had the style challenge theme to dress to. This time the theme was 'indigo'. I'd planned a lovely navy dress to wear, but the weather made me change that pretty quickly to the denim jacket. With the black skinny jeans, it's an easy way to do double denim, and it kept me warm enough on a cold and rainy day. As did all the running around I had to do - after a week where things seemed to go from bad to worse, Friday was me trying to keep things together and get everything done to get to the weekend.

I'd picked this cami to wear as I've been trying to wear my camis more recently, and this one is one of my least worn. It's a cropped style, but being petite it's normal length on me. While I like this cami in the photos, I didn't feel very comfortable wearing it. The cropped length becomes more apparent when you've got your hands full with a wriggly toddler, and I found myself tugging the top back down a few times. While the ruffles are beautiful and the colours mean it goes with so much, it was just too fussy to wear. The back is cropped shorter than the front too and I found myself wishing I'd worn a normal length top many times when bending down to the boys, even though my jeans are mid-rise.

Looking at it, I'm thinking I should keep it, it's so pretty! But I know it's so annoying to wear it's not worth keeping around just for me to realise in a few months it hasn't been worn, to wear it again and feel the same frustrations. I have plenty other camis I enjoy wearing more, so this one is leaving my wardrobe. 5 wears in 3 years is pretty bad cost per wear, but it's time to let it go!


Last worn: denim jacket, botanic print cami, Jeanswest prima skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Balenciaga work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: denim jacket worn 30 ways, botanic print cami and stripes, Jeanswest prima jeans in winter, black ballet flats and pencil skirt, Balenciaga work bag in the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester, botanic print cami in first trimester, black ballet flats and maternity wrap dress.

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Printed Camis Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Camis can easily be layered up for cooler weather! They are the perfect summer option with denim shorts, so they work just as well with jeans, with an extra layer like a jacket or cardigan to keep you cosy if it's cold.



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Louis Vuitton Neverfull, Grey Tees and Printed Maxi Skirts: SAHM Style

This summer has definitely been the summer of shorts, but I haven't completely forgotten my maxi skirts! The classic combo of a printed maxi skirt and grey tee makes an easy, comfortable outfit that's perfect for running around with the kids.

What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl
Skirt: Target navy side split maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

I was surprised to find I hadn't worn this tee and navy striped maxi skirt together before! I thought it was what I wore last time we went to hospital, but it was a different tee I wore then. This very similar outfit was worn again to the same hospital, but a day stay this time. I shared some pics on Twitter and my Instagram stories, as one of the boys had his first surgery.

There are a few times in adulthood I have a little panic to myself that "I'm not grown up enough for this", and having to comfort my child through an operation was one of those times. Thankfully, it was just a short day stay. The operation went well, and apart from being a little woozy afterwards, it was a smooth recovery.

I wasn't sure if I needed closed in shoes for the operating room, I forgot to ask with all the other questions I had, so I went with Converse just in case, even if I did take them off as soon as we got home. I picked comfortable clothes for all the sitting around waiting I was going to have to do, and my big Louis Vuitton neverfull to carry snacks and things to amuse me as I waited, with everything else in the baby bag. I've tried the neverfull as a baby bag before, as you can see in the video below, but I'm not a fan so it meant carrying two bags with me. Easy when I had the stroller to throw everything on.

It was a difficult day, made just a little easier by having a fuss-free outfit I was ready to face anything in. I'm just hoping to have no further days of hospital style!


Last worn: grey v-neck tee, navy stripe maxi skirt, Converse Chucks, Louis Vuitton neverfull tote.

Other ways to wear: grey v-neck tee and skinny jeans, navy stripe maxi skirt and band tee, Converse Chucks and pencil skirt, Louis Vuitton neverfull tote and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey v-neck tee in second trimester, Converse Chucks and maternity shorts, Louis Vuitton neverfull tote at 38 weeks pregnant.

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What I wore:

Necklace: silver heart long pendant necklace
Tee: Atmos&Here grey v-neck tee with rolled sleeves (also in black)
Skirt: thrifted Billabong red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Onto happier days! I wore this the weekend before operation day. We'd planned a day out but after taking these photos and our morning walk, the rain showers started to we decided to stay home instead, after running a quick errand. In the end I think a quiet day was just what was needed as operation week was crazy.

Very similar outfit formula to the one above, with a more voluminous printed maxi skirt and a slouchier grey tee. This was a lovely outfit for a humid day, nice loose layers. The only thing I didn't like so much was that the hem of my skirt got wet quickly when the rain started. I really need to get this skirt properly tailored. I'm currently doing the well-known petite girl hack of wearing it higher on my waist and rolling the waistband to keep it in place. It's definitely proven it's a keeper in my wardrobe, so I need to get it tailored to be just the right length.

Again I was wearing my Louis Vuitton neverfull tote, although this time around it had a lot less stuffed into it. That's the beauty of the neverfull, it always looks good no matter if you carry a little or a lot.


Last worn: slouchy grey tee, Billabong red maxi skirt, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton neverfull (above).

Other ways to wear: slouchy grey tee worn two ways, Billabong red maxi skirt and denim jacket, Louis Vuitton neverfull in the office.

Perfect for pregnancy: slouchy grey tee for second trimester travel, Louis Vuitton neverfull and maternity jeans.

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Printed Maxi Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

With a printed maxi skirt (or any printed piece in your wardrobe) pairing it with a grey tee is an easy outfit formula to follow that's guaranteed to look good. If grey tees aren't your thing, you could substitute with a similar neutral like black or white. I'm just such a fan of grey v-neck tees, they are what I reach for most often when wearing prints.



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Balenciaga City Compared To Rebecca Minkoff Regan (with Sheath Dresses For The Office)

I love my Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag, but held off buying the bigger Regan satchel as I wasn't sure if it was too similar to the Balenciaga city bag. After extra reductions in the Rebecca Minkoff sale, I snapped it up. It's interesting seeing the similarities and differences between the city and the Regan bags. Both look great for work with some printed sheath dresses!

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer
Scarf: gifted blush metallic rose gold shimmer scarf
Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
Dress: French Connection 'Woodblock wonder' panache dress in white/geranium rose
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Lovisa rose gold beaded bracelet stack
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

No, it isn't scarf weather yet in Brisbane! This scarf I got from my mum is so pretty though, a lovely blush shade with rose gold thread running through it. I added it in the morning as I'd lost my voice the afternoon before, and thought it best to keep wrapped up in the office air con. Thankfully my voice (mostly) made it through to the end of the day.

I forgot that this necklace hangs at an awkward length and bangs noisily on my work pass when I wear it, but the scarf did help muffle it a litte.

I usually pick neutral bags to wear with this colourful orange sheath dress. Although there was one time I paired it with an orange bag. I like blue and orange together, so the navy Regan satchel was a nice addition and a change from my usual grey. With the blazer and ballet flats, it's a classic office outfit combo, and one that I relly on a lot. Especially when life gets hectic, as happens often with two little ones. I wonder how full time office workers with kids do it all sometimes!

This dress is on it's eighth wear, even though this year marks 5 years since I bought it. I do tend to keep it to spring/summer as I prefer to wear it without tights. Other than not getting worn a lot (which is even harder to do now I'm only in the office a couple of days a week), there's nothing wrong with it. I feel bad keeping pieces like this that are so rarely worn in my wardrobe, but given the choice again today I'd still buy it if I saw it in a store so it's staying, even if it will be a while before it gets worn again!


Last worn: jersey blazer, orange sheath dress, ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel.

Other ways to wear: jersey blazer and a-line skirt, orange sheath dress layered for winter, ballet flats and printed shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: jersey blazer in third trimester, orange sheath dress hiding a baby bump.

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Balenciaga City and Rebecca Minkoff Regan Side By Side Comparison:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Necklace: freshwater pearl necklace and long freshwater pearl strand necklace
Dress: French Connection blue Paisley print dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black!)
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Balenciaga RH classic city in 2010 sorbet (more affordable preloved)

Why I wore it:

Unlike the orange sheath dress above, this blue paisley print one has been worn a lot more often. One of my favourite work pieces, it just makes me feel pulled together and confident. I've worn blue bags with this dress in the past, but this is the first time I've worn the dress and Balenciaga city bag together. I've worn it with a pink blazer in the past, but never a pink bag. I really liked the combination - I'm sure it will come up again in my quest to get to 30 wears with this dress this year!

While I love the Rebecca Minkoff Regan above and think it's a great classic option for work, there's something so cheerful about the pink Balenciaga city bag that makes me smile when I wear it. Paired with my favourite blue sheath dress, it's a great mood booster for a tough week.

The pearl necklaces were a last minute choice, I'd planned to wear another necklace but changed my mind that morning. I'm not completely happy with them. I did try knot the longer chain of pearls but when I couldn't get the knot to sit right and I was in a rush I just left it. I think knotting it would have looked better though, like this time I knotted the necklace.


Last worn: cream jersey blazer, Paisley print sheath dress, gold mouse flats, Balenciaga sorbet city bag.

Other ways to wear: cream jersey blazer and pencil skirt, Paisley print sheath dress and purple bag, gold mouse flats and flares, Balenciaga sorbet city bag and denim shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: Paisley print sheath dress in second trimester, gold mouse flats and maternity wrap dress, Balenciaga sorbet city bag at 37 weeks.

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Sheath Dresses For The Office Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It

Sheath dresses are a classic cut and style for the office. They work in many different office dress codes. Fun printed ones like these two are perfect for business casual offices, but if you have a more formal dress code you could go with a plain version.




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